rajan kulena vrttena svadhyayena shrutena vabrahmanyam kenabhavati prabruhyetatsu nishcitamKing, how does one become a Brahmin: by birth? character? study of the Vedas? education? Tell me precisely.
shrnu yaksha kulam tata nasvadhyayo nacashrutamkaranam hi dvijatve ca vrttameva na samshayha
Listen, Yaksha, it is neither birth nor education, nor even the studyof the Vedas. Without doubt, it is character alone that marks a Brahmin.
Yudhishthira's answer is crisp, clear and unambiguous when he replies, 'Na samshayaha ... there is no doubt about it: it is not birth, it is not education, it is not the study of the Vedas but it is vritta (character) alone that determines a Brahmin."
What is Yudhishthira's definition of character? He has already answered the same question in a previous passage in the Mahabharata, the dialogue with King Nahusha: "He is known as a Brahmin ... in whom truthfulness, liberality, patience, deportment, mildness, self control, and compassion are found. And he may gain knowledge of the Supreme Brahman, beyond happiness and unhappiness ... on reaching which they grieve no more." The long list of attributes may be looked upon as components of character.
This inquiry and answer ought to be adequate to clear the great disagreement in regard to caste. Swami Vivekananda in his lecture on "The Mission of the Vedanta" declares that "Our ideal is the Brahmin of the spiritual culture and renunciation ... I mean the Brahmin idealness in which worldliness is altogether absent and true wisdom is abundantly present. That is the ideal of the Hindu race."
2 comments:
There was worldliness even in Vivekananda, when he sacrificed a goat to placate the Goddess Durga at Belur Math on 10th Nov. 1901. Proof: his letter addressed to Ms. Christina Greenstidel.
There was worldliness when Yudhishthira sacrificed 300 bulls in his Asvametha and satisfied himself that his kilbisham is cleansed. There was worldliness when Arjuna was sent to conquer kingdoms, bring dhanam, stand among the heaps and call himself Dhananjaya.
Preachings are preachings. Practices are practices.
vivekanandayb.blogspot.com
As per chapter 100 of Uttara Kanda, Rama too behaved in 'worldliness' when he sent Bharata to invade Gandhara (Kandahar, the present Afghanistan), though there was no provocation from the Gandhara Princes. The Gandhara Princes were killed for no reason. Bharata's sons were coronated. This became necessary because Rama wanted that Bharata's sons should not obstruct Kusa and Lava ruling Ayodhya. Satrughna's sons were sent to another area. Lakshmana's sons were sent elsewhere. Gods or Godmen or Dharmarajas, or anybody of any religion will be worldly wise.
The story of Harischandra, as narrated by Visvamitra to Sri Rama in Bala Kanda shows how a King renowed for his truthfulness degrades himself to buy a human for sacrifice.
ramayanayb.blogspot.com.
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