Somedays before, I came across an interesting Upanishad called Vajrasuchika Upanishad( that is as hard as a rock/diamond). It is a later upanishad affiliated to Samaveda and perhaps seen by Ashvaghosha( claim??). It is perhaps one of the best scripture to define How the ancients( or a section of enlightened) understood the concept of "Brahminhood". It discusses the definition and characteristics of Brahmin which is perhaps one of the most discussed topics on this forum. Since I got to know about it, thus I wanted to share it with all the members. Maybe it has been read before by some members or it has been discussed before in this forum. In that case, they can just revise it again. One of the best para of this Upanishad which I like is regarding the examples that are cited that birth cann't be a parameter of "Brahminhood".
"Then, if is said that the class by birth (or familial lineage or genus) bears the designation 'Brahmin', then no (i.e., this cannot be true), because there are several non-human species from whom numerous great Sages emerged.
We hear from the sacred texts that
- Sage Rsyasrnga was born of a deer,
- Sage Kausika of the Kusa grass,
- Sage Jambuka from a jackal,
- Sage Valmiki from white termite hill,
- Sage Vyasa from a fisher woman,
- Sage Gautama from the back of a hare,
- Sage Vasishtha from Urvashi- the celestial nymph
- Sage Agastya from a pitcher.
Amongst these, there have been many Sages who have been amongst the foremost of men that have demonstrated spiritual realization.
Therefore, it is not one's class by birth that can be taken as (the determinant of the designation) ‘Brahmin'." || 5 ||
hiranmayena pâtrena satyasyâpihitaM mukham,
tat tvaM pûSannapâvRinu satyadharmâya dRiSTaye.
"Then, if is said that the class by birth (or familial lineage or genus) bears the designation 'Brahmin', then no (i.e., this cannot be true), because there are several non-human species from whom numerous great Sages emerged.
We hear from the sacred texts that
- Sage Rsyasrnga was born of a deer,
- Sage Kausika of the Kusa grass,
- Sage Jambuka from a jackal,
- Sage Valmiki from white termite hill,
- Sage Vyasa from a fisher woman,
- Sage Gautama from the back of a hare,
- Sage Vasishtha from Urvashi- the celestial nymph
- Sage Agastya from a pitcher.
Amongst these, there have been many Sages who have been amongst the foremost of men that have demonstrated spiritual realization.
Therefore, it is not one's class by birth that can be taken as (the determinant of the designation) ‘Brahmin'." || 5 ||
hiranmayena pâtrena satyasyâpihitaM mukham,
tat tvaM pûSannapâvRinu satyadharmâya dRiSTaye.
