[Advaita-l] How to become a Hindu?

[Anand Hudli]

Satish Arigela wrote:

>Can you please give the exact statements which say that this ritual applies
to
>all varNa-s?

>I ask because I am aware of an opinion that this ritual is meant to bring
back
>only fallen brAhmaNa-s or dvija-s and hence it does not apply to
non-dvija-s in
>the first place

Please see the following (page 150):

http://books.google.co.in/books?id=Zst_7qaatp8C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false

The vrAtyastoma and/or hiraNyagarbha vidhi was used to convert non Vedic and
even foreign invaders to the varNa system. Thanks to Murali Karamchedu for a
discussion on this topic. As you write, the vrAtyastoma was also used to
bring back fallen brAhmaNas who had not undergone the upanayana
(patitasAvitrikas) into the varNa system.

Some inscriptions also indicate that foreigners embraced the sanAtana
dharma, for example, the one mentioning that Heliodorus was a bhAgavata.
Also, there are examples where Indian Kings married hUNa princesses who,
along with the children, were absorbed into Hinduism.

Anand