A question needs to be taken up here. There is a growing concern in the minds of good and noble men - not to speak of reformist thinkers or social workers - about the bane of casteism and untouchability. Does Krishna’s statement about the four varnas in any way give credence to such abuses ? Does his enunciation lead thinkers to hold Bhagavadgita and other spiritual texts responsible for this widespread malpractice or misconception ?
Although the answer is a conclusive ‘No’, one will have to think enough and understand the truth and rationale of the answer. Caste is a word that denotes Jaati. Jaati is a Sanskrit word derived from janma or jaata, meaning ‘birth’ or ‘born’. One who is born is a jaata, and the term jaati denotes whatever he derives on the ground of his birth. Thus it is clear that all names and denominations of caste, jaati, are derived solely from the fact of their birth. That is how we call a child born of a human, a human, the offspring of a dog, a dog. Likewise, the children born to a family of a particular caste is regarded as belonging to that caste. The name, epithets and considerations are thus solely on the basis of birth.
How can such jaati-considerations be related to what Krishna states as varna ? Krishna’s varna enunciation, and all similar pronouncements of our Sastras in general, relate only to guna and karma. Both gunas (qualities) and karmas (actions or behaviour) are facts of Nature, instituted and governed by Nature. The qualities will become evident only through one’s actions and behaviour, after one grows up to speak, act and think independently. By considering the karma alone can one go into the inner gunas of a person. Sri Krishna’s varna categorization is with respect to the inherent qualities and their manifest behaviour, not according to mere birth in a particular family.
Jaati and varna thus become two altogether different propositions. An individual may derive his birth from a certain parentage. But his guna-karma will not necessarily be the same as that of the mother or the father. Each has his own guna-constitution distinctly different from that of the others. This individual distinction is what is to be gone into. Sastras, with their enlightening statements, enable us to go into this abstruse complexity, thereby facilitating our pursuit and evolution.
It is sheer ignorance and affront to human dignity if any relationship or bearing is construed between Krishna’s four varnas and the endless castes and the consequent casteism that has come to prevail in this land. Varnas are only four and they are a conceptual categorization of the multifarious personalities existing in any society, meant to provide a deeper understanding of the complex human nature and the process of growth and evolution. The sole purpose behind the enunciation is to make the human society strong, cohesive and mutually fulfilling.
The variety in human personality - the presence and manifestation of different qualities in different degrees - is a fact of Nature. None can find any disorder or destructive note in this institution of Nature. Nor will it lend itself to any change or correction in the hands of man. What is open before man as a great opportunity and challenge, is to understand the qualities prevailing in his personality and work for higher evolution and transformation. So let no one think of bringing any undue conflict in the whole enunciation by misconstruing the relevance and import of the word catur-varnya.
In place of four varnas, an eternal and inseparable note of Nature, how is it that we have hundreds of castes in our midst now? Why should janma, birth, the sole basis for jaati, caste, be allowed to invade the arena of varna at all? Varna is begotten from guna and karma. Jaati is a consequence of birth. They are totally unrelated.
History has recorded that during the time of census, the British authorities were mischievously increasing the caste divisions amongst people to facilitate their own dominance and control over the society. Wherever no caste was found or heard, the authorities were inventing or fabricating one pointing to the profession or job of the family the individual belonged to. This inventing and ascribing professional castes was something that the thinkers of the society then strongly resented. But the procedure continued so that it would somehow divide the society and make it permanently weak. Even to this day, this ill-conceived administrative device reigns with its dubious effects, both social and religious, supported perhaps by those with vested interests!
Remember, varna means colour. Colour leads to identifying the shape of any object. From shape we distinguish the different objects or beings in the world. Likewise, from the actions and behaviour (karma) of a person, we can distinguish his guna. Karma becomes the visible colour by which we are able to distinguish the invisible guna of a person. The categorization is given the name varnya — that which is derived from colour. It is a four-fold derivative, hence given the name catur-varnya.
Where is then any question of this categorization of human nature giving rise to castes or casteism? In fact, castes are determined by birth, and hence are evident to all. Whatever be the inherent qualities and the consequent behaviour, a person bears the caste name of his parents. What is evident to the senses is not a subject for spiritual science or Sastras to deal with. Sastras need speak , and they do always speak, only of such things that are inaccessible to the senses and to our ordinary knowledge. Soul is an existence coming under this category. The concept of God is something similar. Prevalence of the different qualities in the complex human personality is also something equally abstruse and psychic. Unless the truths are exposed to the seeker, he will not be able to grasp them independently and be guided in his pursuit. Herein lies the role and mission of Sastras.
In the second half of the verse, what Krishna says is immensely revealing, and should lead any thinker to wonder about the supreme truth of creation and what it appears to be before our senses. The stunning variety and divergence, conflicts and contradictions, displayed everywhere in the inanimate and animate creation, are superficial, points out Krishna. When a real probe is made to find how far is their domain, the entire picture changes. This is more so in human nature than in others.
This is what Krishna means when he says (verses 2.18 to 2.24) that the Soul is eternal and all-pervading. It can never be cut or burnt; neither can it be wetted or dried. It can never be killed; neither can it kill anybody. That means, all the dimensions and features of the body stand disproved by the body’s own within. Also, all actions performed at the body level do not involve the soul level.
In the same way, says Krishna, the four varnas instituted by Nature have only a superficial relevance. It is at best a relative truth or fact. In the ultimate sense, the Supreme does not mean to precipitate any differences or divergences. Its message is always one of unnegatable oneness: “I am not the creator or the cause of any differential or divergent arrangement...”
Any thought or allegation that the Supreme Lord has unnecessarily caused differentiation is premature and distorted. To drive home the message, Krishna affirms that He is the unchanging indestructible Subject of everything. As such He does not create anything or cause anything.
In the 5th chapter also, the same non-involving character of the Lord of the Universe is highlighted by Krishna (5.14). Not only does the Lord not have any causality, says he, but also He has not meant to institute any causality in any one. On account of an action done by anyone or taking place anywhere, no causality should be imputed to any one, warns Krishna there. Similarly, the Lord also does not partake of anybody’s sin or virtue. All ideas of sin and virtue, together with the resultant obsessions and instigations, are the human mind’s own creation and fascination. Ignorance governs man; distortions and perversions rule him first. When this impropriety or ignorance is redressed and true knowledge gained, the facts and truth will begin to shine.
This is one part of Krishna’s exposition. The other part is the one that directly concerns the different human plights and fates in the world. It provides the right clue for a meaningful stand and sure progress. The guna and karma, that make one a saatvik, raajasik, or taamasik individual, does not in anyway invalidate his innate divine potential and possibilities. People of all natures are equidistant from the innate divinity. The Soul in the body is the same for all, and the distance to It is also the same. Nature governs only the activities of a person. It does not interfere with his innate divinity, thereby bringing any special discredit or disadvantage. This is a point seekers and students should unfailingly understand, if they are to be true to the teachings of Bhagavad Gita.
In later chapters, Krishna speaks on this point even more lucidly (verse 9.30). No matter how seemingly low a person is, or feels himself to be, once he makes an earnest approach to the Supreme, he instantly becomes good, noble and virtuous. And such a one will attain his goal before long. This is an assurance that Krishna gives.
Thus the fourfold guna-karma differentiation, which ensures the cohesion and well-being of human society, does not in the least bring about any discrimination in the basic status, usefulness or dignity of people, not to speak of the spiritual worth and evaluation of each. The categories are solely to facilitate community life and collective pursuits of the society. The composite or aggregate nature of human life, which necessarily calls for selection, assignment, standardization and grouping in various matters, can be ensured only by such an orderly assortment. Collective functioning will be unthinkable in the absence of orderly variety.
The four guna-karma combinations beautifully and naturally complement each other to maintain perfect working balance and harmony in the society. Everyone living anywhere in the world must and will fall into one of these categories irrespective of whatever caste one may belong to by birth.
The words of Krishna or Sastras do not allow any room for alleging any intrinsic demerit to an individual or a group on the basis of birth. In fact, the sole object of spiritual wisdom and enunciation is to take away from the human mind any feeling of inferiority or impurity that makes one feel distant from the Soul or Lord. It is equally to safeguard against all thoughts of undue discrimination.
(to be continued .... part of the series Essential-Concepts-In-Bhagavad-Gita)
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