Caste System
The Caste system is the one of the concept of Vedic Tradition that is highly misunderstood.
The above picture shows the four major caste representing four aspects
of operation. For example in a digital camera making company, the cause of
the formation of the company was the knowledge behind the digital-camera. A
scientist who discovered the technology and the Research and
Development team is sort of the Brahmin class of the company. The executive
officers who "power" runs the company becomes the Kshatriya group. The sales
team does the Vaisya job of the company. The production people becomes the
Sudra group of the Company.
Here all the four class of group are each vital as the
four pillars of the company. This strategy is what is seen is the
cosmic order or prapancha purusha:- the cosmic form
of divine power or the universe; - and hence given in purusha
sooktha. Here brahmana = knowledge, kshatriya = intelligence in
structure (management) , vaisya = expression and sudra = frame-work
(materialism). It is not concerned
with human beings or society or job wise stratification or profession.
Let us read the mantra and the meaning.
Brahmano asya mukham aaseeth, baahu raajanya kruthaa, ooru thath asya yad
vaisya: padbhyaam sudro ajaayatha, chandrama manasa: jaatha chaksho
sooryo ajaayatha, mukhaath idrascha agnischa pranaath vayurajaayatha
naabhyaam aseeth yad anthareeksham, seershno dyou sama varthatha, padbhyaam
bhoomim disa sthothraath thadaa lokaan akalpayan….
The “shape” of the prapancha purusha/the cosmic form is symbolically
composed of the following: Knowledge (awareness and consciousness)
became the brain of the cosmic form, protection forces as his hands (kshatriya),
the thigh as its vyavahara ( vaisya) and feet as the
support (sudra)…(.there the mantra is not ending, it continues)….. the moon
(chandrama) became the mind, the sun (soorya) became his
eyes, Indra and agni (be)came from the face (mukhath), the vayu
(breathing) became the praana (life force), atmosphere (anthareeksham)
became its stomach, the celestial bodies (dyou) keep the body
in balanced way. Using the feet (padbhyaam), the
prapancha purusha kept the directions of earth and
thus the universe was composed / guided /made.
Where is the chathurvarnyam/ caste system and all the nonsense which
people interpret?
This can have another meaning also based on the modern scientific
interpretations “ as is the microcosm so is the macrocosm “ says the
vedaantha and ultra modern physics. If that meaning is
taken then : in the same human body, the head/brain is brahmana,
hands are kshatriya, thigh the vaisya and feet the sudra,
the mind is moon, the eyes are the sun, the face is
agni and indra, the breathing air is praana, belly is the
anthariksha ……. and so on. So everything is in the body which is
equated with the universe. It has nothing to do with
the society or social positions. If it has social component, where
we shall put the indra , agni, vayu, sun, moon, atmosphere,…..? (Reference from The
Indian Institute of Scientific Heritage).
Though all four groups mentioned in the company are vital, it is unfortunate
to see that each group get varying degrees of benefits and honor from the
company. Depending upon the hierarchy the group members enjoy the benefits
from the company. Over time this also happened in India. The intellectual
class over-powered other groups, rottening the whole social system of
India.
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