[Advaita-l] Svarita in RV and YV (was Re: SRI SUKTAM - Meaning)

[Bhadraiah Mallampalli]

I posted this earlier on this board. 

 

Brhadaranyaka Upanishat I.4.15. 

 

tadetad brahma kshatram vish (literaly..vit due to some

rule) shUdraH tadagninaiva deveshu brahmA bhavat

brAhmaNo manushyeshu kshatriyeNa kshatriyo

vaishyena vaishyaH shUdraNa shUdraH tasmAt

agnAveva deveshu lokAmichchate brAhmaNo

manushyevetAbhyAM hi rUpAbhyAm brahmAbhavat

 

Translation as per sacred-texts.com: 

 

15. There are then this Brahman, Kshatra, Vis, and

Sûdra. Among the Devas that Brahman existed as Agni

(fire) only, among men as Brâhmana, as Kshatriya

through the (divine) Kshatriya, as Vaisya through the

(divine) Vaisya, as Sûdra through the (divine) Sûdra.

Therefore people wish for their future state among the

Devas "through" Agni (the sacrificial fire) only; and

among men "through" the Brâhmana, for in these two

forms did Brahman exist.

 

Please note the word 'through' agni and 'thorugh'

brahmana. Through brahmana doesn't help

here because it does not allow one to become

brahmana.  

 

But in the advaita-ashrama publications it was

translated as :'through' agni and 'as' brahmana. 

 

I am not sure if this is a typo. If 'as' brahmana is

indeed correct, we hit the jackpot. Any one can

become brahmana by doing as prescribed by Shruti. 

 

In fact in the remaining half of the I.4.15, Shruti

continues:

 

"Now if a man departs this life without having seen his

true future life (in the Self), then that Self, not being

known, does not receive and bless him, as if the Veda

had not been read, or as if a good work had not been

done. Nay, even if one who does not know that (Self),

should perform here on earth some great holy work, it

will Perish for him in the end. Let a man worship the

Self only as his true state. If a man worships the Self

only as his true state, his work does not Perish, for

whatever he desires that he gets from that Self."

 

This part of the Shruti makes it mandatory for people

to find self, because without knowing self even the

good works done by the ordinary person (even a

shudra) become undone. His whole life is a waste.

After becoming self, there is no distinction between

brahmana, kshatriya, etc anyway. 

 

I will recheck translations and commentaries today. 

 

Regards

Bhadraiah

 

 

 

   

 

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