Chapter 297
“Janaka said, ‘Whence, O great Rishi, does this difference of colourarise among men belonging to the different orders? I desire to know this.Tell me this, O foremost of speakers! The Srutis say that the offspringone begets are one’s own self. Originally sprung from Brahmana, all theinhabitants of the earth should have been Brahmanas. Sprung fromBrahmanas, why have men betaken themselves to practices distinguishedfrom those of Brahmanas.’
“Parasara said, ‘It is as thou sayst, O king! The offspring procreatedare none else than the procreator himself. In consequence, however, offalling away from penance, this distribution into classes of differentcolours has taken place. When the soil becomes good and the seed also isgood, the offspring produced become meritorious. If, however, the soiland seed become otherwise or inferior, the offspring that will be bornwill be inferior. They that are conversant with the scriptures know thatwhen the Lord of all creatures set himself to create the worlds, somecreatures sprang from his mouth, some from his arms, some from histhighs, and some from his feet. They that thus sprang from his mouth, Ochild, came to be called Brahmanas. They that sprang from his arms werenamed Kshatriyas. They, O king, that sprang from his thighs were thewealthy class called the Vaisyas. And, lastly, they that were born of hisfeet were the serving class, viz., the Sudras. Only these four orders ofmen, O monarch, were thus created. They that belong to classes over andother than these are said to have sprung from an intermixture of these.The Kshatriyas called Atirathas, Amvashthas, Ugras, Vaidehas, Swapakas,Pukkasas, Tenas, Nishadas, Sutas, Magadhas, Ayogas, Karanas, Vratyas, andChandalas, O monarch, have all sprung from the four original orders byintermixture with one another.’
“Janaka said, ‘When all have sprung from Brahmana alone, how came humanbeings to have diversity in respect of race? O best of ascetics, aninfinite diversity of races is seen in this world. How could men devotedto penances attain, to the status of Brahmanas, though of indiscriminateorigin? Indeed, those born of pure wombs and those of impure, all becameBrahmanas.’
“Parasara said, ‘O king, the status of high-souled persons that succeededin cleansing their souls by penances could not be regarded as affected bytheir low births. Great Rishis, O monarch, by begetting children inindiscriminate wombs, conferred upon them the status of Rishis by meansof their power of asceticism. My grandfather Vasishtha, Rishyasringa,Kasyapa, Veda, Tandya, Kripa, Kakshivat, Kamatha, and others, andYavakrita, O king, and Drona, that foremost of speakers, and Ayu, andMatanga, and Datta, and Drupada, and Matsya, all these, O ruler of theVidehas, obtained their respective positions through penance as themeans. Originally only four Gotras (races) arose, O monarch, viz.,Angiras, Kasyapa, Vasishtha, and Bhrigu. In consequence of acts andbehaviour, O ruler of men, many other Gotras came into existence in time.The names of those Gotras have been due to the penances of those thathave founded them. Good people use them.’
“Janaka said, ‘Tell me, O holy one, the especial duties of the severalorders. Tell me also what their common duties are. Thou art conversantwith everything.’
“Parasara said, ‘Acceptance of gifts, officiation at the sacrifices ofothers, and the teaching of pupils, O king, are the especial duties ofthe Brahmanas. The protection of the other orders is proper for theKshatriya. Agriculture, cattle-rearing, and trade are the occupations ofthe Vaisyas. While service of the (three) regenerate classes is theoccupation, O king, of the Sudras. I have now told thee what the especialduties are of the four orders, O monarch. Listen now to me, O child, as Itell thee what the common duties are of all the four orders. Compassion,abstention from injury, heedfulness, giving to others what is due tothem, Sraddhas in honour of deceased ancestors, hospitality to guests,truthfulness, subjugation of wrath, contentedness with one’s own weddedwives, purity (both internal and external), freedom from malice,knowledge of Self, and Renunciation,–these duties, O king, are common toall the orders. Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas,–these are the threeregenerate orders. All of them have an equal right to the performance ofthese duties, O foremost of men. These three orders, betaking themselvesto duties other than those laid down for them, come to grief, O monarch(and fall down from their own status), even as they go up and acquiregreat merit by taking for their model some righteous individual of theirrespective classes who is duly observant of his own duties. The Sudranever falls down (by doing forbidden acts); nor is he worthy of any ofthe rites of regeneration. The course of duties flowing from the Vedas isnot his. He is not interdicted, however, from practising the three andten duties that are common to all the orders. O ruler of the Videhas,Brahmanas learned in the Vedas, O monarch, regard a (virtuous) Sudra asequal to Brahmana himself. I, however, O king, look upon such a Sudra asthe effulgent Vishnu of the universe, the foremost one in all theworlds.[1544] Persons of the lowest order, desiring to exterminate theevil passions (of lust and wrath, etc.) may betake themselves to theobservance of the conduct of the good; and, indeed, while so acting, theymay earn great merit by performing all rites that lead to advancement,omitting the mantras that are utterable by the other orders whileperforming the self-same ceremonies. Wherever persons of the lowest orderadopt the behaviour of the good, they succeed in attaining to happinessin consequence of which they are able to pass their time in felicity bothhere and hereafter.’
“Janaka said, ‘O great ascetic, is man stained by his acts or is hestained by the order or class in which he is born? A doubt has arisen inmy mind. It behoveth thee to expound this to me.’
“Parasara said, ‘Without doubt, O king, both, viz., acts and birth, aresources of demerit. Listen now to their difference. That man who, thoughstained by birth, does not commit sin, abstains from sin notwithstandingbirth and acts. If, however, a person of superior birth perpetratescensurable acts, such acts stain him. Hence, of the two, viz., acts andbirth, acts stain man (more than birth).[1545]
“Janaka said, ‘What are those righteous acts in this world, O best of allregenerate persons, the accomplishment of which does not inflict anyinjury upon other creatures?’
“Parasara said, ‘Hear from me, O monarch, about what thou askest me’viz., those acts free from injury which always rescue man. Those who,keeping aside their domestic fires, have dissociated themselves from allworldly attachments, become freed from all anxieties. Gradually ascendingstep by step, in the path of Yoga, they at last behold the stage ofhighest felicity (viz., Emancipation).[1546] Endued with faith andhumility, always practising self-restraint, possessed of keenintelligence, and abstaining from all acts, they attain to eternalfelicity. All classes of men, O king, by properly accomplishing acts thatare righteous, by speaking the truth, and by abstaining fromunrighteousness, in this world, ascend to heaven. In this there is nodoubt.'”
