The Bhagvad Geeta says that there are four different types of human beings, viz. Brahman, Kshetriya, Vaisya and Sudra. These castes, as said by lord Krishna, cannot be endowed upon an individual by the society; rather, they are simply a reflection of his intrinsic characteristics. It is one’s purpose/goal/aim/sankalpa in life that determines his caste. Each individual dwelling in this world belongs to a caste. Let us start out by briefly describing each caste:
Sudra- A Sudra is one whose only purpose in life is to eat and procreate. He has no higher goals. He works only to feed himself and his family. He turns a blind eye to the agonies of the society. He lives in a very narrow boundary of “digestion and procreation”, i.e. eating, sleeping and producing babies.
Vaisya- One whose primary purpose in life is to amass wealth is a Vaisya. He invests his brain, time, power and resources for accumulating wealth. He, while eating/sleeping/procreating, limits himself to his office, shop, factory, industry or business. His boundary, though greater than a Sudra, doesn’t encompass people other than his immediate family and relatives. Today’s world seems to be predominantly full of Vaisyas.
Kshetriya – One who fights against social evil, malpractices, social injustice, corruption and bad “viruses” that engulf the society is a Kshetriya. A Kshetriya is superior to a Sudra and a Vaisya in the sense that he is service-oriented. He challenges the evil in a society. A Kshetriya cannot tolerate malpractices: bribes, giving/taking dowries, exploitation of the poor, obscenities in media that inspires rape, murder, drugs, alcohol and other crimes. A Kshetriya can be, but not limited to, an army personnel, a policeman, a news reporter or a social worker who boldly fights and voices his/her opinion against uprooting bad elements from the society. His primary goal/sankalpa in life is to protect his society from evil elements and malpractices.
Brahman- A Brahman is one whose primary goal in life is to strive for one’s soul awakening. He spreads the true knowledge of Dharma, and while elevating himself, also works for the elevation of others. A Brahman has no boundaries. For him, the entire world is his family (वसुदैबकुटुम्बकम ) and all living beings (whether plants or animals) are his own. He sees the same God residing in everyone. (आत्मवत सर्वभूतेषु ) A Brahman carries no possessions for himself. Whatever wealth or resources (his time, thought, mind, body and intellect) he has, he uses it for the welfare of the society. Human beings, having evolved through lower levels of existence, carry negative imprints (kusanskaras, कुसंस्कार - negative, inferior, undesirable imprints on the subconscious mind as a result of earlier births) which work as gravity to pull him down into low ambitions, lowly desires and negative thinking. Hence, a Brahman constantly indulges himself in Japa (mantra recitation), dhyana (meditation), satsang (company of holy men, lectures, or reading holy books), etc to constantly cleanse/wash/rinse his subtle body (his mind and intellect = chitta) from these negativities. These practices serve as a projectile that provide him the escape velocity to transcend the gravitational pull of his kusanskaras; ultimately, he settles in the infinite space of Brahma/Godhood/divinity and merges into him.
On analyzing the above castes, it is seen that only the Kshetriya and the Brahman live a serviceful life. A Kshetriya serves his society selflessly; he fights for her protection. Similarly, a Brahman also lives for the welfare of others. He constantly spreads “satgyan” (true knowledge of the self, as opposed to the school education). Hence, both live a “Yagyia” lifestyle (यज्ञियाजीवन= sacrificial lifestyle; derived from the word yagya which means sacrifice/offering), which fulfils the purpose of human life.
Having thus explained, it is quite clear that one cannot claim to be a Brahman by birth or lineage. Every individual is born a Sudra; the status of a Brahman or a Kshetriya has to be earned. Mere calling oneself Brahman doesn’t make one a Brahman; it will instead pollute the meaning behind the caste system itself. It is very unfortunate that, today, street vendors reading ancient Purana or even the priests we summon in our homes for Karmakand call themselves Brahmin. They are mere money-mongers who have adopted the profession of reading some holy books. A Brahmin is one who takes no money for himself; he serves selflessly. He holds true knowledge and is on the path to God-realization. Some recognize the importance of this human life and strive for a higher goal, while others don’t. This is what determines the caste of an individual; one’s caste is what his purpose is, and what he strives for.
The above castes represent four categories of people living righteously. Those who live against the norms of one’s duty/dharma/righteousness are even worse. These people have been categorized in the following castes:
Narkitak (नरकीटक) – These people have been compared to insects/worms living in a human form. They raise no voice against social injustice, corruption, and other bad practices in the society. Like helpless insects, they just keep watching, getting exploited and trampled over. They run away from their duty towards their family and society.
Nar Pashu (नरपशु) – These people, because of their immaturity in thinking, ignorance of right / wrong / ethics / morality, have been considered equivalent to animals. They like to live and acquire comfort at the cost of others. Like animals, they earn their bread by hurting, harming or killing others. Corrupt officials, thieves, robbers, misled youths, and those who spread evil / bad influence, etc. fall into this category.
Nar Pisach (नरपिसाच) – These people, like ghosts and evil spirits, enjoy to see others suffer. They like to scare others, give pain and suffering.
Since human life is constantly evolving towards higher goals, it is possible that an individual who is a Sudra today becomes a Brahmin tomorrow. Likewise, a Nar Pashu can become a Sudra tomorrow or vice versa. In absence of proper guidance and knowledge about the ultimate meaning/aim/purpose of life, it is not uncommon for even a Brahmin to fall down to the level of a Sudra. Hence, the meaning and purpose of life should always be sought for, so that we do not lose our tracks and evolve backwards into lower levels of existence.
-compiled from the works of Shri Ram Sharma
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