Varna Jati and Cast

Varna and Jati

https://ramamohanraocheruku.blogspot.com/2019/06/varna-and-jati.html

At the outset let us know that cast will not fit into our dharma. Please find this simple example. There is cast iron. Several different utensils are made out of it but the belong to the same caste. This is Portuguese word, which is no way connected to our Sanatana Dharma. We have Varnashrama Dharma. Lord Sri Krishna says as follows:   

चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः।
तस्य कर्तारमपि मां विद्ध्यकर्तारमव्ययम्।।4.13।।

Cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ

Guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśaḥ

Tasya kartāram api māṁ

Viddhy akartāram avyayam (Bhagavad Gita 4.13)

This is Adi Shankaracharya’s Sanskrit commentary on the above sloka of Bhagavad Githa, translated into English by Swami Gambhirananda.

 4.13 Catur-varnyam-meaning the same as catvarah varnah, the four castes; srstam, have been created; maya, by Me who am God, which accords with such Vedic texts as, 'The Brahmanas were His face৷৷.' (Rg. 10.90.12); guna-karma-vibhagasah, through a classification of the gunas and duties. [Guna-vibhagena karma-vibhagah, classification of the duties, determined by the classification of the gunas.-Tr] By the gunas are meant sattva, rajas and tamas (see note under 2.45; also see Chapter 14). As to that, the control of the mind and body, austerity, etc. are the duties of the Brahmanas, who are sattvika, i.e. have a predominance of the quality of sattva (purity, goodness, etc.). Courage, valour, etc. are the duties of the Kshatriyas, in whom sattva becomes secondary and rajas (passion, attachment, etc.) preponderates. Trade and Agriculture etc. are the duties of the Vaisya, in whom tamas (indolence, ignorance, etc.) is secondary and rajas is predominant. Service is the only duty of the Sudra, in whom rajas is secondary and tamas predominates (see chapters 14, 16, 17 and 18). (Here I would like to elaborate a bit on what the English translation says about Sudra. As clearly stated above Sudra is the services sector and here his concentration is confined to only his job as such his thinking circumference is limited to his job. If he grows in that trade he can maintain his own unit and thus elevating himself to Vaisya and he thus shuns a higher proportion of his tamoguna. The technician who works under him will be having more tamoguna only. Hence as and when promotes himself his guna switches over to the higher plane and vice versa. This is possible up to the classification of Kshatriya. As far as a Brahmin, in its true spirit, is concerned his environment makes him adopt satvaguna from the childhood and after attaining his 8 years of age he will become dwija by Upanayana samskara accompanied by Brahmopadesha. As this is a herculean task, the child will be brought up from the tender age in the Brahminic environment. Still there existed people like Vishvamitra, Matanga, Vlamiki, Vedavyasa, Sootha etc. who dedicated their lives to attain Brahmatva.)   

In this way, the four castes have been created by Me through a classification of the gunas and duties. This is the idea. And these four castes do not prevail in the other worlds. Hence the specification, 'in the human world'. 'Well, in that caste, by virtues of your being he agent of the acts of creation of the four castes, etc. You become subject to the conscience of those actions? Therefore you are not eternally free and the eternal Lord!' This is being answered: Api, even though; I am kartaram, the agent; tasya, of that act, from the empirical standpoint of maya; still, from the highest standpoint, viddhi, know; mam, Me; to be akartaram, a non-agent; and therefore, also know Me to be avyayam, changeless, not subject to the cycle of births and deaths. 'In reality, however, I am not the agent of those actions of which you think I am the agent.'

From time immemorial we have been having the division concept through Varna and Jathi. These two were combined and transformed into caste system by the Colonial British Administrators for their administrative nomenclature and classification.

Caste: This is a Portugal word. The following are the definitions of cast from Wiktionary.
Casta(Noun)
The institutionalized system of racial and social stratification in 17th century Mexico.
Casta(Noun)
Variety, in reference to and in names of Portugal grapes or wine.
Origin: : feminine form of casto, "pure". "Lineage", "breed" or "race" in Spanish and Portuguese languages.
This will never suit to our Varna system. We were completely carried away by so called European Scholars and their henchmen. Let us at least open our eyes and find the reality. 

VARNA: The word Varna is etymologically from "Var" meaning 'to choose’ and not 'Varna' meaning colour. We can also find no reference to colour in explaining about it in our Scriptures. This is the path chosen by the ancestors who were good at that particular vocation. Of the four Varnas Brahmas, Kshatriya, Vaisya are adherent with no deviation but in Sudra the vocation was optional. For example in the sect ‘KAMSAALI’, who are also called Acharyas, have options for carpentry, Black smithy, Gold smithy or Stapati (Sculptors). In weaver's community the proficiency segregates them as cotton weaver, the silk weavers and the wool weavers. For certain other communities the options are little.

Varna also means colour. As we observe we can infer that all the four segments contain various colours within them. Hence the concept is based on choice, attitude and aptitude of the individuals practicing from ancient times. In Bramhanas practicing vaidika dharma is not an easy task as it is today. They have to abide by several rules and regulations of which non-earning is the most important thing. He has to only act as PUROHITA (Who envisages only good and truth for the benefit of the society with no mala fides with in. similarly the Kshatriyas also should be committed to protect the society even at the cost of their lives. As their lives are uncertain they were awarded relaxations regarding with regard to enjoyment. The Vysyas also should do trading within the frame work of prudence and morality. They should allocate certain percentage of their earnings for spending to the benefit of the society. The Sudras are accessible to Brahmins for any sort of advice related either to their legacy or even any personal matter. The Brahmin is not expected to charge anything from him for that matter from anybody who approach him. This was totally misconstrued by the westerners and especially by Colonial British rulers and their henchmen.

THE Indian Christians also practice cast system rigidly, they have segregated churches cemeteries processions everything. All the umpteen divisions never enter into other's church nor respect the word of the other Church Heads.

The Muslims also practice the cast system with 'AZRAF' being the noble and 'ARZAL' being the degraded. 'MAYAZUR' are the low cast bonded labor in PAKISTAN.

 Even in Sikhs there are 'JAT SIKHS' and 'CHAMAR SIKHS.'

From this are we not able to understand that this so called caste is not just in the Hindu Religion but it is a pan religious reality.

Swasti.