Varnashrama

[Guest guest]

JAYA JAGANNATH

Dear Sateesh & Raghu,

Who decides that an Atma is to be reborn in a particular family, in a

particular time and place? Is it not Krishna? If it is Krishna, then should

we not respect His decision. Being a bhakta also requires that we respect

every decision of the Lord as this is a part of the Bhakti.

Birth in Brahmin family (i.e. in the Gotra) is the first step and being

prepared to accept the knowledge is the second and finally marrying and

accepting the social responsibility of protecting and propagating Dharma is

the third. The symbol for each of these stages is THREE SACRED THREAD tied

in a knot called Yagyo Pavita and representing the TRIMURTI in the symbol of

A-U-M. At the time of the ceremony of accepting the Sacred Thread, some

Brahmins take one knot of three threads while others take two knots of six

threads. Thereafter at the time of marriage, another knot of three threads

is added making the total as nine or six respectively.

A Gotra is a lineage from a Maharishi. Kshatriya and Vaishya families

accepting a particular Maharishi as their Guru come into the Gotra and are

called Gotraja's. However, they do not take the first set of three threads

as the Maharishi is not their ultimate GENITOR, but accept the second set of

three threads symbolising learning as the Maharishi is their PATER in that

sense. A Caste or sub-caste is formed IF AND ONLY IF SEVEN generations of

the family maintain the DHARMA associated with the Varna (loosely translated

as Caste). Similarly, it is lost if seven generations DO NOT follow the

Dharma associated with their Caste.

I am finishing this brief introduction to Varnashrama here and leave you

with questions like (1) Whether the Sudra who are also one of the four legs

of Dharma were originally a part of the Sacred Thread while Chandala were

kept out or (2) Whether the Dark ages of medieval India has resulted in the

ruin of Varnashrama as the castes neither maintained the high standards nor

duty associated with the Dharma, hence can we really callthem Brahmin's?

 

Now for Sateesh's misgivings in the following Quote:

I strongly dispapproved of Lord Sri Rama cutting the Head off of a Shudra

for " daring " to read the Vedas - but I also read that there was an ulterior

motive - anyone remember what it was?

 

It is the responsibility of the Kshatriya to protect Dharma and Jeeva.

Sun protects Dharma and Lord MahaVishnu incarnated in the form of Sri

Rama (Surya Avatar) to do so. Mars the other Kshatriya protects life and for

this Lord Narasimha Avatar is worshipped. These are the two Kshatriya in the

Vaishnava tradition. The deities are Shiva (Sun) and Kartikeya or Skanda

(Mars). Thus one who worships Shiva everyday in the morning as one of the 12

Jyotirlinga's is able to maintain Dharma and is protected by his Guru.

 

Maharshi vakya Bodhakai

Virajamana Vak patai

Saroja janma Saveetam

tatha Krupa Bhi_diyatam

 

By worshipping Sri Rama, Dharma is protected as it is His responsibility

to protect the words of the Maharishi's as recorded in the Veda. The person

whose head Sri Rama cut off happened to be a Sudra, and has also got MOKSHA

because of death in the hands of Bhagavan. Lord Rama would have done the

same for an unqualified Brahmana as well. The reasons are easy to

understand. Pick up a copy of the Rig Veda as translated by Wilson

(Aurobindo was very critical of this poor work and complete lack of any

understanding) and see for yourself the need to maintain the high level of

understanding of these holy books. The Sudra should have taken a Guru and

then after attaining the level of understanding to read (and interpret) the

Veda's, done the same. In fact to teach the Veda's the person is required to

maintain perfect celebacy of 44 Years. Then he becomes akin to a Rudra.

 

Today Christianity and Islam also suffer from the low level

interpretation of the teachings of their Param Guru's. Christ said " Do not

covet thy neighbours wife " and just see what is happening in all the

Christiandoms. A high level interpretation would require a true Christian to

have only ONE MARRIAGE and not even to look at unmarried or married women as

they would be somebody else's wife, either in the present or the future. Is

this being practised? Low level interpretations of the sacred literature as

well as works on Jyotish is a hallmark of the advent of Kali Yuga and the

fact that we have started to question these low level interpretations shows

that the SMALL GOLDEN CYCLE (CHAKRA) OF 480 YEARS IS AT THE DOOR.

 

Hare Krishna

Sanjay Rath

 

-

Zoltar@Spectra <sat

<Das; <gjlist

Tuesday, October 05, 1999 4:43 AM

Re: Brahmin by Birth?

 

 

> Dear Raghu,

>

>

> -

> Das Goravani, pres.dmi <Das

>

>

> > Anyway, being born as Brahmin, Vaisya, Sudra, Kshatriya, does not make

> > you one. That is an erroneous connection made out of ease and social

> > life reasons alone. Those of us who are serious know far better than

this.

>

> > Just to say it...not to put Sateesh down, the wise chap probably knows

> > this too!...

>

>

> Yes, I do! Thanks by the way for your vote of confidence, I am indeed

aware

> of all of this.

>

>

> But...surely the 3 other Castes are as necessary for running of the

Earth -

> even in SatYuga Times?

>

> I strongly dispapproved of Lord Sri Rama cutting the Head off of a Shudra

> for " daring " to read the Vedas - but I also read that there was an

ulterior

> motive - anyone remember what it was?

>

> Thanks again, Raghu.

>

> Best regards - Sateesh.

>

> =========

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Dear Sanjay,

 

Many thanks for this -

 

 

-

Sanjay Rath <srath

>The person whose head Sri Rama cut off happened to be a Sudra, and has also

got >MOKSHA because of death in the hands of Bhagavan. Lord Rama would have

done the

> same for an unqualified Brahmana as well.

 

 

I guess the Shudra had Ketu as a Maraka? (decapitation/assassination).

 

Since we have the Planetary placements of Sri Rama, who was around many

Centuries BEFORE Parashara, does anyone have the Rasi Chart Placements of

Parashara?

 

Very best regards - Sateesh.