Brahman Is Not A Caste, It Is A Quality

Our society has been divided into four categories or castes viz. Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Shudras. Our society did not get satisfied with this division of castes but went further and created various sub-castes as well. The society has tried their hard to divide the humans at sundry levels. The appalling things are that they forgot the primal dictation of the scripture, and started dividing the society and humans on the basis of birth not on the basis of Karma or quality or merit. Any authentic scripture does not suggest of the division of the human`s caste on the basis of birth or ones family background. Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras are not the caste; these are the qualities humans possess. The quality and Karma differs from person to person. It is not necessary that the father and son possess the same qualities and the same aspiration for the life. Then at what basis, people of antiquarian took the decision to divide the humans on the basis of birth, which later took the form of formidable caste-system. Can we put Hirankashayap and his son Prahlad in same category or caste? Even though, they were father and son, there were yawning differences in their qualities, karma and merit. Were the people bereft of the knowledge of the scriptures, who took the pain to divide the society on the basis of birth?  

 All the scriptures suggest the division of the humans on the basis of ones karma, duty, merit and quality not on the birth. Bhagavad Gita (4:13) – “According to the three modes of material nature and the work associated with them, the four divisions of human society are created by Me. And although I am the creator of this system, you should know that I am yet the nondoer, being unchangeable.” The Lord is the creator of everything. Everything is born of Him, everything is sustained by Him, and everything, after annihilation, rests in Him. Then how someone can tag any caste on someone? Further Bhagavad Gita (18:41) says—“Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras are distinguished by their qualities of work, O chastiser of the enemy, in accordance with the modes of nature.” The person who has even taken birth in the lower family can attain the supreme by his own meticulous effort. It says Bhagavad Gita(9:32) –  “O son of Pritha, those who take shelter in Me, though they be of lower birth—women, vaishyas [merchants] and shudras [workers]—can attain the supreme destination.” The how come a human doing Karma of high class can fall in lower class or caste and vice-versa?

Taking birth in one family, even two brothers do not possess the same quality and merit; they differ in their approaches and faith they keep. And the person is known by the thought and faith he keeps. It says in Bhagavad Gita (17:3) – “O son of Bharata, according to one's existence under the various modes of nature, one evolves a particular kind of faith. The living being is said to be of a particular faith according to the modes he has acquired”. Even Manu Rishi, who is assumedly propagated the caste systems, does not support caste on the basis of birth but on the basis of merit. It says Manusmiriti (2:157)—“As an elephant made of wood, as an antelope made of leather, such is an unlearned Brahman; those three have nothing but the names (of their kind).” One can go and go and quote from the scriptures, and unanimously one can find the basis of the division of society is merit only, no any other factors. It appears that, in later times, some ignorant people for fulfilling their wicked desires, to secure advantage over others framed this misinterpretation.

Brahman comes from two words Bra and Man. The meaning of Bra in Sanskrit is Big and Man means mind. Whose mind is big or who is big thinker is Brahman. It is a quality; it cannot be a caste at any situation. Vedanta says—Brahman is the ultimate reality. A person who gets the highest knowledge and self-realization, according to scriptures, he is Brahman, it does not matter what his family background is. Similarly, we can find the people on the basis of their merits on which class one falls, not on the basis the society has stand. The base of the caste system in the society is an illusion, and it is still existing for the misguiding and misusing the people.