Reference for a shloka

[Guest guest]

Dear Prabhus and Maharajas

 

Please accept my humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada! All

glories to ISKCON!

 

> janmana jayate sudrah

> samskarad bhaved dvijah

> veda-pathad bhaved vipro

> brahma janati brahmanah

 

I'm sorry but i did not find this text in BSST book.

 

Below i write some qouts from "Brahmana and Vaisnavism". First come quots

regarding seminal brahmana, then who is fit to become brahmana. I cite few

quots regarding seminal brahmana but i cite BSST sentences to give

background for our understanding why do we actually discuss this topic.

 

 

Dharma-sastra has stated

 

devah paroksa devah pratyaksa devah brahmanah

brahmanair loka dharyante

 

brahmananam prasadena divi tisthanti devatah

brahmanabhihitam vakyam na mithya jayate kvacit

 

yad brahmanas tustatama vadanti tad devatah pratyabhinandayanti

tustesu tustah satatm bhavanti pratyaksa devesu paroksa devah

 

"The demigods are not seen by gross senses.The brahmanas are manifestations

of the demigods. The brahmanas sustain all the planets. The demigods reside

in the heavenly planets by the mercy of the brahmanas.The brahmanas' words

can never be fause. Whatever the brahmanas speak in great satisfaction is

accepted by the demigods. When the manifested forms of the demigods, the

brahmanas, are satisfied, the demigods, who are beyonde sense perception,

are also satesfied."(Visnu 19.20-23)

 

In such a mood Dharma sastras go on glorification of the brahmanas. Dharma

sastras describe seminal brahmana, for ex.:

 

yajna-siddhy-artham anaghan

brahmanan mukhato 'srjat

brahmanyam brahmanenaivam

utpanno brahmanah smrtah

 

"From the mouth the sinless brahmanas were created for the purpose of

performing sacrifices. The child born of a brahmana in the womb of his

brahmana wife is known as a brahmana." (Harita 1.12,15)

 

When the sages who compiled the twenty Dharma-sastras assisted the kings in

controlling and maintaining human society, they directed society in

following the path of ritualistic fruitive activities. Those rules were

followed according to the particular place. In the opinion of some persons,

at the beginning of the Kali age the Manu Dharma-sastra and the doctrine of

Parasara Muni were prominently accepted, while the other Dharma-sastras were

neglacted. Others say that the doctrine if Harita was prominent and the

activities prescribed by the other Dharma-sastras were neglected. Generally,

whatever one found convenient was accepted, without regard for other's

consent and liking. One cannot expect that the ritualistic smriti-sastras

will be fully honored by all persons, at all places and at all times. By

seminal consideration, the descendants of a brahmana are also brahmanas -

this belief has been generally accepted for a long time. There is no

shortage of evidence from the smritis, Puranas, and histories in support of

this belief. Yet by the evidence that we have presentsd regarding the

degradation of brahmanas, the disqualification of brahmanas who commit

sinful activities, and the uncertainty of who is a real brahmana, every

listener will be able to understand how qualified the present day

descendants of brahmanas are.

 

Chandogya Upanisad says

 

asmat kulino 'nanucya

brahma bandhur iva bhavati

 

"A brahma-bandhu, or a mere relative of a brahmana, is one who belongs to

our brahmana community but has not studied the Vedas"

 

If someone blasphemes the Vedas, the ritual textbooks that follow the Vedic

version, the Dharma-sastras, the Puranas, the Tantras, as well as neutral

speakers of the truth and think that this will enhance the prestige of

degraded persons like themselves, then honest fruitive workers will never

approve. Let the brahmanas become purely brahminical and let the prestige of

the brahmanas who have actually become brahminical remain intact forever -

this is the intention of the sastras and the speakers of the sastras; they

never want to condemn brahmanas. One should not engage in the sin of

criticizing brahmanas.

 

Mahabharata, Vana-parva states

 

nadhyapanat yajanad va

anyasmad va pratigrahat

doso bhavati vipranam

jvalitagni sama dvijah

 

durveda va suveda va

prakrtah samskrtas tatha

brahmana navamantavya

bhasmacchanna ivagnayah

 

yatha smasane diptaujah

pavako naiva dusyati

evam vidvan avidvan va

brahmano naiva dusyati

 

"Brahmanas are like burning fire; therefore even if they do not study the

Vedas, even if they act as prisets for those who should not perform Vedic

sacrifices, or even if they accept charity from low-class people, they are

not at fault."

"Whether brahmanas possess knowledge of the Vedas or are devoid of knowledge

of the Vedas, whether they are worldly or have undergone the reformatory

processes, they do not deserve to be disrespected, for they are like fire

covered by ashes."

"As the bright fire of the funeral pyre is not considered impure, a

brahmana, whether foolish or learned, is not faulty."

 

Still if one ascribes the prestige of a Satya-yuga brahmana to a Kali-yuga

brahmana, the result is simply a distortion of the truth. If one offers a

brahmana more respect than he deserves, then the glories of he who offers

the respect will increase and the respected brahmana's affection for him

will increase. But if a respected brahmana forgets his actual position out

of pride, then when he remembers the following statement from the

Visnu-yamalahe will be agitated and lose sleep at night. When those

brahmanas who know the condemnations of the Visnu-yamala hear such things,

they should keep their mouths shut. Visnu-yamala in Hari-bhakti-vilasa, in

the begining of fifth Vilasa states

 

asuddhah sudra-kalpa hi

brahmanah kali-sambhavah

 

"The brahmanas born in Kali-yuga are impure and no better than sudras"

In Kali-yuga seminal lines are not pure, so those born as brahmanas are

equal to sudras and qualified only in name. Such brahmanas cannot be

purified by Vediv rituals. Rather they can be purified by following the

Tantras.

 

Anyway,leaving aside the evidence we have quoted so far from the

scriptures regarding seminal brahmanas, we will now discuss the processes

mentioned in the sastras by which a person attains the position of an actual

brahmana, and who is a fit candidate for becoming brahmana.

 

First comes the whole Vrajasucikopanisad (quoted already by Nayana-ranjana

Prabhu)

 

Second comes the Chandogya Upanisad of the Sama Veda (4th prapathaka, 4th

khanda) - that is history how Satyakama, the son of Jabala, aproached

Gautama for initiation. (It's long, so i write only last verse)

 

tam hovaca na etad abrahmano vivaktum arhati. samidham saumya ahara upayitva

nesye. na satyad aga iti.

 

"Gautama then said - My dear son, no one other than a brahmana can speak

such truth that you have spoken. Therefore you are a brahmana, and i accept

you. O gentle one, go bring wood for sacrifice. - Jambala replied 'I am

going right now to bring wood' Gautama said 'Never divert from the truth'."

 

Now i will cite six evidences from Mahabharata:

 

1.Santi-parva, Moksa-dharma, ch 188

 

himsanrta-priya lubdhah

sarva-karmopajivinah

krsnah sauca-paribrastas

te dvijah sudratam gatah

 

"When the brahmanas commit violence, speak lies, become greedy, earn their

livelihood by any and all activities, lose their purity by sinful

activities, then they become degraded into sudras."

 

2.Santi-parva, ch.189

 

bhrgur uvaca

jata-karmadibhir yas tu samskaraih samskrtah suci

vedadhyayana-sampannah satsu karmasv avasthitah

 

saucacara-sthitah samyag vighasasi guru-priyah

nitya-vrati satya-parah sa vai brahmana ucyate

 

satya-danam athadroha anrsamsyam trapa ghrna

tapas ca drsyate yatra sa brahmana iti smrtah

 

sarva-bhaksa-ratir nityam sarva-dharma-karo 'sucih

tyakta-vedas tv anacarah sa vai sudra iti smrtah

 

sudre caitad bhavel laksyam dvije ca na vidyate

na vai sudro bhavec chudro brahmano brahmano na ca

 

"Brghu replied: A person who has been purified by the reformatory processes

like jata-karma, or name-giving ceremony, who is clean, devoted to studying

the Vedas, expert in the six occupations like worship and teaching worship,

situated in pure conduct, eating the remnants of his spiritual master, dear

to the spiritual master, regularly engaged in performing vows, and fixed in

truthfulness is considered a brahmana. A human being who is truthful,

charitable, shy, not hateful, austere, not vengeful, and not cruel is a

brahmana. One who is attached to eating all kinds of foods and performing

all kinds of activities, who is impure, deviant from the principles of Vedic

culture, and ill-behaved is known as a sudra. If the symptoms of a brahmana

are found in a sudra and in the symptoms of a sudra found in a brahmana,

then the sudra should not be called a sudra and the brahmana should not be

called a brahmana."

 

3.Vana-parva, ch.211

 

sudra-yonau hi jatasya sad-gunanupatisthatah

vaisyatvam labhate brahman ksatriyatvam tathaiva ca

 

arjave vartamanasya brahmanyam abhijayate

 

"O brahmana, if a person is born in the family of a sudra and posesses good

qualities, he becomes a vaisya or a kstriya. And if he possesses the quality

of simplicity, he is a brahmana."

 

4.Vana-parva, ch.215

 

tam brahmanam aham manye vrttena hi bhaved dvijah

 

"Indeed, the only criteria for being a brahmana is to possess pure

characteristics."

 

5. Santi-parva, ch.318

 

sarve varna brahmana brahmajas ca

brahmasyato brahmanah samprasutah

bahubhayam vai ksatriyah samprasutah

nabhyam vaisyah padatas capi sudrah

sarve varna nanyatha veditavyah

 

tat-stho brahma tasthivams caparo yas

tasmai nityam moksam ahur narendra

 

"Persons of all varnas are brahmanas, because they are all born from Lord

Brahma. The brahmanas were born from the mouth of Brahma, the kstriyasfrom

his arms, the vaisyas were born from his navel, and the sudras were born

from his legs. Do not consider the varnas in another way. One who is fixed

in knowledge is a brahmana. Therefore, O king, this moksa-sastra was spoken

for the benefit of those brahmanas and ksatriyas who have atteined

knowledge. This is the opinion of ancient scholars."

 

6.Vana-parva, ch. 180

 

yudhisthira uvaca

satyam danam ksama-silam anrsamsyam tapo ghrna

drsyante yatra nagendra sa brahmana iti smrtah

 

"Maharaja Yudhisthira replied: A person who possesses truthfulness, charity,

forgiveness, sobriety, gentleness, austerity, and lack of hatred is called a

brahmana."

 

yudhistira uvaca

sudre tu yad bhavel laksma dvije tac ca na vidyate

na vai sudro bhavec chudro brahmano na ca brahmanah

 

yatraital laksyate sarpa vrttam sa brahmanah smrtah

yatraitan na bhavet sarpa tam sudram iti nirdiset

 

"Mharaja Yudhisthira replied: If such symptoms are found in a sudra he

should never be called a sudra, just as a brahmana is not a brahmana if he

does not possess these qualities. O snake, only a person who is endowed with

the characteristics of a brahmana can be called a brahmana, otherwise he is

a sudra."

 

By these six separate evidences quoted from the Mahabharata, it is

clearly understood that one should be accepted without hesitation as a

savitrya or daiksya (Vedic or spiritually initiated) brahmana if he

possesses simplicity and the nature of a brahamana, regardless his birth.

Those who are brahmanas by birth are very othodox in regards to their eating

and sexual relations. But these principles are not obstacles for the

savitrya brahmanas. We do not find any obstacles in the smooth performance

of such persons' spiritual brahminicam duties. All sastric evidence that is

unfavorable to the ascertainment of who is a brahmana on the basis of

seminal descent are reasonable and unrefutable by argument. The

Dharma-satras that sipport the seminal brahmanas 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

practicle. Those who oppose this principle will simply confirm themselves as

evil doers of this world.

 

Srimad Bhagavatam describes varnas in 7 Canto 11.21-24,35, and confirms that

qualities are important not birth.

 

(Next pages describe examples of persons born in brahmana family but

degraded, and those born in lower families but who atteined brahmana

standard. It is too long to cite)

 

The various scriptural references describing the qualifications of

brahmanas and showing respect for brahmanas refer to both seminal brahamanas

and those who have become brahmanas by initiation. These references from

scriptures on karma, jnana, and bhakti do not refer only to seminal

brahmanas. In no case are brahmanas by initiation disregarded. Although in

the opinion of some scriptures there is no possibility of becoming an

initiated brahmana unless one is a seminal brahmana, this restriction was

imposed only because of narrow-minded social traditions. When this

narrow-mindedness is given up by deep research and higher education, then

the entire world will be illuminated by the glories of the eternal Aryan

culture. Then we will understand how futile is the attempt of frogs to fill

the universe with the sound of their croaking.

 

(Above excerpts are from the Prakrti-jana-kanda. Sometimes i changes the

sentence little bit in grammar in order to keep the flow of reading,

especially when i cite sentences from diffrent places and put them together.

This refers to the seminal part in order to make it shorter. With the latter

part i cite two paragraphs in full.)

 

your servant

Dvarkadhis das