‘Varnashramachar’ Strengthened National Integrity, ensuring Real Welfare

H.H. (Dr) Shibnarayan Sen is a great scholar of Dharmashastras. He is also the General Secretary of ‘Shastra Dharma Prachar Sabha’ in Bengal and the Editor of Fortnightly Periodical ‘Truth’. His ‘Kshatratej’ is evident when he talks about atheists. He attained the spiritual level of 71% and became a Saint on 1st June 2019.

In Part 1, we read what various authorities have said about Varna – Varnashram Dharma, that love and hatred are innate in man, that Varna Vyavastha and colour discrimination are poles asunder, that the aim of the British was to wedge a Caste divide, a brief on Casteism in history, the Hindu Educational System and Caste, and that Caste is not a doctrine of hate.

In Part 2, we read how Caste is the Parent of Solidarity, and the prowess of Caste system.

In Part 3, we read how the Jeeva reaps what he had sown in his past lives, Caste and unity, Benefits of the Caste System and about Caste and Success. Now, read the concluding Part.

H.H. (Dr) Shibnarayan Sen

14. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s views

Some sects, who swear by Sri Chaitanya Deva, have indeed gone so far as to invest the Sudras initiated into Vaishnavism with the sacred thread and claim that initiation into Vaishnavism converts a man into Brahminhood. This is wholly against the Shastras. The Shastras specifically say – Those whose actions are graceful in this birth, have graceful births in the next, such as Brahmin, Kshatriya or Vaishya birth. Those whose actions are wrong in this birth. have low births such as dog, pig or Chandala births. (Chhandogyopanishad – 5.10.7)

Therefore, a Brahmin is a Brahmin because of what he did in his previous births. If in this birth, he leads a dissolute or wrong life, he is certainly going to be born as a Chandala or a dog or a pig. In this birth, he cannot by his acts forfeit his Brahman birth for it has been conferred on him by the Creator Himself at his birth. Sri Krishna says – ‘I have created the four Varnas according to Guna and Karma; a person’s quality and his action determine his birth in a Brahmin family or otherwise’.

Here, we can quote from the Srimad Bhagavat which shows, what birth in a Brahmin family means. Raja Rahugana, seated in a palanquin carried on the shoulders of the bearers was annoyed at Bishamagati (unmatched steps) of the newly appointed palanquin bearer. This Brahmin then uttered some words of rare wisdom. Astounded at these words, which sparkled with gems of knowledge, the Raja quickly descended from the palanquin and caught the Brahmin’s feet and said : ‘I am not afraid of Indra’s thunderbolt, or the trishul of Mahadeva, or the wrath of Agni or the dreadful mace of Yama, the weapons of the Sun, Moon or Wind as I am afraid of insulting a member of a Brahmin family’. (Srimad Bhagavat – 5.10.17)

The Raja suddenly became extremely frightened when he found that the palanquin bearer whom he had been threatening to chastise, was not an ordinary palanquin bearer but a man of profound wisdom, who must be a Brahmin. Contrition seized him that he has been using such a man as a palanquin bearer and he seized the bearer’s feet praying a thousand pardons and the Shloka that he uttered does not make any mention of learning or Saintliness but Brahminkula.

The Pandit who in his anxiety to prove that Brahmin is by Guna and not by birth, who has conceived of a differentiation between Varna and Jati, does not appear to have any Shastric authority behind him.

Raja Rahugana dreads the Brahminkula; he says, it is dangerous to insult a person of Brahminkula (birth) who need not be Krishnabhakta or Vaishnava. Throughout the Chaitanya Charitamrita, we find scattered hundreds and hundreds of instances of the special position of a person who happened to be a Brahmin by birth. Brahmins who are Bhaktibirodhi, who are against Bhakti are punished not by human agencies but by Providence. A little incident may be related here.

When Chaitanya Deva renounced the world and went madly in search of Sri Krishna, Nityananda, Mukunda and Chandrasekhar ran after him for three nights; he was lured towards Shantipore (Nadia, WB) at Adwaita Goswami’s place. There he was fed and had some ten days rest. There everybody was keen on inviting him for Bhiksha.

All the Bipra Bhaktas were anxious to invite him, says Chaitanya Charitamrita. Why only the Bipra Bhaktas ? Because the non-Brahmin Bhaktas, however great in Bhakti, could not have the honour of giving Bhiksha to Brahmin Chaitanya Deva. This was the difference – they were not Brahmins. Again at the Dadhi Chira Mahotsava, when young Raghunath Das was punished, a huge feast with Dadhi and Chira was arranged; when all the Bhaktas were about to be fed, Pandit and Bhattacharya Brahmins from the locality who heard about the feast arrived. They were immediately honoured and put on the dais. Why ? They were not asked whether they were Vaishnavas or Bhaktas, but they were Bipras, Pandits, Bhattacharyyas and these were enough to entitle them to seats of honour. They were not asked, if they belonged to a Brahmin Varna or merely a Brahmin Jati. Such things did not enter into Nityananda’s calculation. He honoured them because they were Bipras, Pandits or Bhattacharyas. The Shastras say that – A Vaishnava, even if he is a Panchama, can still purify the Universe. There is no mention that he does so by wearing a sacred thread. But a lower Caste can never be a Guru of a higher Caste. Only in very exceptional case, it is likely that true Brahma Vidya is absent in all the Brahmins of the place and at the same time Brahma Vidya is present in a Chandala.

In that extreme case, a Chandala can become the Guru overriding all other considerations.

Evam ashtavidham chinham yasmin mlechchhepi vartate I

Sa vipendro munihi Shriman sa yati sa cha panditaha II

In these eight ways of response, Ashta Sattvik Vikara are present even in a Mlechha, he is a prince of Vipra (Brahmin), he is a Muni, he is a Sreeman (blessed by Sree), he is a Yati (a person in control of his senses), and he is a Pandit. Again –

Na me priyashchaturvedi madbhaktaha shwapchopi yaha I

Tasmai deyam tato grahyam sa cha pujyo yathahyaham II

The previous Shloka says that a Mlechha, with these Ashta Sattvik Vikara, is a Brahmin of the highest quality and in this latter sloka, the idea is developed further. My (Sri Bhagawan’s) Bhakta, even if he is a Chandala, is dearer to me than a Chaturvedi Brahmin; gifts should be made to him, he shall be worshipped as Myself (Sri Bhagawan).

15. Swami Vivekananda said : Without Caste we are doomed

With the decay of Jati Dharma, the Swadharma, has come the downfall of our land. How came this terrible Varnasankara, this compounding mixture of all Castes and disappearance of all qualitative distinctions ? That is a long story to tell. For the present, try to understand this that if the Jati Dharma be rightly and truly preserved, the Nation shall never fall. That we have fallen is the sure sign that the basis of the true Jati Dharma has been tampered with. Now try to bring back the true Jati Dharma and then it will be a real and sure boon to the country.

Abolition of Caste : Before flooding India with socialistic or political ideas, first deluge the land with spiritual ideas. It is sheer nonsense to desire the abolition of Caste. Do you read the history of India ? Who was Ramanuja ? Who was Shankara ? Who was Nanak ? Who was Chaitanya ? Who was Kabir ? Who was Dadu ? Who were all these great preachers, one following the other, a galaxy of stars of the first magnitude ?

Did not Ramanuja feel for the lower classes ? Did he not try all his life to admit even the pariah to his community ? Did he not try to admit even Mahommedans to his fold ? Did not Nanak confer with Hindus and Mahommedans, and try to bring almost a new state of things ? They all tried and their work is still going on. The difference is this, they have not the fanfaronade of the reformers of today; they had no curse on their lips as modern reformers, their lips pronounced only blessings. They never condemned.

As for myself, I have no partiality for any party in this Caste question, because I know it is social law and is based on diversity of Guna and Karma. The higher the Caste, the greater the restrictions. The lowest Caste people can eat and drink anything they like but as men rise in social scale, more and more restrictions come and as they reach the highest Caste, the Brahmin, the hereditary priesthood of India, their lives are very much circumscribed. The foundation of the priestly power rests on intellectual strength and not on the physical strength of arms. Therefore, with a supremacy of priestly power there is a great prevalence of intellectual and literary culture.

The priest knows God and communicates with them; he is, therefore, worshipped as God. Leaving behind the thoughts of the world, he no longer has to devote himself to the earning of his bread by the sweat of his brow. The first offshoot of universal welfare and good is nursed by his spiritual power, by his devotion to learning and wisdom, by his renunciation, the watch-word of his life, nay, watered even by the flow of his own life-blood. It is, therefore, that even his memory is sacred to us. It is urged that even in the physical body and social classification, absolute sameness would produce natural death and social death … sameness therefore, is to be avoided …

Practically, it is the same argument which is urged by the Brahmins of India, when they want to uphold the privileges of a certain portion of the community against every-body else.

The distinction of Caste, they declare, would not lead to the destruction of society, and boldly they produce historical facts that theirs has been the longest-lived society.

The laws laid down by the great Rishis of old must be brought back and be made to rule supreme once more. Then alone can national well-being be ours.

We believe in Indian Caste as one of the greatest social institutions that the Lord gave to man. We also believe that through the unavoidable defects, foreign persecutions and above all, the monumental ignorance and pride of many Brahmins who do not deserve the name, have thwarted, in many ways, the legitimate fructification of this most glorious Indian Institution; it has already worked wonders for the land of Bharata and is destined to lead Indian humanity to its goal.

16. Conclusion

The concept of Hindu Dharma is completely inclusive based on the fundamental concept of God is one, and Himself assumed diverse forms. Apparently, a sinner deserves condign punishment for his wrongdoings (under the influence of greed or sin), but in essence since God resides in his bosom, he deserves a mental obeisance.

The ‘divide-and-rule’ policy adopted by the shrewd British, helped them rule India for 150 long years. Post-Independence, it was believed our own rulers would follow an approach that prevents further fragmentation of society. But, unfortunately, the Congress Governments succumbed to Caste-based pressure groups, giving a clear signal that they were ready to make any compromise on the basic tenets of social integration.

As pointed out by many researchers, the first-past-the-post voting system also added to our societal divisions in no uncertain terms.

Abbe Dubois, though a venomous enemy of Hinduism, had to admit in his book – “I consider the institution of Castes amongst the Hindu Nation as the happiest effort of their legislation; and I am well-convinced that if the people of India never sank into a state of barbarism and if India kept up her head, preserved and extended the sciences, the arts and civilization, is wholly to the distinction of Castes that she is indebted for that high celebrity”.

(Concluded)

Those whose actions are graceful in this birth, have graceful births in the next, like Brahmin, Kshatriya or Vaishya birth !

The concept of Hindu Dharma is inclusive based on the concept that God is one, and Himself assumed diverse forms !