|
Most of the people in India and abroad are made to
believe that Varna system and Ashrama system are parts of Indian culture
or parts of Hinduism. Actually both have their roots in falsehood.
Indian priests and hermits propagated this falsehood to gain more honour
and popularity.
(A)
Varna System:
In this system it is presupposed that God divided
society into four varnas -- Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra. Here
varna means class. Hinduism believes in classless society. But
hypocrites by their own imagination made additions in Manu Smriti to
perpetuate their self-interest. So Manu Smriti in present form gives a
bad smell of divisiveness, conspiracy and degradation of thought. So
called Manu Smriti says that the duty of the Brahmin is to study and
teach, to sacrifice, and to give and receive gifts; the Kshatriya must
protect the people, sacrifice and study; the Vaishya also sacrifices and
studies but his chief function is to breed cattle, to till the earth, to
pursue trade and lend money; the Shudra’s duty is only to serve the
three higher classes.
Prof. A. L, Basham writes in his famous book, “The
wonder that was India” that Indian religious texts were written by
Brahmins and from the brahmanic point of view and represent conditions
as the Brahmins would have liked them to be. Thus it is not surprising
that they claim the utmost honour for the priestly class and exalt it
above measure. Such boastful additions in religious texts ensured that
“The Brahmin was a great divinity in human form. His spiritual power was
such that he could instantly destroy the king and his army if they
attempted to infringe his rights. In law he claimed great privileges and
in every respect he demanded precedence, honour and worship.
The division of society into four classes got
credibility in resurgent India because great scholars like Swami
Dayanand, Dr. Radha Krishnan and Swami Nirvedanand stood as advocates in
support of varna system. Swami Dayanand the founder of ‘Arya Samaj’ in
his book ‘Satyarth Prakash’ gives lucid explanation about the
significance of different names of one God. But he relies heavily on
Manu Smriti to support Varnashram system. Dr. Radha Krishnan, a great
philosopher writes in his book ‘The Hindu View of Life’ (Chapter IV
Hindu Dharma II) – “The first reference to varna system is in the Purush
Sukta, where the different sections of society are regarded as the limbs
of the great self. Human society is an organic whole, the parts of
which are naturally dependent in such a way that each part in fulfilling
its distinctive function conditions the fulfillment of function by the
rest, and so in turn conditioned by the fulfillment of its function by
the rest….The cultural and the spiritual, the military and the
political, the economic classes and the unskilled workers constitute the
fourfold caste organization….The serenity of the teacher, the heroism of
the warrior, the honesty of the businessman and the patience and energy
of the worker all contribute to the social growth. Each has its own
perfection….The Brahmins were allowed freedom and leisure to develop the
spiritual ideals and broadcast them….The Brahmins, as the advisers of
the Government, point out the true interests of society….Hindu society
made room for a group dedicated to the use of force, the Kshatriyas….The
economic group of the Vaishyas were required to suppress greed and
realize the moral responsibilities of wealth…..The unskilled workers and
peasants form the proletariat, the Shudras….When a new group is taken
into the fold of Hinduism, it is affiliated with one of the four
castes.” Swami Nirvedanand in his book ‘Hinduism at a glance’ considers
Varnashrama Dharma as part of Hinduism and it should be strictly
followed by the Hindus who have family, means of livelihood and want to
fulfill their desires.
Varna system has created dalits (the depressed
classes) and other backward classes. They oppose varna system and
hegemony of Brahmins in spiritual field. The spread of democracy at the
grass root level has made these classes politically and economically
strong. Now fight is for social justice. Groupings on the basis of upper
castes and lower castes or forward castes and backward castes are made
to get reservations in services. Even Brahmins are no more interested in
the job of priesthood. In reality Brahmins have lost their hegemony in
spiritual field. They have poor knowledge of Sanskrit. In northern
India, ‘Ram Charit Manas’ written by Tulsi Das has been declared a
religious book. This book is full of falsehood. It contains derogatory
remarks against women. It broadcasts inequality and servitude in the
name of religion and devotion to God. A favourite book of hypocrites it
naturally supports varna system and ashrama system. To repudiate the
false propaganda of divisive forces, it is necessary to know the
reality:
(1) The supporters of varna system quote a hymn of
Purush Sukta contained in Rig Veda which says----
Brahmin was his mouth,
Of his arms was made the warrior,
His thighs became the Vaishya,
Of his feet the Shudra was born.
Vedas say that God is formless. No one can see God.
God expands himself to create the universe. This universe being the body
of God, every thing is divine. If we wish to see God we should see all
creatures, the earth, the sun, the moon, stars and galaxies, air, water,
fire and anything else that our mind can conceive. God in this visible
form is called Purush or Virat. First five hymns of Purush Sukta of Rig
Veda say that:
(a) God in material shape has innumerable
heads, eyes and feet and all the things of the earth reside in his
fingers.
(b) The past and the future rest in that
Purush. He, the owner of immortality, expands Himself through food.
(c) The exaltation of His might is so
great that all animate and inanimate objects of creation depict only
one-fourth of what He is.
(d) The three of His four forms are
invisible and above the conception of mind. In his fourth form Virat He
pervades all beings, animate and inanimate (eaters and non-eaters).
(e) He expanded himself into the universe
which became his body. He is called Virat in this manifestation. The
earth and all creatures become part of this body.
It is clear from these hymns that Purush Sukta has
been composed in exaltation of Virat. It has nothing to do with theory
of creation. Only these five hymns find place in all the Vedas. To be
specific Sam Veda contains only these five hymns. Other hymns added in
Purush Sukta are an interpolation. Any prudent reader can grasp the
vicious motive behind it. Actually, the theory of creation finds place
in Nasdiya Sukta (10-11-129), Hiranyagarbha Sukta(10-10-121) and
Vishvakarma Sukta(10-6-81) of Rig Veda and the description has some
scientific basis. Therefore, the divine theory of varna system is
totally false. Vedas do not approve varna system or stratification of
society into four classes.
(2) Even if we accept Purush Sukta in its present
form, we see that there is no mention of varna in the interpolated hymn.
Mere mention of Brahman, Rajanya, Vaishya or Shudra in the hymn has no
meaning unless it specifically says that the words are meant for
division of society into varnas or castes. The formless God with the
qualities of omni-presence cannot be given a human shape. Moreover,
mouth organ cannot be said to be superior to feet. In human beings the
dumb, the armless, and the lame are put under the category of the
crippled. Thus a Brahmin cannot be said to be at the top in social
stratification. AS Vedas do not allot any duty to so called four
classes, the Manu Smriti in its present form is the work of divisive
forces and enemies of humanity. The attempt of Swami Dayanand to support
varna system on the basis of Purush Sukta and Manu Smriti lacks the
prudence that he showed elsewhere in his book ‘Satyarth Prakash’. The
statement of Dr. Radha Krishnan that being allowed freedom and leisure
to develop the spiritual ideals, the Brahmins as the advisers of
Government pointed out the true interests of society is also wrong.
During the Gupta period Brahmins were put in a very exalted position.
But what they did can be traced very easily. They professed
untouchability to protect the interests of their uncouth sons and
daughters. They wrote false stories of boons and curses to prove that
asceticism gives supernatural powers. In these stories good persons were
cursed on frivolous grounds by Rishis to become demons. On the whole of
the earth India was the only country where demons were in plenty and
Brahmins had to invoke Vishnu to take avatars to crush those demons.
This was not enough. Goddess Durga became Mahishasurmardini. One God
having the name of Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva or Indra was told to have
separate entity. False stories of Shiva-Parvati marriage were written to
promote dowry. Vedas believed in gender equality. But Brahmins lowered
the position of women. They cast aspersions on their character. The
story of test of Sita’s chastity by Ram and the story of Sita’s exile
while she was pregnant were written by making interpolations in the
Ramayana. The developed spiritual ideals of Brahmins fabricated stories
of Sati Savitri and Satyavan. They wrote that wives of Krishna and
Balram immolated themselves on the funeral pyres of their husbands. The
word ‘sati’ means a virtuous woman. But it was propagated that it meant
self-immolation on the death of her husband. Hindus were divided as
Vaishnavas, Shaivas, Shaktas or Ganapatyas. Their gods liked flattery
and accepted bribes in the name of bhakti. The names of Vishnu, Shiva,
Indra, Ram and Krishna and also of rishis were misused to propagate
deceit, injustice, revelry and voluptuousness. Puranas like Srimad
Bhagvat unfold the minds of so called enlightened men. They wrote in the
name of Vyas that Lord Krishna stole the garments of Gopies to see their
nude bodies. They made Gopies as concubines of Krishna. They forced poor
girls to marry with idols of gods in the temples and called them
Devadasis. Priests were free to have sexual intercourse with them. They
became gods of earth and made their kings avatars of Vishnu or Shiva.
Thus priests of temples or Purohits among Brahmins and kings among
Kshatriyas spent their time in luxury. The learned Brahmins wasted their
time in defeating other scholars through shastrartha just to prove their
acumen. The valiant kings filled with superiority complex fought with
their rivals. No efforts were made for social and political unity.
Selfishness of Brahmin scholars hindered the growth of Hinduism and
egotism of various rulers threw India into servitude for hundreds of
years. Hindus were exploited in the name of religion. Most of them
became superstitious and coward. Actually the varna system based on
falsehood, personification of gods, propagation of excessive dependence
on God, spread of social inequality and untouchability produced
distortions in Hindu society.
(3) There is no difference between varna and caste so
far as the Brahmins and Kshatriyas are concerned. Even conservatives
among both the communities easily agree for savarna marriages. Same is
not the case with Vaishyas and Shudras. Actually there is no community
or caste of Vaishyas or Shudras. This would again prove that varna
system is imaginary and based on falsehood. The word Vaishya is derived
from Sanskrit word ‘vish’ which means group or mass of people. In
monarchy it refers to subjects. In democracy it refers to general public
or citizens. This word has nothing to do with earning of wealth through
trade, commerce or business. Business community alone cannot claim to be
Vaishyas. In the same way the word Shudra has no connection with working
class or people engaged in service. The word Shudra is derived from the
Sanskrit root ‘Shudh’ which means to purify or to cleanse.
Brihadaranyaka Upanishad says that this earth is Shudra because it
purifies everything. A farmer also cultivates and cleanses his field to
grow and have a good crop. Thus only agriculturists can be called as
Shudras. In any case the words ‘Vaishya’ and ‘Shudra’ do not refer to
lower layers of society.
Those who call themselves
dalits(the depressed) or backward should muse over one thing. “The same
flame kindles in them as it kindles in forward or upper classes.” They
should shed their inferiority complex. When India was under British
rule, Indians like Mahatma Gandhi suffered humiliation. India herself
was called the country of snake-charmers. Now the whole world recognizes
the potentiality and prowess of India. In democracy all are the masters
of their own destiny. Feelings of high and low hinder the progress and
unity of a country or of a community. One should not abuse Hinduism for
one’s predicament. New generation of Brahmins is by and large
progressive in outlook. Poor Brahmins are themselves struggling for
their livelihood. Stray incidents of misbehaviour by priests of temples
depict not only their ignorance but also the superstition of devotees.
In the last it is again pertinent to know that Hinduism believes in
social equality and varna system is the propagation of falsehood only.
(B)
Ashrama System:
It is supposed that human life has a span of about
one hundred years. Ashrama system divides the span of human life into
four stages or Ashramas namely (a) Brahmacharya or the period of
training and learning (b) Garhasthya or the period of work for the world
as a householder and of enjoying married life (c) Vanprasthya or the
period of retreat for loosening of social bonds and (d) Sannyasa or the
period of renunciation and expectant awaiting of freedom or moksha.
Prof. A. L. Basham commenting on this system writes, “This scheme, of
course, represents the ideal rather than the real. Many young men never
passed through the first stage of life in the form laid down, while only
a few went beyond the second. Many of the hermits and ascetics of
ancient India were evidently not old men, and had either shortened or
omitted the stage of householder. The series of four stages is evidently
an idealization of the facts, and an artificial attempt to find room for
the conflicting claims of study, family life, and asceticism in a single
life. It is possible that the system of Ashramas was evolved partly as a
counterblast to the Unorthodox sects such as Buddhism and Jainism, which
encouraged young men to take up asceticism, and by-pass family life
altogether, a practice which did not receive the approval of the
orthodox, though in later times provision was made for it.”
Vedas
do not approve Ashram system. Swami Dayanand takes the help of Manu
Smriti to explain the conduct and duties of each Ashram. Actually Manu
as a rishi or as a great king never existed. Like the story of Adam and
Eve, the story of Manu and Shatarupa is an imaginative creation. One
example may be enough to prove that this system cannot be an ideal for
Hindus. Suppose a man leads a celibate and austere life as a student at
the home of his teacher till he attains the age of twenty-five years.
Then he marries and spends his life as a householder till he becomes
about fifty years old. It is also prescribed that his wife should be
younger to him. Considering the time of menopause she would be producing
children even if her husband crosses the age of fifty. The ashram system
says that thereafter the third stage of life begins and the man along
with his wife should go to forests. Now the question arises who will
nurture the children. After completing the age of seventy-five years one
is supposed to become sannyasi or homeless wanderer living on alms.
Think of the burden imposed on the householder. People of other three
ashrams would be directly or indirectly dependent on householders. The
three stages of life adding nothing to national income would put
pressure on the national resources. If ashram system is accepted as an
ideal people would become poorer and poorer. Poverty would cause
malnutrition. Malnutrition may lead to poor health and loss of stamina.
Such citizens of a nation cannot defend their nation’s honour, integrity
or independence. Vedas actually say that being engaged in work one
should long to live for hundred years. Thus Ashram system was introduced
to befool Hindus. Ashram system promotes only indolence and inertness..
|
|
