Thought of the week: Yudhisthira and Nahusha

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History of Nahusha

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Nahusha, the son of Ayu was a great king in the Soma dynasty and an ancestor of

the Pandavas, He was extremely powerful and very pious, so much so that even

the demigods held him great esteem. Once Indra, as the result of some sinful

reactions, lost his powers and fled from his post. Without a king, the demigods

were in great anxiety and after much deliberation decided that the only person

suitable of becoming Indra was the great king Nahusha. At first Nahusha refused

to rule over those he considered to be his worshippable superiors. However Lord

Brahma assured Nahusha that he was qualified to hold the post of Indra and gave

him the benediction of being able to render anyone powerless by simply glancing

at him. The demigods also benedicted him with a life span equal to theirs and

allowed him to partake of the heavenly nectar. In this way Nahusha was

installed as the king of Heaven and began to rule both the Earth and the Heaven

with great righteousness.

 

In due course of time however Nahusha, intoxicated by the opulence of his great

powers became vain and arrogant. Once while his palanquin was being carried by

the great sages, he behaved disrespectfully towards them and the sage Agastya

cursed him to become a serpent. Nahusha became extremely repentant of his past

behavior and begged the forgiveness of the sages. At this Agastya became

compassionate and said that the curse would be lifted when some one gives

Nahusha perfect knowledge. In this way Nahusha was living for millions of years

in the body of a python, awaiting his liberation.

 

Bhima encounters Nahusha

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As a result of being cheated by the Kauravas in the dice game, the Pandavas had

to spend thirteen years in exile. During this period they travelled far and

wide visiting various places of pilgrimage and getting association of sages and

saints who lived in forests. They also spend some time in the forests of

Vishakhayupa at the foothills of the Himalayas on the banks of the river

Saraswati. Bhima would often venture into the deep forests and there in a

sporting spirit, he would uproot huge trees, kill ferocious animals and crush

giant peaks. Once, while wandering in this way Bhima encountered Nahusha and

was promptly captured by the huge python. The mighty Bhima, with the strength

of ten thousand elephants, found himself powerless in the grips of the snake.

Because of his prior exalted position, Nahusha had complete recollection of his

previous life and understood that Bhima was his descendant.

 

However being extremely hungry and under the force of the envious snake-like

mentality, he prepared to eat Bhima.

 

Yudhisthira questioned by Nahusha

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At this time, Yudhisthira also came upon the scene and requested Nahusha to

free his brother. Nahusha then said that only if Yudhisthira correctly answers

his questions would he free Bhima. This conversation gives a very clear

understanding of the system of Varna (caste system) as explained in the

scriptures, specifically in regards to the position of a brahman.

 

Nahusha: Who is a brahman?

Yudhisthira: One who posses the qualities of truthfulness, charity,

forgiveness, good conduct, mercy, and who observes the duties of the brahmans

should be considered to be a brahman.

Nahusha: These qualities could be conceivably found in a sudra also.

Yudhisthira: If these qualities are found in a sudra, then he should be

considered to be a brahman. It is the actual possession of these qualities that

make a person a brahman and the lack of them makes the person a sudra.

Nahusha then challenged: O King if the caste of a person is determined by

qualities alone and not by birth, then how can the caste of a child be

determined?

Yudhisthira: One cannot be considered to belong to any varna (caste) by birth.

Actually every one is a sudra at the time of birth. Until a person is initiated

by a bona-fide acarya, he must be considered a sudra, no matter how exalted his

birth is. From a practical point of view since people of different castes

inter-marry, the caste of their offspring's will always be in doubt. Only after

the appearance of these qualities, or their lack of, can the determination be

made if a person is a brahman or not. Syammbhavu Manu has said, 'Anyone from a

lower or mixed caste, who has become purified by the reformatory process is

superior to one born in a brahman family but who has fallen down from conduct

suitable for the order.' Thus it is solely by qualities and not by birth that

one should be considered to a brahman, ksatriya, vaishya or sudra.

 

Nahusha was extremely pleased to hear his questions answered correctly. With

this the curse of Agastya Muni also came to an end and assuming an effulgent

form, Nahusha after giving many benedictions to the Pandavas, returned to his

heavenly abode.

 

Caste by qualities and caste by birth

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In this conversation Yudhisthira explains the authorized caste system expounded

in the Vedas. We see people like Drona and Kripa, who even though they were

brahmans by birth, because of their warrior propensities, actually assumed the

duties of a ksatriya. On the other hand Vishwamitra, even though born in

ksatriya families, because of performance of brahmanical actives was given the

position of brahma-rishi.

 

The scriptures state that a soul is attracted to a particular type of womb

based on his desires and propensities. Thus typically children born of brahman

parents would be brahmanical by nature and those born of ksatriya parents would

display warrior tendencies. Also children tend to emulate the behavior of the

parents and the parents typically mold their children in their own cast. That

is why there is considerable anecdotal evidence of the children inheriting the

caste of their parents. However it should be understood that this is only

because the children generally inherit the qualities and propensities of their

parents and not simply by virtue of their births.

 

Over time people belonging to the higher caste, specially the brahman caste

became exceedingly attached to the privileges that they would enjoy on account

of their exalted caste. In an effort to secure this privilege for themselves

and their offspring's, they conspired to present the scriptures in a fashion

that supported their view of birth-based caste system. In fact the study of the

Vedas was forbidden to anyone not taking birth in a brahman family, thus every

one else had to rely on the interpretation of the Vedas provided by the

brhamanical community. This led to the development of the caste-system as it is

known today, based on birth only. While there is support of seminal-brahmans

(by birth) in the dharma-shastras, Srila Bhakti Siddhantna Saraswati Thakura

states that this is theoretical knowledge and must be interpreted carefully.

 

He states that 'The Dharma-sastras that support the seminal brahmans do not

contradict Vyasadeva. The evidence in Sri Mahabharata, however, is more

important and more respected than that of the Dharma-sastras. The evidence of

the Dharma-sastras is only theoretical, while the evidence in the Mahabharata

is practical. Those who oppose this principle will simply confirm themselves as

evil doers of this world."

 

Just as the Vedas and the Mahabharata have confirmed that a person who is not a

seminal brahman yet possesses the qualities of a brahman is accepted as a

qualified brahman, the Sriamd Bhagavatam, which is the crest jewel of all

scriptures, the ripened fruit of the Vedic tree, and the literature for perfect

swanlike men, bravely and neutrally supports this doctrine.

 

Sri Narada Muni has stated in Srimad Bhagavatam (7.11.35) as follows:

 

yasya yal laksanam proktamp umso varnabhivyanjakam

yad anyatrapi drsyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiset

 

"If one shows the symptoms of being a brahman, ksatriya, vaisya, or sudra, as

described above, even if he has appeared in a different class, he should be

accepted according to those symptoms of classification."

 

 

----- Festivals over the next week ------

*** Note all times are for Washington D.C, USA, EST ***

Jul 30 2001, Monday Ekadasi Pavitropana (Break fast 05:09-09:53) (Fast)

Radha Govinda Jhulana Yatra begins

Jul 31 2001, Tuesday Disappearance Srila Rupa Gosvami

Disappearance Sri Gauridasa Pandita

Aug 03 2001, Friday Appearance Lord Balarama (Fast)

Jhulana Yatra ends

(Fasting till noon)

Aug 04 2001, Saturday Srila Prabhupada's departure for the USA

 

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C E L E B R A T I O N of the 25th Anniversary

 

Attend the joyous reunion and 25th Anniversary of Their Lordships Sri Sri Radha

Madana Mohana residing in Potomac, Maryland. Reconnect with old friends, share

stories of the past, and create stories for the future. Watch the original

video footage of Srila Prabhupada's only visit to Washington, DC, 25 years ago

in July of 1976. Plenty of fun activities for children and lots of assorted

prasadam for everyone.

 

Schedule:

Saturday, August 11, 2001 - New Hastinapura Retreat (picnic at Great Falls,

campfire with Prabhupada memories, relay races, volleyball, game room, face

painting and much more)

Sunday, August 12, 2001 - Sri Janmastami Mahotsava

Monday, August 13, 2001 - Sri Vyasa-puja of Jagat Guru A C Bhaktivedanta Swami

Srila Prabhupada

 

Contact Padma malini devi dasi at 301-299-1326

E-mail: Padma (AT) prastha (DOT) com or Trikalajna dasa at 301-299-7205

We are also requesting contact information from all previous residents of New

Hastinapura.

 

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