Adi Puran Part 1

SR No.: 090010
Original Sutra Author: Jinsenacharya
Author: Pannalal Jain
Publisher: Bharatiya Gyanpith
Publication Year: 2004
Total Pages: 782
Language: Sanskrit, Hindi
Classification: Book_Devnagari, Mythology, & Story
File Size: 27 MB

Page 65

५७
जाति नहीं देखी जाती । गुण ही कल्याण करने वाले हैं इसलिए शूद्र से उत्पन्न हुआ मनुष्य भी यदि गुणवान् है तो ब्राह्मण है।"
शुक्रनीति में भी इस आशय का एक श्लोक और आया है :
"मनुष्य, जाति से न ब्राह्मण हो सकता है न क्षत्रिय, न वैश्य, न शूद्र और न म्लेच्छ। किन्तु गुण और कर्म से ही ये भेद होते है।"
भगवद्गीता में भी यही उल्लेख है कि "मैंने गुण और कर्म के विभाग से चातुर्वर्ण्य की सृष्टि की है।"3
इस प्रकार हम देखते हैं कि जिसमें वर्णव्यवस्था को अत्यन्त महत्त्व मिला उस वैदिक संस्कृति में वेद, ब्राह्मण और महाभारत-युग तक गुण और कर्म की अपेक्षा ही वर्णव्यवस्था अंगीकृत की गयी है। परन्तु ज्यों ही स्मृति-युग आया और काल के प्रभाव से लोगों के आत्मिक गुणों में न्यूनता, सद्वृत्त-सदाचार का ह्रास तथा अहंकार आदि दुर्गणों की प्रवृत्ति होती गयी त्यों-त्यों गुणकर्मानुसारिणी वर्णव्यवस्था पर परदा पड़ता गया। अब वर्णव्यवस्था का आधार गुणकर्म न रहकर जाति हो गया। अब नारा लगाया जाने लगा जन्म से ही देवताओं का देवता है।" इस गुणकर्मवाद और जातिवाद का एक सन्धिकाल भी रहा है जिसमें गुण और कर्म के साथ योनि अथवा जाति का भी प्रवेश हो गया। जैसा कि कहा गया है:
"जो मनुष्य जाति, कुल, वृत्त-स्वाध्याय और श्रुत से युक्त होता है वही द्विज कहलाता है ।"५ "विद्या, योनि और कर्म ये तीनों ब्राह्मणत्व के करने वाले हैं।"६ "जन्म, शारीरिक वैशिष्ट्य, विद्या, आचार, श्रुत और यथोक्त धर्म से ब्राह्मणत्व किया जाता है।"
१. "सत्यं शौचं बया शौचं शौचमिनियनिग्रहः । सर्वभूते दयाशौचं तपःशौचं च पंचमम् ॥ पंचलक्षणसंपन्न ईदृशो यो भवेत् द्विजः । तमहं ब्राह्मणं बयां शेषाः शूद्रा युधिष्ठिर ॥ नकुलेन न जात्या वा क्रियाभिर्वाह्मणो भवेत् । चाण्डालोऽपि हि वृत्तस्थो ब्राह्मणः स युधिष्ठिर ॥ एकवर्णमिदं विश्वं पूर्वमासीद् युधिष्ठिर । कर्मक्रियाविशेषेण चातुर्वण्यं प्रतिष्ठितस् ॥ शूद्रोऽपि शीलसंपन्नो गुणवान् ब्राह्मणो भवेत् । ब्राह्मणोऽपि क्रियाहीनः शूवादप्यवरो भवेत् ॥ पंचेन्द्रियार्णवं घोरं यदि शूबोऽपि तीर्णवान् । तस्मै दानं प्रदातव्यमप्रमेयं युधिष्ठिर ॥ न जातियते राजन् गुणाः कल्याणकारकाः । तस्माच्छूद्रप्रसूतोऽपि ब्राह्मणो गुणवान्नरः"
-महाभारत २. "न जात्या ब्राह्मणश्चात्र क्षत्रियो वैश्य एव वा । न शूद्रो न च वै म्लेच्छो भेदिता गुणकर्मभिः॥"
-शुक्रनीति ३. "चातुर्वयं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मबिभागशः।"-भ० गी० ४॥१३॥
ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्रानां च परंतप। कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवर्गुणैः॥"-भ० गी० १८॥४१॥ ४. "बाह्मणः संभवेनैव देवानामपि दैवतम् ।"-मनु० ११३८४॥ ५. "जात्या कुलेन वृत्तेन स्वाध्यायेन श्रुतेन च । धर्मेण च यथोक्तेन ब्राह्मणत्वं विधीयते ॥"
-अग्नि पु० ६. "विद्या योनिःकर्म बेति त्रयं ब्राह्मण्यकारकम् ।" पिंगलसूत्रव्याख्यायां स्मृतिवाक्यम् । ७. "जन्मशारीरविद्याभिराचारेण श्रुतेन च । धर्मेण च यथोक्तेन ब्राह्मणत्वं विधीयते ॥"
-परशरमाधवीय ६,१६

Translation AI Generated

57
Caste is not considered. Qualities are the ones that do good, therefore a man born of a Shudra is also a Brahmin if he is virtuous."
There is another verse in Shukra Neeti with this meaning:
"A man cannot be a Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra or Mlechchha by birth. But these distinctions are made by qualities and actions."
The Bhagavad Gita also mentions the same: "I have created the four varnas according to the division of qualities and actions."3
Thus, we see that in the Vedic culture, where the varna system was given great importance, the varna system was adopted based on qualities and actions until the Vedic, Brahman and Mahabharata eras. But as soon as the Smriti era came and due to the influence of time, people's spiritual qualities declined, good conduct and good morals declined, and the tendency of ego and other vices increased, the veil fell on the varna system based on qualities and actions. Now the basis of the varna system became caste, not qualities and actions. Now the slogan was raised that "He is the god of gods from birth." There has also been a period of synthesis of this quality-actionism and casteism, in which birth or caste also entered along with qualities and actions. As it has been said:
"A man who is endowed with caste, family, conduct, self-study and scripture is called a Dvija."5 "Knowledge, birth and action are the three things that make one a Brahmin."6 "Brahminhood is achieved by birth, physical distinction, knowledge, conduct, scripture and righteous dharma."
1. "Truth, purity of body, purity of speech, purity of mind, control of the senses, compassion for all beings, and purity of austerity are the five qualities. He who is endowed with these five qualities is a Dvija. I consider him to be a Brahmin, the rest are Shudras, Yudhishthira. A man does not become a Brahmin by birth or by actions, but by his conduct. Even a Chandala who is virtuous is a Brahmin, Yudhishthira. This whole world was once one caste, Yudhishthira. The four varnas were established by the difference in actions. Even a Shudra who is virtuous and qualified is a Brahmin. Even a Brahmin who is devoid of actions is inferior to a Shudra. If even a Shudra has crossed the terrible ocean of the five senses, then he should be given immeasurable charity, Yudhishthira. Qualities are not born of caste, O King, they are the ones who do good. Therefore, even a man born of a Shudra is a Brahmin if he is virtuous."
-Mahabharata 2. "A man is not a Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya or Shudra by birth. Nor is he a Mlechchha. He is distinguished by his qualities and actions."
-Shukra Neeti 3. "I have created the four varnas according to the division of qualities and actions." -Bhagavad Gita 4.13. "The Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras, O Arjuna, are distinguished by their actions, which are born of their nature and qualities." -Bhagavad Gita 18.41. 4. "A Brahmin is the god of gods by birth." -Manu 11.384. 5. "Brahminhood is achieved by birth, family, conduct, self-study, scripture and righteous dharma."
-Agni Purana 6. "Knowledge, birth and action are the three things that make one a Brahmin." Smriti verse in Pingala Sutra Vyakhya. 7. "Brahminhood is achieved by birth, physical distinction,