Brahmana

[Giri]

Jaldhar wrote:

>As has already been pointed out, the reason why some say it will have no
>efficacy outside India is because a Brahman is considered ashuddha for
>crossing the ocean.  However one should still do Gayatri japa because it
>is ones duty and a duty should be done without expecting a reward or
>result.  Also this only applies to the immigrant generation.  For people
>like me who were born in the west we have not "crossed" so there is no
 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>sin--and no excuse for not doing it.

        Huh ? IF a brahmin (brahmana) loses his brahmin-hood by crossing
the ocean, then your parents have lost it by crossing the ocean by coming
to the west. If you are born to parents who are not brahmins, you cannot
be a brahmin. This is, of course, based on the dharma-sastra definition
of brahmin. As Shruti, for example vajrasuchi upanishad, clearly states
only a person who knows (Atman/Brahman) is a Brahmin.

Namaste.