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Shyena
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Joined: 27 Jun 2006
Posts: 964
Location: Hyderabad, AP
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 Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 4:16 pm Post subject: Varnashrama |
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Namaste,
I'm a bit confused about the varna system of hinduism. We know very well that:
1)Every man is born a shudra; has to be twice born
2)The twice births are brahmin, kshatriya, vaisya
Brahmins are the intellectual and pious class who never own land, teach and learn the vedas, accept and donate alms to people.
Kshatriyas are the administrative class
Vaisyas, the class dealing with trade
Shudras; the non-twice born; left with the job of serving the upper castes.
Now; are the chandaals, rakshasas, pisaachas included in this classification? What class do entertainers such as dancers, singers, musicians fall into? Or is it so that the four-fold classification is vital; there are sub-castes? This way i can justify dancers are apsaras, singers and musicians as gandharvas....
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Shishya
Administrator
Joined: 20 Feb 2006
Posts: 1985
Location: Europe
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| Posted: Mon Oct 09, 2006 8:44 pm Post subject: |
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Namaste PD,
In the Santi Parva of the Mahabharata, it says:
| Quote: | He is called a Brahmana in whom are truth, gifts, abstention
from injury to others, compassion, shame, benevolence and penance.
He who is engaged in the profession of battle, who studies the Vedas, who makes gifts (to Brahmanas) and takes wealth (from those he protects) is called a Kshatriya.
He who earns fame from keep of cattle, who is employed in agriculture and the means of acquiring wealth, who is pure in behaviour and attends to the study of the Vedas, is called a Vaisya.
He who takes pleasure in eating every kind of food, who is engaged in doing every kind of work, who is impure in behaviour, who does not study the Vedas, and whose conduct is unclean, is said to be a Sudra.
If these characteristics be observable in a Sudra, and if they be not found in a Brahmana, then such a Sudra, is no Sudra, and such a Brahmana is no Brahmana. |
Swami Dayanand considered the distinction between Aryas and Dasyus to be the most primary. As I see it, varna applies only to Aryas, with Dasyus - including Asuras, Rakshas and Pishachas - falling outside it's organzational capacity. The difference between Shudras and the above mentioned groups is the fact that Shudras recognize the authority of those who are spiritually learned and accept their role in the varna system.
Rather than 'sub-castes', I would say there should certainly be 'trade guilds' for certain professions which fall under their primary varna. I don't have any scriptural authority for this, but in my opinion, musicians, singers, dancers, actors and all other 'entertainment' professions fall under the category 'Shudra'.
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Namaste,
Shishya
ॐ
ॐ सह नावतु । सह तौ भुनक्तु । सह वीर्यं करवावहै । तेजस्वि नावधीतमस्तु मा विद्विषावहै ॥
"Together may we be protected. Together may we be profited. Together may we do a hero's work. May we learn intelligently. May we never hate one another."
-Brihadaranyaka & Taittiriya Upanishads |
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Shyena
Gold Member
Joined: 27 Jun 2006
Posts: 964
Location: Hyderabad, AP
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| Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 3:26 pm Post subject: |
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Namaste Shishya,
Yes I've read all such quotes - those of geeta, mahabharata, manusmrti but none distinctively explain where the singers and others fall into. Theoretically; they should fall into shudras. Problem is that even if nauch-dancers are considered impure; musicians are not.
PS: Presides, this "purity" "impurity" is a reference to their physical state where it is best a shudra doesn't try to make contact with a person of higher occupation - for sake of social hygiene.
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