Posted on: 28 Jul 2018
O Learned and Devoted Servants of God,
[July 28, 2018 Guru Purnima Night Message] Four castes were created by God as per the qualities of the souls and the corresponding professional deeds done by the bodies containing souls as said in the Gita (Gunakarmavibhaagashah). The quality exists in the individual soul (Jiiva) since the individual soul is a bundle of the qualities. When the soul gets the inert body in this world, as per qualities of the soul, the deeds are done by the inert body. When the soul leaves the body, the body is just an inert stone without any deed. Hence, the birth of the body to a couple belonging to a caste by their qualities need not get the same qualities through genes or blood, which is unscientific concept. The blood or genes of the parents don’t pass on their qualities to the issues. Due to this point, the body generated in the womb of the mother doesn’t get the qualities of its parents. The soul having some specific qualities enters the sperm of the father. The soul is not generated by the parents. The qualities appearing in the issue after birth belong to the soul only and not to be body. Hence, the body delivered from the womb of mother does not have its own qualities except the qualities of the soul present in it that entered the sperm of the father and such entry is clearly described by the Brahma Sutras.
The qualities existing in the soul before its entry in to the sperm are only expressed in the issue. But, when the issue grows in the atmosphere of certain qualities existing in the parents, such qualities of the parents also enter the issue from the external atmosphere since any quality enters the soul from external atmosphere only (input). Generally, there is every chance of the qualities of parents to enter the soul of the issue and in such case, the qualities of the parents may dominate the existing qualities of the soul and may be expressed. In such case, we are misunderstanding the issue as gaining the qualities of the parents through the blood. Actually, it is not the truth. The truth is that the child acquired the qualities of parents due to constant association of parents, training their issue with their qualities, which enter the issue in the training. Hence, the qualities are either present inherently in the soul (acquired from previous births) or acquired by the soul of the issue through their training in the present birth, but never acquired through the blood of parents. The qualities of the issue generated and grown are either inherent of the soul or acquired in the training by parents.
The Veda says that the four castes are born from various related limbs of the body of God by His unimaginable power (Braahmanosya mukham…) because such generation without the help of female is beyond the laws of nature. You may say that these qualities are created by God and hence, exist in those prescribed castes to continue from one generation to another by birth. Even in this argument, the qualities must be seen in a human being and if the qualities are seen, we have no trace of objection to call the human being by the name of that caste even though the Veda doesn’t say the point mentioned by you as above. If you insist that even if the qualities are not expressed and the corresponding professional deeds are not delivered by a human being, still, the human being shall be called by the name of that caste only, we object to this blind argument. If you say that the qualities of ancestors are transmitted by blood, such argument is proved unscientific in the case of genes that may transfer certain mannerisms only. The qualities are always induced in to the soul from the external atmosphere of the association and such qualities might have been introduced into the soul in the previous birth or in the present birth. The meaning of the Gita is that whatever may be the background, based on the qualities and corresponding professional deeds (expressed to prove their existence) only the caste system is approved by God. If the qualities and deeds of other castes are expressed in a human being, such human being belongs to the other caste only and not to the caste in which it is born.
We never disagree that an issue born to the parents having a caste by qualities is very much having a fair chance to acquire the qualities of the parents in their training and to get the same caste of the parents. Since the qualities are seen in the issue, we will certainly agree to call that issue belonging to the same caste based on the qualities seen in that issue only and not simply by birth without such qualities. If the issue is getting interest in the qualities and deeds of other caste, we will call that issue belonging to the caste of parents by birth, but, belonging to the other caste by deeds decided by the corresponding qualities. Let us take the case of Parashurama. He was born to Jamadagni, who has all the qualities of Brahmana. But, Parashurama got the qualities of Kshatriya due to the boon given by his grandfather to his grandmother. Hence, we shall call Parashurama as Brahmana by birth (Janma Brahmana or Brahma Bandhu as called by the Veda) and Kshatriya by practice (Karma Kshatriya). Brahmana by birth means that his parents were Brahmanas by qualities. Kshatriya by practice means that he is Kshatriya by qualities generating subsequent practice.
Brahmana must have the quality of spiritual knowledge and must have the practice of propagating the spiritual knowledge in the profession of the priest guiding the rituals done by every human being in the society. This work is very important since every human being in the society develops inbuilt-resistance towards sin due to love or fear to God. This is the most precious and pious duty. Brahmana means that he/she leads the society to the concept of God in both worldly and spiritual lives (Brahma nayati iti). This word also means that he/she leads the society towards the true spiritual knowledge of the Veda since the word Brahma also means Veda. The knowledge given by the priest clears all the doubts in the worldly and spiritual activities (Ye tatra Brahmanaah sammarishinah... Veda). This caste (by qualities and not by birth) is given the supreme most place since correct guidance in the whole life of every human being is given by the priest.
Kshatriya means he/she capable of physical fight in protecting the justice from unjust devilish people. Vyshya means the person doing business on ethical lines for the convenience of the society. Shudra means doing agriculture to give food to the society. All the three castes are related to the worldly frame only and not to the divine domain.
If a Brahmana by birth is not becoming Brahmana by practice also, we will clearly call him/her as Brahmana by birth only but, not Brahmana by practice. A Brahmana shall do the spiritual work as service of God without aspiring any fruit from public. Such Brahmana will never suffer for the basic needs of life since God will take care of all his/her needs since any human being is just a doll in the hands of God. Public inspired by God will certainly reward him with all facilities since it is the service of God. If a Brahmana by birth is not doing the profession of Brahmana, he/she shall not object another person to do the same profession even though he/she is born in other caste by birth having the qualities of the Brahmana caste. Neither you do spiritual practice nor allow others to do! Is it justified?
The profession of Brahmana priest (not by birth but by qualities) is not to blindly recite the Veda without explaining the spiritual knowledge of the Veda that helps both worldly and spiritual sides of any human being. If other person (born in other caste having Brahmana qualities) is again doing the same foolish activities of blind recitation of the Veda, even the other person is not justified. Today, you find in the society several great saints belonging to various castes (by birth) are doing excellent spiritual service through preaching. All such saints are the real Brahmanas irrespective of their castes by birth. The priest is expected to do the same service individually on the occasion of performing rituals in each house so that the sin is arrested at the root itself and devotion to God is developed in the heart of every human being so that God is pleased to bless this earth with all gifts preventing every calamity resulting in the world peace.