Ultimate Existence is essentially an aggregate of just two constituents in complete harmony with the binary cosmic plan – Prakrti and Purusa i.e. action and consciousness respectively. Prakrti is active albeit unconscious while Purusa, inactive yet entirely conscious. Prakrti in it’s most fundamental manifest exists in three modes i.e. Sattva, Raja and Tama Guna-s while Purusa is indivisible and untainted by the modes.
In varying degrees and orders, these three Guna-s form the basis of entire cosmic Maya. These Guna-s are eternal, can be subdued through Sadhana but impossible to be destroyed completely. Those who succeed in transcending these Guna-s, are liberated to salvation. Those unable to migrate beyond the realm of Guna-s, create more and more of Samskara-s for themselves through Sakama Karma i.e. motivated actions. These Samskara-s lead to either more Samskara-s through Sakama Karma or offer themselves to be dissolved through Sadhana of Niskama Karma i.e. Karmayoga, relying on the predominance of Guna of the moment. In the grandiose cosmic scheme, Guna-s may only be transcended but not dissolved by all the cosmic travellers towards ultimate liberation through redemption.
All human activities may be broadly speaking, classified into four classes –
Role and actions pertaining to teaching, training or educating as preceptor to bring about advancement through evolution of all human beings.
Guarding the society from natural catastrophes and human onslaughts.
Generation of food and wealth for the well-being and prosperity of all.
Carrying out all the manual tasks related to all the aforesaid activities.
Apparently, there is no action that falls out of the ambit of the aforesaid classification. People possessing appropriate attributes are selected to accomplish aforesaid activities in an orderly manner.
The attribute essential to accomplish role of preceptor is Sattva. They are profoundly Sattvika by disposition, necessary for effective preceptorship and ordained as “Brahmana”. Attributes of the second rung are primarily Raja yet they do possess a certain degree of Sattva out of their Sakama Sattvika activities, are ordained as “Ksatriya”. Attributes of the third order are predominantly Tamasika yet blended with some Raja too; those are known as “Vaisya”. Lastly, the fourth rung of the order ordained as “Sudra”, represents purely Tamasika dispositions. Entire classification is done with the sole intent of creating a well-organised, integrated and developed society. Since all are trained appropriately to serve all others, entire exercise is ordained to be all-inclusive and renunciatory in characteristics. These are “Varna-s” i.e. based on vocations and not castes.
“Caste” is in reality a misnomer. It never existed in the Varna system of Maharsi Manu. Caste is a British term and concept which does not exist in the Indian society.
Sage who authored the cosmic plan of evolutionary advancement for human society is known as “Manu” by designation of the “Caturyuga”. Human evolution is impossible to move forward if there is disorder all around. As social order and harmony alone assure distinct possibility of spiritual evolution, also that underscores essential and inevitability of the institution of class-division. The division based on Karma and the underlying Guna-s always existed, shall ever exist irrevocably, irrespective of the meanderings whatsoever, in any direction.
Samskara-s have an intrinsic affinity for the likes of themselves i.e. Sattvika Samskara holds affinity for the Sattvika constituents of the cosmos as also a subtle aversion for the other two, Rajasika and Tamasika ones. Immediate implication of this phenomenon is that a person possessing an abundance of Sattva is most likely to be born in a Sattvika clan. If he holds even a single Rajasika or Tamasika Samskara heavier than the entire battery of his Sattvika Samskara-s, he is not likely to be born in a Sattvika clan. Rather, he shall be born in a Rajasika or Tamasika clan as the case may be, to redeem the ripe Samskara first, that is heavier in content. Later on, he pursues and practises Sattvika dispositions, instead of what he inherits from his clan in the form of surroundings, predilections or propensities. Thus, it is amply established, a Brahmana is a Brahmana not because he is born to a Brahmana clan but owing to the enormity of his Sattvika Karma performed in his previous incarnations. Birth in a Brahmana clan is caused by the Sattvika Karma alone, owing to it’s content as well as intent, to redeem itself amidst conducive environment. Hence, it is not entirely misplaced to declare and regard an offspring of a Brahmana, a Brahmana. So is true and valid for the other three rungs i. e. Ksatriya, Vaisya and Sudra.
It is now explicitly proven that the Varna Classification authored by Manu, is entrenched in utter and bare cosmic realities of Guna-s, Karma-s and the cycles of birth, death and certainly not in the distortions or debilities caused by the external social factors, whatsoever. Swami Ravidasa, born as a Sudra owing to a certain Karma during his previous human-incarnation, was virtually a Brahmana of the highest order. He was a realised saint as his spiritual Samskara-s blossomed owing to his Tapa of previous embodiments. It is an illustrative case of a Sudra being an epitome of Manusmrti, leading the life of a Brahmana without disowning his Tamasika vocation as a cobbler. Similar is the case of one Sri B.D.Pande, ex-Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies, who discovered his roots to a Yadava clan of eastern UP. Sri Pande descended from a backward caste Yadava, who was ordained to perform priestcraft and preceptorship for the herd of farm labourers, shipped to the West Indies by the colonial masters and adopted the Brahmana surname “Pande”, centuries ago.
Hindu Varna System is an offshoot of three-fold Guna-s of Prakrti which in turn occurs to be the active albeit unconscious constituent of the Supreme Existence. Varna System can be liquidated only after three Guna-s are irreversibly liquidated, which amounts to nothing short of questioning the very existence of the Supreme, Absolute, Universal Existence !!! Guna-s at best, can be transcended, only then to be known as the Realised One. Guna-s are just impossible to be liquidated altogether. Now as a matter of an axiom howsoever unpleasant, Varna System is impossible to be dissolved. Varna being a cosmic reality, the cosmic constituent shall ever exist, as ever. Hence, a Sudra is a Sudra solely because he has been Tamoguna-Pradhana i.e. Tama being excessive and not because he is born as a Sudra though he may be born as a Sudra. The state of being Tamoguna-Pradhana is the cause while being born as a Sudra is the effect. Being Sudra is the proceed of the Tamasika Karma performed by the Sudra himself and not because of some wily Savarna Brahmana or a hoary Manu !! Indeed, every Tamoguna-Pradhana is born as a Sudra barring a few exceptions that are rare. He must perform his ordained Karma in the spirit of renunciation so as to enable him liberate himself from the incarceration of his Tama-Guna. That is his Svadharma and that alone shall render him purified, spiritually advanced. Svadharma of a Brahmana is to impart wisdom and strive for the Absolute in the spirit of sacrifice and that alone enables him to migrate forward cosmically. Same is valid with the other two Varna-s i.e. Ksatriya and Vaisya with respect to their respective Svadharma-s.
Brahmanism is the foundation and the main pivot of the entire Hindu society. If Brahmanism is dissolved, entire Hindu community shall be rendered shattered and precarious.
It shall be quite pertinent to mention Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar who declared in one of his writings that the Varna system was NOT created by Brahmana-s…that Brahmana-s are NOT to be blamed for the continuance of the Varna system…that for the educational backwardness of Dalita-s, Dalita-s themselves are squarely responsible as they had not been respectful to the Brahmana-s under the influence of divisive / destructive forces in society. Great son of Bharatvarsa, Dr. Ambedkar has been profusely quoted by Late Swami Ranganathananda, former Head of the RK Mission in his works.
Prevailing view in some quarters that unless Savarna-s work as Sudra-s and also otherwise, social equity cannot be attained. It is impossible to develop an egalitarian society or assure social equity by compelling Brahamana-s to work as Sudra-s or Sudra-s as Brahmana-s. These occupations are Guna based, in turn Samskara vs. Karma based i.e. renditions of previous births which are in finality, inviolable. Historically speaking, there have been many so-called enlightened Souls who asserted and propagated the view, yet came a cropper. In the process, they rather intentionally or unintentionally aggravated the class / caste divisions instead of eradicating them. No Government worth it’s salt has ever supported Varna system by law. There has never been any grant of funds or relief from the PM’s National Relief Fund to any body or NGO that worked for the promotion of the Varna system !!! Varna system has always been a favourite target of assault and ridicule, yet it thrived. No force could even dent it, leave alone obliterating it forever.
Reservation for the politically defined “Dalita-s” to ensure their rehabilitation to the mystical egalitarianism is a grave fallacy that is diabolical in concept and outrageous in practice. Any attempt to disrupt the cosmic order through political engineering is fraught with highly regressive consequences. Destiny improves not through the surgical transplantation of so-called egalitarianism through reservations but through the continuous and resolute pursuit of Karmayoga. Scores of Brahmana-s of today have been Sudra-s in their previous lives. They evolved only through the cosmic mechanism of Karmayoga alone. For that matter, reservation for “poor Savarna-s” being advocated by some unscrupulous politicians is even more damaging and reprehensible. Poverty / Backwardness are the direct consequences of violation of a certain cosmic principle i.e. the Principle of Universality while reservation is certainly not the appropriate response. The right answer lies again, in the grand institution of Karmayoga alone that is sacrosanct and nowhere else.
Hindu society today needs a drastic surgery of sorts by a hard-headed reformer cum visionary. Indeed, we need Swami Vivekananda again. Goal of the social reformer need not be the abolition of Varna-s. What is required as a reform measure of paramount import is assuring fair and equitable opportunities and social security for the backwards, to enable them attain their potential alongwith their self-esteem while allowing the Varna-s to co-exist as ever and after. That’s precisely what social reformers meant in their movements.
Dignity and respect for labour of all types must be developed in society, on the lines of the western societies. Manual work of the lowest order must be held in high esteem as an act of and for the Supreme Entity. Organisations like RK Mission can play a decisive role in this regard, through well-organised campaigns etc. Savarna-s must be called upon to volunteer themselves for the meanest of jobs to change the prevailing mindset all around.
Poor children from the so-called “Dalita” classes must be extended free education, then encouraged to compete on equal terms with dignity and self-respect. The laurels they would bring then, shall be a historical turning point for the entire Hindu society and the entire world to behold.
Reservation must be abolished completely as it violates the fundamental cosmic principle of equality above all. Reservation kills self-respect. Uplifting of the downtrodden without dignity and self-respect can never be the motto of any enlightened social reformer, least of all Swami-s like Vivekananda. In the Indian Army, a Sudra soldier marches ahead with his head in high esteem, alongside Savarna soldiers. If it can be attained in the army without reservation, why not in other organisations and disciplines of education and endeavour ? A dedicated tax may be levied upon non Dalita-s, white-collar wage earners to ensure free learning opportunities for the so-called Dalita-s, so as to enable them compete freely with dignity and honour. Administration of the tax must be completely transparent, preferably under Public-Private Partnership model. Well-to-do families may be called upon to mentor, say a couple of so-called Dalita children per family in order to demolish the psycho-barriers and forge greater cohesiveness among various strata of society. Inter-‘caste’ marriages must NOT be encouraged as these go against the cardinal principle of Karma as well as propitiation of Pitr-s / manes. At the same time, these must NOT be banned too. Hindu society must ignore the new found zeal for the inter-‘caste’ marriages to let it survive / die on it’s own.
Several more non-reservation / affirmative means may be evolved to uplift the oppressed and downtrodden. These must not disrupt or complicate further the order of Varna-s, which is more relevant now than ever before. Ultimately, wisdom lies in transcending the immutable and imperishable Varna-s by working them out and not by confronting them head on, which only fritters away our precious efforts and resources into oblivion.
This view must be expounded all around succinctly to save the gullible and hapless members of our society from being misguided and led to utter ruination in the long run by the malevolent lobbies of vested interests, mainly VOTE-MERCHANTS.
