Sambodhi 1989 Vol 16

Author(s): Ramesh S Betai, Yajneshwar S Shastri
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 25

16
who advised Ravada not to touch Seeta although he had abducted her from the forest. It seems that Aryavarta of about three thousand B. C. was very wide, expanding upto Iran and Afghanistan on the north and upto Cambodia in the South. The names Gandhari and Kaikeyi reveal that they came from those countries such as Gandhar which is Afghanistan and Kekaya in present Russia. The four castes or Varoas were an attempt to include and absorb different heterogenous races in India.
led the the periodise, the di assificar
There was deterioration and distortion of classification of caste which was a social organic attempt to harmonise the divergent elements of society and country. There was a kind of disgust shown towards the fourth "Shudra' and especially in the period of Dharmashashtra and Smritis the authors misinterpreted the original noble intention of Shruti laid down in Purusha Shukta. Radhakrishnan has attempted to show the democratic character of Hinduism. It is, of course, difficult to show this in the face of rigid casteism prevalent in Hindu society for the last so many centuries. Human beings are not all equal and are not all fit to achieve the highest truth, most of them have been left alone to go their own way. Even in the prescut ceutury there are aboriginal tribe' not getting its due share in the Hindu fold. There are 'Untouchables' who do not get entrance to Hindu temples and they are not uplifted to higher level. Till then it can not be said that Hinduism is democratic in its social temper.
Class and Stages of Life
The priuciple of the four stages of life like that of four castes is not so rigidly followed in Hindu society although it has a certain definite following among certain sections of people in the country. In modern times when the longevity has been considerably decreased, the divisiou into twenty five years for each stage of life is bound to be shortened. Monkhood is not the only aim of life. Household and family have a positive contribution to healthy and proportioned growth of life and social pro. gress. Of course, persons such as Buddha, Mahavir and Sankaracharya decided to take Samnyasa at an early age of life and Indian society as such has not rejected such a drastic step. When certain period and individuals are taken into cognizance, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism have been ascetic in their main character. The ideal of Samnyasa has been exalted in certain periods and schools of Hinduism. Although many of the Samnyasins really lead an idle life and sponge on the slender earnings of the masses, there have been quite a good number who have been great teachers, holding aloft the ideals of a high moral and spiritual life.