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BHAGAVADGĪTĀ AND UTTARADHYAYANASŪTRA: A COMPARATIVE ASPECT
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actions (karma) one becomes a Brāhmana, or a Kşatriya, or a Vaiśya, or a Śūdra."]4 In other words, caste is not based on birth nor birth confers on you superiority or inferiority.
In conclusion, may I say : Although Jainism and Buddhism assail Vedic Dharma for enjoining bloody animal sacrifices, for creating the evil caste system, for recognising untouchability, for entertaining superstitious beliefs like 'bathing in the river Gangā washes away sins', 'food offered to Brāhmanas (on the death anniversary of a relative in whose honour śrāddha is performed) reaches the particular dead relative (in heaven)', 'the birth of a son saves you from hell', etc. we must never lose sight of the most important fact that like Vedic Hinduism Jainism and Buddhism are and remain genuine products of the Indian mind and that they have considerably influenced Indian spiritual life. Although these Indian religions and their Darśanas present a diversity of views we can easily discern in them the common stamp of an Indian culture-the unity of moral and spiritual outlook. Every Darśana is moved to speculation by a sense of discomfort and disquiet at the existing order of things. These Darśanas agree implicitly on the four arya-satyas discovered by Buddha : 1. There is suffering, 2. There is a cause of suffering, 3. There is cessation of suffering, 4. There is a way to attain it. These Darśanas also accept the doctrine of karma which makes man the master of his own destiny. They also hold in common the view that ignorance of reality is the cause of our bondage and suffering and liberation from these can be achieved only through knowledge of reality, continued meditation on the highest principle and a life of self-control (yoga and samyama); further, these Darśanas accept the idea of liberation-moksa, mukti, nirvana as the highest goal of life. Vedic Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism are the major constituents of Bhāratīya Dharma and Bhāratīya Samskrti and every Bhāratīya ought to be proud of this glorious heritage.
Incidentally, attention is drawn here to the following passages in the BG and Bhagavatisútra, an ancient Jain canonical text.
In the Bhagavadgitā (Ch.II) Lord Krsna exhorts Arjuna, who is sorrowstricken and overcome with pity and refuses to fight against the Kauravas. Among other pleadings he makes an earnest appeal to him in these words :
"Having regard to your own duty also, you ought not to waver. For a ksatriya there exists no greater good than righteous fight. Blessed ksatriyas, o Son of Prthā, find such a battle as this, come of itself, an open gate to Heaven ... Slain you will attain Heaven, Victorious, you will enjoy the Earth. Therefore, O Son of Kunti, arise with the determination to fight15.
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