POWERFUL COGNITION🔗

The nature of Brāhmaṇa is
characterized by their calmness,
discipline, austerity, tolerance,
honesty, knowledge, wisdom and
belief in God.

śauryaṁ tejo dhṛtir dākṣyaṁ yuddhe
cāpyapalāyanam dānamīśvarabhāvaś ca
kṣātraṁ karma svabhāvajami

Kṣatriya are characterized by their
qualities of heroism, vigor, firmness,
dexterity, steadfastness in battle,
leadership and generosity.

kṛṣi gaurakṣya vāṇijyaṁ vaiśya-karma
svabhāvajam paricaryātmakaṁ karma
śūdrasyā api śvabhāvajam

So-called scholars have interpreted
this verse in a very inappropriate
way compared to the other verses of
the Gītā. The uneducated have also
used this verse in order to condemn
the Vedic culture.

First of all, one must understand
how the caste system originated, as
well as realize how it became
corrupted. In the Vedic culture,
under the Gurukul tradition, young
children were left in the care of the
Master. This is how Arjuna grew up
with Aśvattama, Drona’s son. No
caste was considered inferior or
superior to another.

No caste was hereditary. The
selection and training was scientific
and done impartially. It enriched
society well since everyone was
living and expressing themselves
according to their aptitudes, their
peak possibility and their unique
path towards liberation.

This is why Kṛṣṇa says it is better to
do one's assigned work imperfectly
rather than do another's work
perfectly. It is possible that one can
perform elements of another's work
well. A brāhmaṇa, being a scholar,
may excel as a vaiśya in commercial
calculations;

He will have neither the heart nor
the head to be a businessman. In
this Gurukul system, along with
the Master, the child also was
allowed to select his vocation. The
child could express its passion and
decide.

Over time, this classification of
selection and training became
corrupted. Those who were
brāhmaṇa wanted their children
to be brāhmaṇa and so on. The
varṇa or caste system that had
originally been a selection and
training system in education led
to the stratification of society
based upon birth.

Before we condemn the caste
system, realize that every
society has stratification.
Wherever equality has been
forced on society, it has been
a failure. Each person is
unique and when similar
people form groups, there will
be stratification and
classification. In Vedic India
this classification was based
upon talents and intelligence.
In modern society it is based
on money and power. Which
is better?

Helping students
understand the way the
Vedic classification system
functioned