dear balu sir !
it will be better you give the meaning in tamil font.i have to take a lot of effort to read reoeatedly to find the tamil varthai. artham anartham akividakoodathu allava?
thanks,
narayanan
Shri narayanan,
Shri Balu has quoted the sloka 18-46 from Bhagavadgeetha:
யதஃ ப்ரவ்ருத்திர் பூதாநாம் யேந ஸர்வம் இதம் ததம் |
ஸ்வகர்மணா தம் அப்யர்ச்ய ஸித்திம் விந்ததி மாநவஃ || 18-46
But the unsaid part is about what is "தனது இயல்பான கடமைகள்" in the seemingly innocuous commentary portion, viz., தனது இயல்பான கடமைகளை வழிபட்டு பரம சித்தியை மனிதன் அடைகிறான்.
Balu sir, being a staunch orthodox brahmin, perhaps, tries to say that the four-castes system is the way to பரம சித்தி! He does not give the previous five slokas, 18-41 to 45. Even though tedious, I am giving the slokas and their English meaning (not commentary).
ब्राह्मण क्षत्रिय विशां शूद्राणां च परंतप ।
कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर्गुणैः ॥ १८-४१
brāhmaṇa kṣatriya viśāṃ śūdrāṇāṃ ca paraṃtapa |
karmāṇi pravibhaktāni svabhāvaprabhavairguṇaiḥ || 18-41
ப்ராஹ்மண க்ஷத்ரிய விசாம் சூத்ராணாம் ச பரம்தப |
கர்மாணி ப்ரவிபக்தாநி ஸ்வபாவப்ரபவைர்குணைஃ || ௧௮-௪௧
O paramtapa! the respective duties of brahmins, kshatriyas, vaisyas and sudras have been fixed with reference to the qualities of their inherent natures, or prakruti.
शमोदमस्तपः शौचं क्षान्तिरार्जवमेवच ।
ज्ञानं विज्ञानमास्तिक्यं ब्रह्मकर्म स्वभावजम् ॥ १८-४२
śamodamastapaḥ śaucaṃ kṣāntirārjavamevaca |
jñānaṃ vijñānamāstikyaṃ brahmakarma svabhāvajam || 18-42
சமோதமஸ்தபஃ சௌசம் க்ஷாந்திரார்ஜவமேவச |
ஞாநம் விஜ்ஞாநமாஸ்திக்யம் ப்ரஹ்மகர்ம ஸ்வபாவஜம் || ௧௮-௪௨
The duties, according to the inherent nature of a brahmin are peace, self-restraint, observing religious auterities, cleanliness, tranquility, humility, spiritual knowledge, empirical knowledge and belief in existence of a future world.
शौर्यं तेजॊ धृतिर्दाक्ष्यं युद्धेचाप्यपलायनम् ।
दानमीश्वरभावश्च क्षात्रकर्म स्वभावजम् ॥१८-४३
śauryaṃ tejo dhṛtirdākṣyaṃ yuddhecāpyapalāyanam |
dānamīśvarabhāvaśca kṣātrakarma svabhāvajam ||18-43
சௌர்யம் தேஜொ த்ருதிர்தாக்ஷ்யம் யுத்தேசாப்யபலாயநம் |
தாநமீச்வரபாவஸ்ச க்ஷாத்ரகர்ம ஸ்வபாவஜம் ||௧௮-௪௩
The duties of kshatriyas according to their inherent nature are bravery, brilliance, courage, intentness, not running away even from battle, generosity, and exercising authority.
कृषि गोरक्ष वाणिज्यं वैश्यकर्मस्वभावजम् ।
परिचर्यात्मकं कर्म शूद्रस्यापि स्वभावजम् ॥ १८-४४
kṛṣi gorakṣa vāṇijyaṃ vaiśyakarmasvabhāvajam |
paricaryātmakaṃ karma śūdrasyāpi svabhāvajam || 18-44
க்ருஷி கோரக்ஷ வாணிஜ்யம் வைச்யகர்மஸ்வபாவஜம் |
பரிசர்யாத்மகம் கர்ம சூத்ரஸ்யாபி ஸ்வபாவஜம் || ௧௮-௪௪
Agriculture, tending cattle, and trading are the duties according to the inherent nature of a vaisya whereas service is the duty as per the inherent nature of sudra.
स्वे स्वे कर्मण्यभिरतः सं सिद्धिं लभते नरः ।
स्वकर्म निरतः सिद्धिं यथा विन्दति तच्छृणु ॥ १८-४५
sve sve karmaṇyabhirataḥ saṃ siddhiṃ labhate naraḥ |
svakarma nirataḥ siddhiṃ yathā vindati tacchṛṇu || 18-45
ஸ்வே ஸ்வே கர்மண்யபிரதஃ ஸம் ஸித்திம் லபதே நரஃ |
ஸ்வகர்ம நிரதஃ ஸித்திம் யதா விந்ததி தச்ச்ருணு || ௧௮-௪௫
One who gets engrossed in the performance of his duty befallen him according to one's inherent natural qualities as above, acquires by that alone, the ultimate perfecion. Hear how a man acquires perfection by adhering to duties as per his inherent qualities (described above).
The above were the latest seal of scriptural approval for the pernicious caste system within Hinduism. I don't think Balu sir understood the context of the particular sloka which appealed to him as the sum and substance of "religion in a broad view". If he did so after knowing, I can only say, sad !
sollungo nam matham onru,andru indru.
