Please help!!, alot of confusion.

January 27, 2004

Hi guys, I've been reading on this forum for a long time now, and this is the first time I'm posting a topic.

I've been on other forums where people have used quotes from the following scriptures to justify their view about casteism in ancient scriptures.

Sloka [XVIII.41]

Rig Veda [i.130.8]

Rig Veda [iX.73.5]

Rig Veda II.12.4

Rig Veda I.100.18

Rig Veda 10:90:12

Bhagavad-Gita 4:13

Bhagavad-Gita 18:47

Visnusmrti 5:19-25

Visnusmrti 27:5-7

Visnusmrti 26:5-9

Brahma Purana 2:13:70-73

Garuda Purana 6:19

Bhagavata Purana 4:2:10-32

Satapatha Brahmana 3:1:1:10

Chandogya Upanisad 5:10:7

Atharva Veda 5:17:8-9

When I tried searching for these quotes, I only found agenda driven sites such as islamic, dalits, christianity etc etc.

I want to know do these quotes really exist?, if so what do they mean?, do they promote caste?, what are the proper interpretations and meaning?. I got asked this question to interpret these quote since I said there is no birth based casteism in scriptures. But I haven't read any of them, that's why I'm posting here.

I know there are alot of intelligent people in this forum and I hope people will be able to explain to me.

Thank you very much.

gHari · January 28, 2004

<a href=http://bhagavadgitaasitis.com/4/13>Bhagavad-gita 4.13</A>

<a href=http://bhagavadgitaasitis.com/18/47>Bhagavad-gita 18.47</A>

<blockquote><a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/11>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.11

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/12>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.12</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/13>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.13</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/14-15>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.14-15</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/16>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.16</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/17>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.17</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/18>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.18</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/19>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.19</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/20>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.20</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/21>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.21</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/22>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.22</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/23>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.23</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/24>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.24</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/25>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.25</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/26>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.26</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/27>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.27</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/28>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.28</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/29>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.29</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/30>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.30</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/31>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.31</a>

<a href=http://srimadbhagavatam.com/4/2/32>Bhagavata Purana Verse 2.4.32</a>

ShegavichaRana · January 28, 2004

to India. I do not know about those verses or those references. But I can definitely tell you, that, the true Varnashramadharma has got degenerated in today's caste structure. Varnashramadharma was made so as to give equal opportunities to all in the society to earn their livelihood based on their available skill and capability. Everybody's work was considered to be important for the society and its members. Slowly, some people attached some kind of stigma to some jobs and the same stigma to those who did those jobs too. Slowly there was alienation of this large group of people doing such menial jobs from those, who did white-collar jobs. Thus the degeneration set-in. It was the handiwork of a few handfuls, who existed everywhere and made use of this Varnashramdharma towards their benefit, pushing others in the corner. Those people in the corner are the people belonging to today's lower castes. Now that the true Varnashramadharma has degenerated to such an extent, that personally I feel, the caste system may never go away!

January 28, 2004

Castes are made by Krishna himself and He says that in Bhagavad Gita, but the castes He is talking about are the ones where people are given a caste due to their behavior and the level spiritual enlightenment, but you are right about the fact that later on it degenerated.