This forum on the caste system has attracted valuable contributions from eminent personalities.Rig Veda, where the four varnas are mentioned, had always been the starting point for all the accusations that follow. I had said in an earlier post in a different forum that this Rik, read with what preceeds and follows, has opossibly a far more different meaning than what we try to interpret as Brahma, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra Varnas. In a society, one requires four types of professionals, the learners and teachers, the protectors and rulers,the businessmen and sustainers and finally the cultivators and people who do all the other physical odd jobs. This is true of all societies, all over the world, and all the time.All of them require intergroup support for harmonious living in a society. At the same time, they require harmonious blending of body and mind for a healthy living.Thus, a Brahmana, who does very little physical activity,is symbolised by the mananam and uchchadanam done by his mukham, the intonations, pronounciations, Jadai,Ganam etc. Since this alone will not be enough physical exercise, heis adviced various yogas. Due to male chauvanism, when the yogas were discouraged for the ladies ( imagine Urdhwamahathandavam for Parvati?), Bharatamuni brought in the culture of Mudras anbd the dances for them.Since they dont do much exercise, frugal food was adviced for them and the need for material comfort was also less.Thus, the mouth was symbolic of the Brahmins or vice se versa.
You require a strong pair of arms to protect your clan and hence the arms represent the Kshatriyas. Similarly, the group who feed you and sustain you so that you can perperform your job unhindered, are called Vaisyas.The pair of legs are among the most important part of the body and the cough muscles are called the second heart.
Since they do so much physical work, none of the other supplementary exercises prescribed for them is necessary for these, called Sudras, and they are exempted from them.It is a wrong later misinterpretation that they are prevented from performing the duties prescribed forthe other three varnas.
They were freely exchangeable and not confined to birth only. We have innumerable instances of persons born in one varna, becoming a rishi in another varna. We have instances of Anulomam and pratilomam.Pratilomam was generally discouraged apparently because the 24th Y and X chromosome, which determines the gender is present only in the male and hence, they did not want a downgrading of the varna at the time of birth!
i will continue in my next posting.
Regardsd to all.
Ramanathan.
You require a strong pair of arms to protect your clan and hence the arms represent the Kshatriyas. Similarly, the group who feed you and sustain you so that you can perperform your job unhindered, are called Vaisyas.The pair of legs are among the most important part of the body and the cough muscles are called the second heart.
Since they do so much physical work, none of the other supplementary exercises prescribed for them is necessary for these, called Sudras, and they are exempted from them.It is a wrong later misinterpretation that they are prevented from performing the duties prescribed forthe other three varnas.
They were freely exchangeable and not confined to birth only. We have innumerable instances of persons born in one varna, becoming a rishi in another varna. We have instances of Anulomam and pratilomam.Pratilomam was generally discouraged apparently because the 24th Y and X chromosome, which determines the gender is present only in the male and hence, they did not want a downgrading of the varna at the time of birth!
i will continue in my next posting.
Regardsd to all.
Ramanathan.
