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Fri, 10 Mar 2006 15:57:29 -0000

 

"Ram Chandran" <ramvchandran

 

Re: Varna System

 

 

 

Namaste Sri Subbu:

 

 

 

The book on "Dialogues with the Guru" has many interesting

 

discussions and I do not remember that it has addressed issues with

 

respect to the debate on the Varna System. The primary question

 

related to the Varna is whether it is equivalent to the

 

present "Caste System"? The answer is obviously no and everyone

 

participated in the debate do seem to agree that birth origin alone

 

did not determine one's Varnadharma. The debaters also seem to agree

 

that.the "dharma" and "Varna" both have been degenerating. There is

 

also some historic evidence supporting the view that foreign

 

occupation/influence are also partly responsible for the

 

degeneration. The bottom line for us is to accept that we are fully

 

responsible for the social evils exhibited in the present "Caste

 

System."

 

 

 

One of the reasons for equating the "caste system" to "Varnadharma"

 

is our difficulty to separate the "Sanatana Dharma" with the social

 

and cultural practices of the people of India. The following

 

excerpts from the book, "The Vedas," by Kanchi Kamakoti

 

Mahaswamigal, Chandrasekaharendra Saraswati illustrates the fact

 

that we are mostly ignorant about our religion:

 

 

 

Dear Advaitins:

Pranams to all. The question of varna system being different from the present

caste system did not arise to me. The traditional school in which I was trained

did not seek to make such a distinction. The scriptures point to the four

varnas and we were taught that we are all born into one varna or the other.

There are a lot of subtle ideas behind this. The varnadharmas spoken of in the

Scriptural context can be seen with somewhat clarity in the commentary named

Gita-vakya-tatparya-bodhini to the Bhagavadgita First chapter by Sri

Shankarananda Saraswati. This commentary speaks of the great loss that will

ensue because of decimating the people of a particular kula. Arjuna says all

this to highlight the case to withdraw from the war. The death of men of the

families will leave the families with no one to practice and teach the kula

dharma to the others. When kuladharma and jatidharma are not practiced, the

great benefit that arises out of such practices will not accrue to the

others. Thereby the family, the women, will fall to immoral ways. There will

be varna-sankara, admixture of castes and those who indulge in it and those who

are born out of it will all be sinning. All this will lead further to the pitris

not getting the offerings and the descendents of such families will be cursed by

the pitris and all this will result in doom. Now the question is: How will all

this fit in in any other context?

 

While the varna is inalienably connected to the spiritual development of the

jiva, so too its twin, the ashrama. The practice of varna dharma is not

divorced from the practice of ashrama dharma. They go together. Since the

ultimate spiritual goal is of an extremely subtle nature, the veda has designed

the life of struggle to reach that goal by enjoining practices that are

conducive to attain that goal. Although in the final picture the Atman is

avarna, agotra, and bereft of ashrama, yet, this 'adhyaropa' of these are a

necessity for the jiva to evolve. The daily activities from dawn to night and

up to one's end of this life's journey, all the activities are regulated by the

Sastra, for without regulation it is in the nature of man to quickly lapse into

the animal nature. There is this saying: Before Upanayanam, one's behaviour is

driven by indiscriminate desire, kaama achara, kaama vaada (reckless speech) and

kaama bhaksha , reckless eating. But after upanayanam all this

is bound to change. Upanayanam is a samskara. There are regulations as to how

one should talk, bathe, perform sandhya, prostrate before the elders, eat

moderately, speak moderately, etc. In the environment, that is in his house,

ideally, the father practices all these and the mother and others also bound by

several regulations, kula dharma, jaati dharma, act conducively to everyone's

spiritual upliftment. That is the environment inside the house and outside,

among his relatives, his class mates, in the families of the same varna too such

conducive behaviour is seen. All this add to the jivas' samskara and help in

their evolution. That is the reason for the insistence that a person is born in

a particular varna. The marks of a brahmana, kshatriya,etc are all given to

evaluate oneself at constant intervals and regulate one's being.

 

Supposing a person not born in the vedic varna is sought to be admitted into

it. First, in which varna is he to be admitted? What is the ritual to

accomplish this? Which shastra specifies this? Supposing the man is admitted

into the Brahmana varna, which every aspirant to enter the varna fold would

want, how is the upanayanam to be done? If the person is already married, there

is no possibility for a grahastha for investiture. Upanayanam will require him

to already belong to a particular vedic shakha. In which shakha is he to be

admitted? The shastra says 'svashakha' means the shakha which the vatu, the new

brahmachari's father studied. And that is the shakha which was studied by his

father and so on. And then, the question of gotra. Everyone belongs to a

gotra. Which gotra should we allot to the newcomer? Then the Sutra, Apasthamba,

Ashvalayana, etc. will have to be specified. All these depend on the family and

invariably determined by birth. So it is not merely

calling oneself a brahmana and putting on a thread. In the vedic scheme from

birth, pre-natal, up to death there are several samskaras. All are veda-vihita

and have to be performed accordingly. How is it possible to do all this to

someone who is not born in a particular varna? If someone says varna and caste

are different, the sastra makes no such distinction. Even the dictionary gives

them the same meaning.

 

And there are other practices peculiar to the varnas. In a traditional

Brahmin household, when a boy or anyone for that matter, puts his hand in his

mouth, or bites his nails, or touches the interior parts of the ears, nose or

other private parts, he is asked to wash the hands. After having meals, the

place is cleaned with adding a little cowdung. While drinking, one should not

sip the tumbler. Women during periods are made to stay separately and not

allowed to mix with others or even dine with others or before the others have

eaten. All this is not seen as torture. Even today I have seen some women from

Smartha and Madhva community, upon becoming widow, shaving their heads, not out

of compulsion, but voluntarily subjecting to it, considering the unseen benefit

it would bring to them. Ekadasi fasting is willingly undertaken. My Madhwa

friends have told me that even small children, due to association with the

parents, willingly subject to fasting. And then the pollution

arising out of death, birth etc. One might not get satisfactory answers to

these on a concrete basis. But the sampradaya in which one grows up assures him

unseen benefits. The Vedanta teaches the most impure and detestable nature of

the body. But by nature we are most attached to the body. All the training and

regulation that the family, the group, the community as a whole practices, will

benefit in the jiva slowly but surely giving up attachment to the body. The

Yoga sutra that teaches shoucham, purity of the body and the mind, the former

accomplished by cleansing the body with water and mud after every defacation,

says that the result of observing the practice of shoucham is the arising of

disgust towards the body. The mere teaching of

'janma-mrtyu-jaraa-vyaadhi-dukha-dosha-anudarshanam' is insufficient. All these

above practices done on a daily basis, for years, for several births, will

confer the spiritual benefits that they are intended to.

 

The Gita asks one to become 'nistraigunya' by not falling into the trap of the

vedic allurements. But the Gita in the 18th chapter enjoins on the aspirant to

do yajna dana and tapas as they are paavanakaram, purify. And they not to be

given up. Where will one learn these excepting from the karma portion of the

Vedas? These portions are accessible to those with varna and ashrama. The 17th

chapter says that a rite has to be done as per the prescription of the shastra.

Dakshina, food, mantras are all part of this. How can one delink these from

varna and ashrama?

 

 

Mother Dhyanasaraswati mentioned about cutting her hairs. Mother, pl. pardon

me for telling this. Our Acharya has said that cutting of hairs is not

advisable for a Sumangali. I do not know your status on this. My aunt, from an

orthodox family from Madras, after marriage to my maternal uncle went to live in

New Jersey for over fifteen years. During all these years she remained with her

'pinnal, podavai and poo'. She was able to observe all the practices associated

with a traditional household, thanks to my uncle's full cooperation. She learnt

driving, added to her qualifications and even worked there intermittently in

various capacities.

 

Speaking of Ashrama, the four Ashramas, stages of life, are also based on the

veda. The vedic married life is not a mere social institution. Nor is it a

just living together of a man and woman. Neither is it husbandry. It is called

'vivaha' and is a major samskara. The husband is called yajamana, charged with

the duty of making his entire life a yajna. The wife is called dharmapatni or

yajnapatni. She participates in all the dharmic karmas the husband performs.

She acquires immense punyam because of this. The shastras say that the holding

of her hand by the husband during the vivaha, called 'paanigrahanam' is symbolic

of his taking charge of her spiritual development thereafter. She is said to

have undergone the 'upanayana samskara' by being wedded to him and becomes his

disciple. Thus we see that the practices when undertaken in the gross level

percolate to the inner psyche of the jiva and produces the necessary condition

for the spiritual transformation to take place.

This is what underlies the idea of varna and ashrama in the vedic way of life.

How is this possible for someone who is not born in the varnas? The

appreciation of this principle itself will take a long time for people born in

the particular varnas. How can a person from outside even appreciate these

things? The question of pollution bothers many westerners. In traditional

households, after a person has taken bath and is engaged in puja, sandhya, japa,

homa, etc. others who are not 'clean' do not touch him. He himself does not

touch his private, impure parts during such periods. Women while cooking are

not supposed to touch their hairs, lest hairs should fall in the food and render

it impure. On the same count, it is said that those who are engaged in the

profession of cleaning toilets, hair cutting, etc. are not contacted

unnecessarily. If cruelty or arrogance is the basis for such practices, the

person does attract sin.

 

In the Vivekachudamani verse 93, for the words varna-ashramaadi-niyamaaH, the

Jagadguru Chandrasekhara Bharati Swamigal says in the commentary: By one's

practices one is identified by others as 'he is a brahmana, a brahmachaari,'

etc. These practices, by giving samskara to the body, give samskara to the

mind. Through that, these practices become helpful for the dawn of Jnanam.

Therefore, even though the varna and ashrama are due to adhyasa, they are to be

practiced with ardour.

 

Speaking on the topic of early marriage and the problem of widowhood, the

Acharya says in the book 'Dialogues with the Guru', in conclusion: "There is

absolutely no need to find fault with the Sastras or to seek to alter them. You

will find on the other hand that it is the disobedience of the Sastras that has

brought all this evil. Restore them to their rightful throne of authority. All

will be well."

 

In conclusion, let me say that those born outside the varnas have nothing to

lose. Their sincerity in seeking the truth will surely bring them the necessary

guidance, even as our Michael ji pointed out. The required samskaras can be

gained by being in Satsanga and by constant exposure to the Supreme teaching.

Above all, a personal Guru will be able to help in the best way. I think it was

Sri Neelakantan ji that posted the letter this very Acharya had written to a

French sadhaka. The Acharya gave sagacious upadesha for the aspirant's daily

practice and even blessed him with a photo of His own Guru, to reverentially

relate to on a daily basis. The modus of the descent of divine blessing is

inscrutable! My best wishes and warmest regards to all my brothers and Mothers

here.

 

Amen. Om.

Subbu

 

 

 

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