[world-vedic] Why was the Superior Vedic Culture Destroyed?

[Guest guest]

Kailash Srivastava wrote:

What was wrong with others' KARMA that led to Muslim invasion?

 

The genuine Varnasrama system was replaced by the artificial Brahmana by birth

right instead of by *qualification*. Thus the degradation began by creating a

class of men(so-called brahmanas) who were *totally unfit* ot guide the

society.The chaos thus caused Karmic reaction weakening the society--which lead

to the invasion by Muhammad Ghori.

 

Srimad Bhagavatam 2.4.18 Purport by A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada

Abhira: This name also appears in the Mahabharata, both in the Sabha-parva

and Bhisma-parva. It is mentioned that this province was situated on the River

Sarasvati in Sind. The modern Sind province formerly extended on the other side

of the Arabian Sea, and all the inhabitants of that province were known as the

Abhiras. They were under the domination of Maharaja Yudhisthira, and according

to the statements of Markandeya the mlecchas of this part of the world would

also rule over Bharata. Later on this proved to be true, as in the case of the

Pulindas. On behalf of the Pulindas, Alexander the Great conquered India, and

on behalf of the Abhiras, Muhammad Ghori conquered India. These Abhiras were

also formerly ksatriyas within the brahminical culture, but they gave up the

connection. The ksatriyas who were afraid of Parasurama and had hidden

themselves in the Caucasian hilly regions later on became known as the Abhiras,

and the place they inhabited was known as Abhiradesa.

 

His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada gives the following

thoughts on this degradation of vedic culture.

740526SB.ROM Lectures

Prabhupada: So the supreme destination, back to Godhead, back to home, is for

everyone. It is not that God... God means for everyone. God does not say, "Only

the brahmana class of men, please come here. Others all rejected." No. He is

inviting everyone. Even the lowest of the lowest, low-born, papa-yonayah,

women, sudra, or vaisyas, everyone.

Now, Krsna says that "Everyone has got the potency of coming to Me, go back to

home, back to Godhead." That is admitted by Krsna. Now, who will make them

qualified to go back to home, back to Godhead? That is the Vaisnava, those who

are actually very sincere servant of Krsna. It is their duty. Krsna says that

"Everyone is competent to come to Me if he is following the rules and

regulations." Vyapasritya. What is the meaning of vyapasritya?

Nitai: "Particularly taking shelter."

Prabhupada: Yes, particularly. One should be willing to go back to home, back to

Godhead and take shelter particularly, means his representative. Such person can

be elevated. So it is not that... But unfortunately, in India, although

Bhagavad-gita is there, they neglect it. The so-called brahmanas, so-called

gosvamis, so-called..., they neglect this process. Just like in India, the

Muhammadans, the Muhammadans who claim to be partitioned: Pakistan and

Hindustan. There are number of Muhammadans, they protested that "India is going

to be independent, but we do not wish to participate with the Hindus. We must be

separate." Why? Because they have got a bad experience that the Hindus did not

treat them very well. Did not... Even sudra. In South India, it was the

process, so bad process. If sudra is passing on the street, he has to cry, "I

am a sudra passing on the street. Please close your door." The brahmanas would

close the door so that they may not even see a sudra. Then everything will be

spoiled, their food grains and everything. They will close. You see. Now the

result is that South India, the Communists Communists means the so-called

low-class people, sudras and candalas, they are now in majority. They have

formed a government that on principle, as soon as some brahmana comes for

government service, he will reject. So the brahmanas are now hiding themselves,

that he is brahmana, because he cannot get any job. (laughter) This is the

position.

So this negligence, this is not Vedic culture. Because they neglected... These

Muhammadans who came, who grown in India, they were not imported from

Afghanistan or Turkey or any Muhammadan country. They were Indians. But they

were not given any facility for spiritual culture. The brahmanas monopolized

it. Although they would not do anything. They would all, degraded form. But the

state, they would keep these sudras and the candalas downtrodden and

ill-treated. So therefore, when Aurangzeb passed a law, Jeziar tax.(?)

Jeziar(?) tax means all the non-Muhammadans would pay a tax. So these low-class

people were so neglected. They thought--it is natural--that "Why should we pay

this tax? We are not very much well-treated by the Hindus. So what is the use

of remain Hindu and pay the tax?" So the wholesale, this neglected class of men

became Muhammadans. This is the history. Otherwise, these Muhammadans did not

come from the Muhammadan country.

So in this way a community was formed, Muhammadan community, gradually. And this

British government took advantage of this ill-feeling between Hindus and

Muhammadans.

760217SB.MAY Lectures

So svapacam varistham. Who is that svapaca? Now, who has given everything to

Krsna, tri-danda. That means even a person coming out of the family of a

svapaca, dog-eaters, dog-eaters, pig-eaters, yes... Svapaca, means dog-eater.

Yes. Pig-eaters are also better. But the dog-eaters, they are the lowest. I

think in China and Korea they are very much fond of dog-eating. So they are the

lowest. So if... So here it is proof that dog-eaters or pig-eaters or any

low-grade man is not prohibited to become a devotee. That is our Krsna

consciousness movement. They say that without becoming a Hindu or born in

India, nobody can become brahmana, nobody can become sannyasi. But here is the

proof. In the sastra it says, svapacam varistham. The dog-eater is also highly

praised. When? Tad-arpita-mano-vacana: "When he sacrifices everything--his

body, his mind, his words--only for Krsna." This is called tri-danda-sannyasa.

So why the low-grade man cannot be offered tri-danda if he is qualified? If he

has dedicated everything to Krsna, why he should be prohibited? No. That is not

the sastric injunction. Sastric injunction is for anyone. Nobody is prohibited

to become Krsna conscious. Mam hi partha vyapasritya ye 'pi syuh papa-yonayah,

Krsna says. Krsna says even papa-yoni, less than the sudra... Sudra is also

papa-yoni. Even woman is called papa-yoni according to strict... Striyah sudras

tatha vaisya. Vaisya. Except brahmana and ksatriyas, everyone is considered to

be lowborn, according to the Vedic injunction. But not that because he is

lowborn, he cannot elevate himself. That is not the fact. The present,

so-called Hindu society is degraded because if one is born in higher family,

brahmana, ksatriya--he may be less than a svapaca--he's accepted as a brahmana.

That is the fault.

Note: Genuine Varnasrama system was based not on brahmana by birth or by

superficial show of saffron dhoti but by the *qualities*. The Bhagavad-gita

mentions the *particular* qualifications of status of life each individual

held. Unfortunately there are many mini-Ravanas who make a *cashing in* of the

*saffron cloth* business and decieve the public by pretending to be brahmana.

Ravana also wore Sadhus dress to kidnap mother Sita(goddess of fortune). In

doing so he brought his own ruin--as do the pretenders even today.

Bg 18.42 T

samo damas tapah saucam

ksantir arjavam eva ca

jnanam vijnanam astikyam

brahma-karma svabhava-jam

SYNONYMS

samah--peacefulness; damah--self-control; tapah--austerity; saucam--purity;

ksantih--tolerance; arjavam--honesty; eva--certainly; ca--and;

jnanam--knowledge; vijnanam--wisdom; astikyam--religiousness; brahma--of a

brahmana; karma--duty; svabhava-jam--born of his own nature.

TRANSLATION

Peacefulness, self-control, austerity, purity, tolerance, honesty, wisdom,

knowledge, and religiousness--these are the qualities by which the brahmanas

work.

Bg 18.43 T

sauryam tejo dhrtir daksyam

yuddhe capy apalayanam

danam isvara-bhavas ca

ksatram karma svabhava-jam

SYNONYMS

sauryam--heroism; tejah--power; dhrtih--determination; daksyam--resourcefulness;

yuddhe--in battle; ca--and; api--also; apalayanam--not fleeing;

danam--generosity; isvara--leadership; bhavah--nature; ca--and;

ksatram--ksatriya; karma--duty; svabhava-jam--born of his own nature.

TRANSLATION

Heroism, power, determination, resourcefulness, courage in battle, generosity,

and leadership are the qualities of work for the ksatriyas.

 

Bg 18.44 T

krsi-go-raksya-vanijyam

vaisya-karma svabhava-jam

paricaryatmakam karma

sudrasyapi svabhava-jam

SYNONYMS

krsi--plowing; go--cows; raksya--protection; vanijyam--trade; vaisya--vaisya;

karma--duty; svabhava-jam--born of his own nature; paricarya--service;

atmakam--nature; karma--duty; sudrasya--of the sudra; api--also;

svabhava-jam--born of his own nature.

TRANSLATION

Farming, cow protection and business are the qualities of work for the vaisyas,

and for the sudras there is labor and service to others.