[Advaita-l] How to become a Hindu?

[Anand Hudli]

Satish Arigela wrote:

>* *From what I have read and heard such absorptions were limited only to
the
> Royalty i.e. Kings, Queens, Princes/Princesses and not to the general
> public.

>* *If the rite was indeed performed to absorb foreigners who do not belong
to
> any
> Royalty(they of-course will be called kShatriya-s - dubious or otherwise)
> there
> surely must have been some guidelines about the assigning a varNa to those
> people. Do the texts say anything in this regard?
>*
*
Please see the following:
http://www.experiencefestival.com/tandya

Not just individuals but entire tribes could have been converted into
Hinduism historically. In such conversions, the varNa of the converted
member was determined using some simple rule. For example, the chief would
become a Kshatriya, his priests would become brAhmaNas, his servants
shUdras, and so on. I fully agree this must have happened sometime in the
remote past and such conversions are not done today. However, also bear
in mind that there are modern organizations that use a simple ritual to
convert an aspirant to Hinduism. I mentioned one such ritual in my earlier
post. In such conversions, the question of caste does not arise. The Arya
Samaj, for example, does not recognize the caste system and performs the
sacred thread ceremony for girls too.

Please note that I am not commenting on whether  the conversions that
happened in history or the conversions that are conducted by modern
organizations are appropriate as per our shAstras or not. I am merely
pointing out that conversions happened in one way historically and in a
different way today.

Anand