Guadiya Kanthahara: Who is a brahmana? continued...

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Saraswati Ṭhakura

শ্রী গৌड़िয-কন্ঠহার

Gaudiya Kanṭhahāra:

The Jeweled Necklace of the Gaudiya Vaishnavas

14th Jewel

VARṆADHARMA-TATTVA

The Ontology of Social Classes

Being a compendium of quotations from revealed scriptures

concerning the truths about the cult of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu

Compiled under the authority and direction of

His Divine Grace

Bhaktisiddhānta Sāraswāti Goswāmī

Prabhupada

Translated and edited, with original Sanskrit and Bengali and Roman transliteration by

B. V. Mahāyogi, Michael Dolan

Who is a brahmana? Evidence from the Mahābhārata

१४.३४

शूद्रे चैतद्-भवेल्-लक्ष्म द्विजे तच् च न विद्यते

न वै शूद्रो भवेच्-छुद्रो ब्राह्मणो न च ब्राह्मणोः

14.34

śūdre caitad-bhavel-lakṣma dvije tac ca na vidyate

na vai śūdro bhavec-chudro brāhmaṇo na ca brāhmaṇoḥ

If it is seen that a śūdra has the characteristics of a brāhmaṇa he should be

considered a brāhmaṇa. Similarly, if a brāhmaṇa has the characteristics of a

śūdra he should be considered a śūdra. 

(Mahābhārata, Vana Purva 180.25)

 Evidence From Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam

१४.३५

यस्य यल् लक्षणं प्रोक्तं पुंसो वर्णाभिव्यञ्जकम्

यद् अन्यत्रापि दृश्येत तत् तेनैव विनिर्दिशेत्

14.35

yasya yal lakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ puṁso varṇābhivyañjakam

yad anyatrāpi dṛśyeta tat tenaiva vinirdiśet

If one shows the symptoms of being a brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya, or śudra, as

described above, even if he has appeared in a different caste, he should be

accepted according to those symptoms of classification. (Bhāg. 7.11.35)

The Ancient commentator, Nīlakaṇṭha, on the

Conduct of Brāhmaṇas

१४.३६

एवञ्च सत्यादिकं यदि शूद्रोऽप्यस्ति तर्हिसोऽपि 

ब्राह्मण एव स्यात् शूद्र लक्ष्मकादिकं न 

ब्राह्मणोऽस्ति नापि ब्राह्मणलक्ष्मशमादिकं

शूद्रोऽस्ति.

शूद्रोऽपि शमाद्युपेतो ब्राह्मण एव, ब्राह्मणोऽपि

कामाद्युपेतः शूद्र एव

14.36

evañca satyādikaṁ yadi śūdro'pyasti tarhiso'pi 

brāhmaṇa eva syāt śūdra lakṣmakādikaṁ na 

brāhmaṇo'sti nāpi brāhmaṇalakṣmaśamādikaṁ

śūdro'sti.

śūdro'pi śamādyupeto brāhmaṇa eva, brāhmaṇo'pi

kāmādyupetaḥ śūdra eva

In the same way, if a śūdra has qualities like truthfulness then he is a

brāhmaṇa. And if a brāhmaṇa does not show the qualities such as peacefulness,

which are appropriate for a brāhmaṇa, then he is a śūdra. If a śūdra has

qualities like equananimity, then he is a brāhmaṇa. If a brāhmaṇa has qualities like lust, then he is a śūdra. 

(Nīlakaṇṭha commentary on Mahābhārata, Vana Parva 180.23-26)

Śrīdhara Svāmī's Opinion

१४.३७

शमादिभिरेव ब्राह्मणादि व्यवहारो मुख्यः न जातिमात्रात्.

यद् यदि अन्यत्र वर्णान्तरेऽपि दृश्येत, तद्- वर्णास्तरं

तेनैवे लक्ष्मण-निमित्तेनैववर्णेन विनिर्दिशेत्, न तु जातिनिमितेनेत्यर्थः

14.37

śamādibhireva brāhmaṇādi vyavahāro mukhyaḥ na jātimātrāt.

yad yadi anyatra varṇāntare'pi dṛśyeta, tad- varṇāstaraṁ

tenaive lakṣmaṇa-nimittenaivavarṇena vinirdiśet, na tu jātinimitenetyarthaḥ

The qualities of a brāhmaṇa, beginning with peacefulness (śamo, dama, tapaū,

etc.) represent the chief characteristics or principle behavior of a brāhmaṇa. On

the other hand, birth is no qualification for brahminical status. If one is seen to

take birth in another varṇa, but has the qualifications of a brāhmaṇa, his birth

should be disregarded and he should be accepted as a brāhmaṇa. One who is

born a brāhmaṇa may be accepted as a brāhmaṇa if he has the qualifications,

but otherwise he should not. 

(Bhāvārtha-dīpikā commentary on Śrīmad Bhāgavatam 7.11.35)

Mahāprabhu's Definition of Who  is and Isn't a

Brāhmaṇa: Envy has no place in the heart of a brahmana

১৪.৩৮

সহজে নির্মল এই ঽব্রাহ্মণঽ-হৃদয কৃষ্ণের ৱসিতে এই যোগ্য-স্থান হয

ঽমাৎসর্যঽ-চণ্ডাল কেনে ইহান্ ৱসাইলে পরম পৱিত্র স্থান অপৱিত্র কৈলে

14.38

sahaje nirmala ei 'brāhmaṇa'-hṛdaya kṛṣṇera vasite ei yogya-sthāna haya

'mātsarya'-caṇḍāla kene ihān vasāile parama pavitra sthāna apavitra kaile

The heart of a brāhmaṇa is by nature very clean; therefore it is a proper place for Kṛṣṇa to sit. Why have you allowed envy to sit there? Because of this , you have become like a caṇḍāla, the lowest of men, and you have also contaminated

a most purified place: your heart. 

(Cc. Madhya 15.274-275)

The Evidence of the Smṛti

१४.३९

एतन् मे संशयं देव वद भूतपतेऽनघ 

त्रयो वर्णाः प्रकृत्येह कथं ब्राह्मण्यमाप्नुयुः

स्थितो ब्राह्मण-धर्मेण ब्राह्मण्यम्- उपजीवति

क्षत्रियो वाथ वैश्यो वा ब्रह्म-भूयं स गच्छति

14.39

etan me saṁśayaṁ deva vada bhūtapate'nagha 

trayo varṇāḥ prakṛtyeha kathaṁ brāhmaṇyamāpnuyuḥ

sthito brāhmaṇa-dharmeṇa brāhmaṇyam- upajīvati

kṣatriyo vātha vaiśyo vā brahma-bhūyaṁ sa gacchati

[Umā said] "O Śiva, master of the bhūtas. O sinless one, through what kind of

personal characteristics can the three classes of men kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra

become brāhmaṇas? Is it possible for them to become brāhmaṇas? Please

enlighten my doubts on this subject." Śiva said, "If a kṣatriya or vaiśya is

established in brahminical behavior, and spends his whole life in brahminical

conduct, it is seen that such a person has attained brahminical status.

(Mahābhārata, Anuśāsana Parva 14.3.5,8) 

The Verdict of the Mahābhārata on the Occupation of Brāmaṛas

१४.४० .४१

साम्प्रतं च मतो मेऽसि ब्राह्मणो नात्र संशयः

ब्राह्मणः पतनीयेषु वर्तमानो विकर्मसु यस् 

तु शूद्रो दमे सत्ये धर्मे च सततोथितह् 

तं ब्राह्मणम् अहं मन्ये वृत्तेन हि भवेद्- द्विजः

14.40 .41

sāmprataṁ ca mato me'si brāhmaṇo nātra saṁśayaḥ

brāhmaṇaḥ patanīyeṣu vartamāno vikarmasu yas 

tu śūdro dame satye dharme ca satatothitah 

taṁ brāhmaṇam ahaṁ manye vṛttena hi bhaved- dvijaḥ

(The brāhmaṇa told the "hunter"), "In my opinion, you are a brāhmaṇa. Of this

there is no doubt. It is my consideration that the brāhmaṇa who is proud and

addicted to sin, who is full of vice and always engaged in evil and degraded

practices, is certainly a śūdra. On the other hand, a śūdra who is endowed with

the virtues of righteousness, self-restraint, and truthfulness is, in my opinion, a

brāhmaṇa. The only qualifications for brahminical status are truthful character

and saintly behaviour. 

(Mahābhārata, Vana Parva 215.13-15)

१४.४२ .४३

हिंसानृत-प्रिया लुब्धाः सर्व-कर्मोपजीविनः कृष्ण 

शौचपरिभ्रष्ठास् ते द्विजाः शूद्रतां गताः

सर्व-भक्ष्यरतिर् नित्यं सर्व-कर्मकरो ऽशुचिः

त्यक्त-वेदस् त्व् अनाचारः स वै शूद्र इति स्मृतः

14.42 .43

hiṁsānṛta-priyā lubdhāḥ sarva-karmopajīvinaḥ kṛṣṇa 

śaucaparibhraṣṭhās te dvijāḥ śūdratāṁ gatāḥ

sarva-bhakṣyaratir nityaṁ sarva-karmakaro 'śuciḥ

tyakta-vedas tv anācāraḥ sa vai śūdra iti smṛtaḥ 

Brāhmaṇas who live a life of violence, lies, and greed, who are impure and

indulge in all kinds of karmic activity in order to maintain their lives are

degraded to the status of śūdras. Such a person, who eats anything and

everything without discrimination, who is attached to worldly things, who will

accept any occupation just to make money, who has given up Vedic dharma and

proper behaviour is called a śūdra. 

(Mahābharata, Śānti Parva 189.7)