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EXAMINATION OF THE PERSON OF SUPER-NORMAL VISION'. 1555
TEXTS (3575-3577). HUNDREDS OF TIMES HAS THE "GENUS' (UNIVERSAL) BEEN REJECTED;
WHENCE THEN IS THIS PRIDE DUE TO 'CASTE' (GENUS)? SPECIALLY WHEN NO SUPERIORITY OVER OTHERS IS PERCEIVED IN T, WHY SHOULD IT BE REGARDED AS superior? IN FACT, MEN BELONGING TO OTHER CASTES ALSO ARE FOUND, ON THE PRESENCE OF PARTI. CULAR QUALITIES, TO BE THE RECEPTACLE OF QUALITIES OF Selfcontrol AND FREE FROM ALL IMPURITIES. IF, BY REASON OF THEIR CONNECTION WITH THE PARTICULAR (BRAHMAŅA) CASTE, THEY HAD BEEN SUPERIOR TO OTHERS, IN THE MATTER OF POSSESSING THE SAID QUALITICATIONS, THEN ALONE COULD THEY BE ADMITTED TO BE REALLY SUPERIOR,-NOT IF THEY MERELY BELONGED TO THE Brāhmana CASTE, BUT IN ACTUAL LIYE WERE LIKE FOWLERS, AND OTHERS.-(3575-3577)
COMMENTARY. We grant that there is such a 'caste'; even so, your pride would be justified if there were some superiority perceptible in you, duo to that caste. As a matter of fact, however, we do not perceive any such superiority in you. This is what is pointed out by the words--specially when no superiority, etc. etc. others'-i.e. people other than Brahmanas,-i.e. the Shüdra, etc.
-superiority over these-none is perceived. That is to say, in the Brāhmana, we do not find any superiority over the Shūdra, etc. in regard to their Intelligence, Memory, etc., or to their Blood, Urine, etc.; thus no superiority being perceptible, how could the caste be regarded as superior on the basis of that superiority', -by virtue of which, through arrogance born of your caste-pride, you assert that they should have imparted it to the Vedic scholars alone-not to Shüdras' 2-In case, by belonging to the Brahmanacaste, you were, by your very nature, superior persons, endowed with such powers as self-control, fulfilment of wish, Mercy and so forth, and had all evils removed from you,-then you would certainly be superior beings; otherwise, if you simply belonged to the Brahmana-caste and led the life of the Fowler, the Fisherman, the Cobbler, etc., what superiority could be yours ?-(3575-3577)
The following Text points out the objections to the second alternative (the superiority of the Brāhmaṇa in the proper performance of his sacraments):
TEXT (3578). AS REGARDS THE WELL-KNOWN SACRAMENTS OF THE Birth-rite AND THE REST -THEY ARE ALL PURELY ILLUSORY (ARTIFICIAL) AND ARE TO BE FOUND EVEN AMONG OTHER PEOPLE, EVEN THOSE WHO ARE ARTIFICIAL BRAHMAŅAS.-(3578)
COMMENTARY Among others' i.e. among the artificial Brahmanas. * Illusory'purely artificial, like the Naming-rite.
