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Written by Sri Swami Chandrashekarendra
Saraswati |
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The dharma of the fourth varna involves much physical exertion and
effort in its practice. Outwardly it may seem that its members do not
enjoy the same status and comforts as others do. But we must note that
they are comparatively free from the discipline and rituals to which the
rest are tied down. In the past, they knew more contentment than the
other castes, living as they did by the side of the lord. Vyasa himself
says:
"Kalih saduh, Sudrah saduh" (The age of Kali is no way inferior to other
ages nor the sudras inferior to other castes. Kali is indeed elevated
and
Sudras exalted. ) In other yugas or ages Bhagawan is attained to with
difficulty by meditation, austerities and puja, but in Kali he is
reached by
the mere singing of his names. The Brahmin, the Ksatria and the Vaisya
are likely to have self pride, so they cannot attain atmic liberation
easily.
The Brahmin is likely to be in vain about his intellectual superiority,
the
Ksatria about his power as a ruler and the Vaisya about his wealth. So
these three varnas will tend to stray from the path of dharma. A member
of the fourth varna, on the contrary is humble.
Has not Valluvar said, "Humility raises one to gods"? This is the reason
why the Sudra, being humble, resides by the side of the lord. One must
not be subject to one's ahamkara or ego-sense. It is as a means of
effacing their ego and making them deserve the grace of Isvara that the
first three castes are authorised to learn Vedas and to perform the
Vedic
rites. Performing Vedic rites implies a number of restrictions in the
matter of food, habits, etc. It is only with the "pathya" of this
discipline
that the medicine called the Vedic dharma will be efficacious. Any lapse
in
the observance of the rules of personal conduct and religious life will
be a
serious offence and it will have to be paid for by suffering. So the
first
three castes must be ever careful about their religious practices. The
fourth varna is free from most of these restraints. The labour put in by
the Sudra will cleanse him inwardly: it is his Vedic observance; it is
his
God; and through it he easily achieves perfection. This is why Vyasa
proclaimed, raising both hands, "Sudrah sadhuh"
If a Sudra does not have enough food to fill his belly, if he does not
have
enough clothing, and if he does no roof over his head to shelter him
from
rain and sun, the whole community and the government must be held
responsible-and both must be held guilty.
I repeat that the Brahmin's means of livelihood was in no way better
than
the Sudra's, nor did he enjoy more comforts than members of the fourth
varna. |
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