History Of Caste

[pusan]

There are widespread misconceptions and propoganda blaming inequalities of caste systems upon Rigveda. Such misconceptions stem from selective quoting of RV X.90.12 (purusha sukta) in isolation :



बराह्मणो अस्य मुखमासीद बाहू राजन्यः कर्तः |

ऊरूतदस्य यद वैश्यः पद्भ्यां शूद्रो अजायत ||



The Brahman was his (Purusha: primordial man - life itself) mouth, Rajana was made from his hands, Vaishya from his thighs and Sudra from the feet. The supposed unequal status of castes is blamed on modern concept of feet being somehow inferior to the mouth. Whereas it clearly wasn't implied in the hymn. The feet, if anything are a solid foundation for Purusha; infact the meaning of the similie opens up when quoted in context of subsequent RV X.90.13 and RV X.90.14



चन्द्रमा मनसो जातश्चक्षोः सूर्यो अजायत |

मुखादिन्द्रश्चाग्निश्च पराणाद वायुरजायत ||



Indra and Agni were born from his mouth ...



नाभ्या आसीदन्तरिक्षं शीर्ष्णो दयौः समवर्तत |

पद्भ्यां भूमिर्दिशः शरोत्रात तथा लोकानकल्पयन ||



... Earth from his feet.



Since Earth is revered as the mother in Sanatan Dharma, how could a comparison with Purusha's feet be deemed in anyway unequal or "lesser" than mouth. Therefore, the status of Sudra in Indian society is deemed as important spiritually as is the status of mother earth in the Cosmos. The similie of Earth and Sudra in fact to me connotes that included were people who were professionally connected to the land, ie. farmers.



This is not to deny that social inequalities did and do exist. But blaming them on Sanatan Dharma, or its divine texts is utterly wrong.