What is adhikAra?

[Vaidya N. Sundaram]

On Tue, 19 May 1998 sadananda wrote:
> In B.G.also is there any direct reference to caste based on birth.  I do
> not remember seeing that anywhere.

 I believe reference to Ch. 6 ver. 40 onwards is relevant.

 Bg.6. 41: The unsuccessful yogi, after many, many years of
enjoyment on the planets of the pious living entities, is born into a
family of righteous people, or into a family of rich aristocracy.

 Bg 6.42 Or [if unsuccessful after long practice of yoga] he takes his
birth in a family of transcendentalists who are surely great in wisdom.
Certainly, such a birth is rare in this world.

 Bg 6.43 On taking such a birth, he revives the divine consciousness of
his previous life, and he again tries to make further progress in order
to achieve complete success, O son of Kuru.

 Bg 6.44 By virtue of the divine consciousness of his previous life, he
automatically becomes attracted to the yogic principles even without
seeking them. Such an  inquisitive transcendentalist stands always above
the ritualistic principles of the scriptures.

 see also Ch 8:
 Bg 8.6 Whatever state of being one remembers when he quits his body, O
son of Kunti, that state he will attain without fail.

 So, the way I see it, successive births for any individual atman is only
in the environment that is most conducive for it to progress in the
direction most desired by it. If being born as a Kshatriya is suitbale,
then so it will be. If a sudra it has to be, then so it will be. Whether
castes are by birth or not, is solved when you look at is from the other
side and say, atmans of a specific dispositon are all made to be born in
the same kind of family. This way, there is no need to blame the Vedas
for having institutionalised the caste system!!

Cheers,
Vaidya.




                      Vaidya N. Sundaram

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 Kandavar Vindilar      : Those who have seen (Brahman) have not spoken
  Vindavar Kandilar     :   those who speak (about It) have not seen (It)
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