Brahmana

[Anshuman Pandey]

On Thu, 13 Feb 1997, Jaldhar H. Vyas wrote:

> > The vajrasuci upaniShad is counted as one of the "official" 112
> > upaniShad-s.
>
> 112?  You mean 108 right?

Sorry, my slip.

> >Are you confusing shruti and smR^iti? There is no shruti
> > that states that braahmaNa-hood is attainable through birth only. If I am
> > mistaken, please correct me by providing the references. In verse 4.13 of
> > the bhagavadgiitaa, kR^iShNa states:
> >
> > "caaturvarNyaM mayaa sR^iShTaM guNakarmavibhaagashaH"
> > These four orders were created by me according to quality and work.
> >
> > Unless you consider the bhagavadgiitaa to be a forgery, the above points
> > to the caste system as having been established upon duty rather than by
> > birth. It is most likely the case that the caste-by-birth "standard"
> > evolved out of this.
> >
>
> Bhagavadgita being part of the Mahabharata is a Smriti not Shruti.  And if
> the shloka you quote is to be taken literally, why is Arjuna referred to
> as a Kshatriya?  Surely no one is more deserving of being called a Brahman
> (according to your definition) than one who has learnt from Krishna
> Bhagawan himself?

Isn't Arjuna, in terms of his duty, a kShatriya?

Regards,
Anshuman Pandey