Today, a great antagonism can be
witnessed about Varna Vyavastha in many rallies and public statements by some
proclaimed dalit leaders. If it had been in 1950s or 1960s, I would have said
that it is their anger towards the discrimination that they faced in the past
few centuries. But today, in year 2018, I am forced to say that this is mere a
politics.
Without understanding the form of
Varna Vyavastha that was based on guna karma swabhava of a person, these
leaders want to burn the scriptures wherefrom it came. Swami Dayanand, the great
social reformer and scholar of his time, pointed towards the ancient Varna
Vyavastha. According to this, anyone with intellectual abilities is Brahmin, the
warrior class is called Kshatriya, the business minded individuals are known as
Vaishya and those who are unable to do all this and can perform only physical labor
are Shudra. There are some examples that we can see in ancient history.
Vishwamitra, who was born as Kshatirya became Brahmin in his later age, Jaballi
Rishi whose father was unknown and it is said that he was a son of a
prostitute, also got the status of Brahmin. As per Manu Smiriti, which many people
want to burn, Brahmin can become Shudra also and Shudra can also become a
Brahmin. Kathak Samhita says, “Don’t ask Brahmin who is his parents, if he has
fulfilled the eligibility of knowledge, then he is the Brahmin”.
Ironically, I have seen a proud Hindu
condemning Swami Dayanand as he said at a place in Satyarth Prakash that
Shudras should serve other three varnas. I would only like to say here that
first one should understand the actual meaning of varnas. Swami Dayanand’s
Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra were not birth based, but they were just
adjectives to a person’s qualities as stated in ancient scriptures.
