Birth and Caste (was Re: [Advaita-l] RE: Vedic Shakhas ...)

[S Jayanarayanan]

I don't want to drag on with this topic, so this will my last
posting on this thread. 

I'm open to the possibility that the view "BrAhmaNa-K is
primarily derived from birth" may indeed be true for reasons
like some other smR^iti or shishhTAchAra.

I'm nevertheless CERTAIN that YudhishhThira was NOT of this
view!

--- "Jaldhar H. Vyas" <jaldhar at braincells.com> wrote:

> On Wed, 9 Feb 2005, S Jayanarayanan wrote:
> 
> >
> > You are saying that the first verse that speaks of conduct
> being
> > decisive of a BrAhmaNa is talking about BrAhmaNa-G, and the
> > latter verses on saMskAra, GAyatrI mantra speak of
> BrAhmaNa-K?!
> >
> 
> Well shloka 17 explicitly mentions param brahma
> nirdukhamasakham etc. It
> is difficult to see how you could interpret that any other
> way.
> 

Let us look again at the question of nahushha:

brAhmaNaH ko bhaved rAjan vedya.n kiM cha YudhishhThira .
"Who is a BrAhmaNa, O king, and what should be known, O
YudhishhThira?"

It *seems* like there is only one question, and one feels
tempted to club the word "BrAhmaNa" along with "Brahman (=that
which should be known)". This would make the case for the word
"BrAhmaNa" being interpreted as BrAhmaNa-G. 

However, this is most certainly not the case, as YudhishhThira
IMPLICITLY ASSUMES that there are two separate questions:

Question 1: "brAhmaNaH ko bhavet.h?" -> "Who is a BrAhmaNa?"
Question 2: "vedya.n kiM" -> "What should be known?"

It is very evident in YudhishhThira's reply:

Answer to Question 1:
satya.n dAnaM kShamA shIlamAnR^isha.nsyaM damo ghR^iNA . 
dR^ishyante yatra nAgendra sa brAhmaNa iti smR^itaH .. 16..\\

Answer to Question 2:
vedya.n sarpaparaM brahma nirduHkhamasukha.n cha yat . 
yatra gatvA na shochanti bhavataH ki.n vivakShitam .. 17..\\


Note the separate replies! Also, the word "dAnam.h" is purely
*kArmic* and and has nothing to do with being a BrAhmaNa-G, and
is definitely only associated with a BrAhmaNa-K.

There is not a SINGLE instance where YudhishhThira himself clubs
the word "BrAhmaNa" with knowledge of Brahman by saying, "A
BrAhmaNa is one who has knowledge of Brahman." There is no doubt
that YudhishhThira considers the word "BrAhmaNa" to be ONLY
referring to BrAhmaNa-K throughout the verses.

In fact, every shloka that is a reply of YudhishhThira can
easily be bracketed into separate answers to either Question 1
or Question 2.

Answers to Question 1:

satya.n dAnaM kShamA shIlamAnR^isha.nsyaM damo ghR^iNA . 
dR^ishyante yatra nAgendra sa brAhmaNa iti smR^itaH .. 16..\\
shUdre chaitadbhavellakShya.n dvije tachcha na vidyate . 
na vai shUdro bhavechchhUdro brAhmaNo na cha brAhmaNaH .. 20..\\
yatraitallakShyate sarpavR^itta.n sa brAhmaNaH smR^itaH . 
yatraitanna bhavetsarpata.n shUdramiti nirdishet .. 21..\\
jAtiratra mahAsarpamanuShyatve mahAmate . 
sa~NkarAtsarvavarNAnA.n duShparIkShyeti me matiH .. 26..\\
sarve sarvAsvapatyAni janayanti yadA narAH . 
vAnmaithunamatho janma maraNa.n cha samaM nR^iNAm .. 27..\\
idamArShaM pramANa.n cha ye yajAmaha ityapi . 
tasmAchchhIlaM pradhAneShTa.n vidurye tattvadarshinaH .. 28..\\
prAnnnnAbhirvardhanAtpu.nso jAtakarma vidhIyate . 
tatrAsya mAtA sAvitrI pitA tvAchArya uchyate .. 29..\\
vR^ittyA shUdra samo hyeSha yAvadvede na jAyate . 
asminnevaM matidvaidhe manuH svAyambhuvo.abravIt .. 30..\\
kR^itakR^ityAH punarvarNA yadi vR^ittaM na vidyate . 
sa~Nkarastatra nAgendra balavAnprasamIkShitaH .. 31..\\
yatredAnIM mahAsarpasa.nskR^ita.n vR^ittamiShyate . 
taM brAhmaNamahaM pUrvamuktavAnbhujagottama .. 32..\\

Answers to Question 2:

vedya.n sarpaparaM brahma nirduHkhamasukha.n cha yat . 
yatra gatvA na shochanti bhavataH ki.n vivakShitam .. 17..\\
yatpunarbhavatA proktaM na vedya.n vidyateti ha . 
tAbhyA.n hInamatItyAtra padaM nAstIti chedapi .. 22..\\
evametanmata.n sarpatAbhyAM hInaM na vidyate . 
yathA shItoShNayormadhye bhavennoShNaM na shItatA .. 23..\\
eva.n vai sukhaduHkhAbhyAM hInamasti pada.n kva chit . 
eShA mama matiH sarpayathA vA manyate bhavAn .. 24..\\

-Kartik


		
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