Chapter 223: Rise and fall within the caste system (dialogue between Śiva and Umā)

SS 358-360

munaya ūcuḥ:

BRP223.001.1 sarvajñas tvaṃ mahābhāga sarvabhūtahite rataḥ |
BRP223.001.2 bhūtaṃ bhavyaṃ bhaviṣyaṃ ca na te 'sty aviditaṃ mune || 1 ||
BRP223.002.1 karmaṇā kena varṇānām adhamā jāyate gatiḥ |
BRP223.002.2 uttamā ca bhavet kena brūhi teṣāṃ mahāmate || 2 ||
BRP223.003.1 śūdras tu karmaṇā kena brāhmaṇatvaṃ ca gacchati |
BRP223.003.2 śrotum icchāmahe kena brāhmaṇaḥ śūdratām iyāt || 3 ||

vyāsa uvāca:

BRP223.004.1 himavacchikhare ramye nānādhātuvibhūṣite |
BRP223.004.2 nānādrumalatākīrṇe nānāścaryasamanvite || 4 ||
BRP223.005.1 tatra sthitaṃ mahādevaṃ tripuraghnaṃ trilocanam |
BRP223.005.2 śailarājasutā devī praṇipatya sureśvaram || 5 ||
BRP223.006.1 imaṃ praśnaṃ purā viprā apṛcchac cārulocanā |
BRP223.006.2 tad ahaṃ sampravakṣyāmi śṛṇudhvaṃ mama sattamāḥ || 6 ||

umovāca:

BRP223.007.1 bhagavan bhaganetraghna pūṣṇo dantavināśana |
BRP223.007.2 dakṣakratuhara tryakṣa saṃśayo me mahān ayam || 7 ||
BRP223.008.1 cāturvarṇyaṃ bhagavatā pūrvaṃ sṛṣṭaṃ svayambhuvā |
BRP223.008.2 kena karmavipākena vaiśyo gacchati śūdratām || 8 ||
BRP223.009.1 vaiśyo vā kṣatriyaḥ kena dvijo vā kṣatriyo bhavet |
BRP223.009.2 pratilome kathaṃ deva śakyo dharmo nivartitum || 9 ||
BRP223.010.1 kena vā karmaṇā vipraḥ śūdrayonau prajāyate |
BRP223.010.2 kṣatriyaḥ śūdratām eti kena vā karmaṇā vibho || 10 ||
707
BRP223.011.1 etaṃ me saṃśayaṃ deva vada bhūtapate 'nagha |
BRP223.011.2 trayo varṇāḥ prakṛtyeha kathaṃ brāhmaṇyam āpnuyuḥ || 11 ||

śiva uvāca:

BRP223.012.1 brāhmaṇyaṃ devi duṣprāpaṃ nisargād brāhmaṇaḥ śubhe |
BRP223.012.2 kṣatriyo vaiśyaśūdrau vā nisargād iti me matiḥ || 12 ||
BRP223.013.1 karmaṇā duṣkṛteneha sthānād bhraśyati sa dvijaḥ |
BRP223.013.2 śreṣṭhaṃ varṇam anuprāpya tasmād ākṣipyate punaḥ || 13 ||
BRP223.014.1 sthito brāhmaṇadharmeṇa brāhmaṇyam upajīvati |
BRP223.014.2 kṣatriyo vātha vaiśyo vā brahmabhūyaṃ sa gacchati || 14 ||
BRP223.015.1 yaś ca vipratvam utsṛjya kṣatradharmān niṣevate |
BRP223.015.2 brāhmaṇyāt sa paribhraṣṭaḥ kṣatrayonau prajāyate || 15 ||
BRP223.016.1 vaiśyakarma ca yo vipro lobhamohavyapāśrayaḥ |
BRP223.016.2 brāhmaṇyaṃ durlabhaṃ prāpya karoty alpamatiḥ sadā || 16 ||
BRP223.017.1 sa dvijo vaiśyatām eti vaiśyo vā śūdratām iyāt |
BRP223.017.2 svadharmāt pracyuto vipras tataḥ śūdratvam āpnuyāt || 17 ||
BRP223.018.1 tatrāsau nirayaṃ prāpto varṇabhraṣṭo bahiṣkṛtaḥ |
BRP223.018.2 brahmalokāt paribhraṣṭaḥ śūdrayonau prajāyate || 18 ||
BRP223.019.1 kṣatriyo vā mahābhāge vaiśyo vā dharmacāriṇi |
BRP223.019.2 svāni karmāṇy apākṛtya śūdrakarma niṣevate || 19 ||
BRP223.020.1 svasthānāt sa paribhraṣṭo varṇasaṅkaratāṃ gataḥ |
BRP223.020.2 brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyo vaiśyaḥ śūdratvaṃ yāti tādṛśaḥ || 20 ||
BRP223.021.1 yas tu śūdraḥ svadharmeṇa jñānavijñānavāñ śuciḥ |
BRP223.021.2 dharmajño dharmanirataḥ sa dharmaphalam aśnute || 21 ||
BRP223.022.1 idaṃ caivāparaṃ devi brahmaṇā samudāhṛtam |
BRP223.022.2 adhyātmaṃ naiṣṭhikī siddhir dharmakāmair niṣevyate || 22 ||
BRP223.023.1 ugrānnaṃ garhitaṃ devi gaṇānnaṃ śrāddhasūtakam |
BRP223.023.2 ghuṣṭānnaṃ naiva bhoktavyaṃ śūdrānnaṃ naiva vā kvacit || 23 ||
BRP223.024.1 śūdrānnaṃ garhitaṃ devi sadā devair mahātmabhiḥ |
BRP223.024.2 pitāmahamukhotsṛṣṭaṃ pramāṇam iti me matiḥ || 24 ||
BRP223.025.1 śūdrānnenāvaśeṣeṇa jaṭhare mriyate dvijaḥ |
BRP223.025.2 āhitāgnis tathā yajvā sa śūdragatibhāg bhavet || 25 ||
BRP223.026.1 tena śūdrānnaśeṣeṇa brahmasthānād apākṛtaḥ |
BRP223.026.2 brāhmaṇaḥ śūdratām eti nāsti tatra vicāraṇā || 26 ||
BRP223.027.1 yasyānnenāvaśeṣeṇa jaṭhare mriyate dvijaḥ |
BRP223.027.2 tāṃ tāṃ yoniṃ vrajed vipro yasyānnam upajīvati || 27 ||
BRP223.028.1 brāhmaṇatvaṃ sukhaṃ prāpya durlabhaṃ yo 'vamanyate |
BRP223.028.2 abhojyānnāni vāśnāti sa dvijatvāt pateta vai || 28 ||
708
BRP223.029.1 surāpo brahmahā steyī cauro bhagnavrato 'śuciḥ |
BRP223.029.2 svādhyāyavarjitaḥ pāpo lubdho naikṛtikaḥ śaṭhaḥ || 29 ||
BRP223.030.1 avratī vṛṣalībhartā kuṇḍāśī somavikrayī |
BRP223.030.2 vihīnasevī vipro hi patate brahmayonitaḥ || 30 ||
BRP223.031.1 gurutalpī gurudveṣī gurukutsāratiś ca yaḥ |
BRP223.031.2 brahmadviḍ vāpi patati brāhmaṇo brahmayonitaḥ || 31 ||
BRP223.032.1 ebhis tu karmabhir devi śubhair ācaritais tathā |
BRP223.032.2 śūdro brāhmaṇatāṃ gacched vaiśyaḥ kṣatriyatāṃ vrajet || 32 ||
BRP223.033.1 śūdraḥ karmāṇi sarvāṇi yathānyāyaṃ yathāvidhi |
BRP223.033.2 sarvātithyam upātiṣṭhañ śeṣānnakṛtabhojanaḥ || 33 ||
BRP223.034.1 śuśrūṣāṃ paricaryāṃ yo jyeṣṭhavarṇe prayatnataḥ |
BRP223.034.2 kuryād avimanāḥ śreṣṭhaḥ satataṃ satpathe sthitaḥ || 34 ||
BRP223.035.1 devadvijātisatkartā sarvātithyakṛtavrataḥ |
BRP223.035.2 ṛtukālābhigāmī ca niyato niyatāśanaḥ || 35 ||
BRP223.036.1 dakṣaḥ śiṣṭajanānveṣī śeṣānnakṛtabhojanaḥ |
BRP223.036.2 vṛthā māṃsaṃ na bhuñjīta śūdro vaiśyatvam ṛcchati || 36 ||
BRP223.037.1 ṛtavāg anahaṃvādī nirdvandvaḥ sāmakovidaḥ |
BRP223.037.2 yajate nityayajñaiś ca svādhyāyaparamaḥ śuciḥ || 37 ||
BRP223.038.1 dānto brāhmaṇasatkartā sarvavarṇānasūyakaḥ |
BRP223.038.2 gṛhasthavratam ātiṣṭhan dvikālakṛtabhojanaḥ || 38 ||
BRP223.039.1 śeṣāśī vijitāhāro niṣkāmo nirahaṃvadaḥ |
BRP223.039.2 agnihotram upāsīno juhvānaś ca yathāvidhi || 39 ||
BRP223.040.1 sarvātithyam upātiṣṭhañ śeṣānnakṛtabhojanaḥ |
BRP223.040.2 tretāgnimātravihitaṃ vaiśyo bhavati ca dvijaḥ || 40 ||
BRP223.041.1 sa vaiśyaḥ kṣatriyakule śucir mahati jāyate |
BRP223.041.2 sa vaiśyaḥ kṣatriyo jāto janmaprabhṛti saṃskṛtaḥ || 41 ||
BRP223.042.1 upanīto vrataparo dvijo bhavati saṃskṛtaḥ |
BRP223.042.2 dadāti yajate yajñaiḥ samṛddhair āptadakṣiṇaiḥ || 42 ||
BRP223.043.1 adhītya svargam anvicchaṃs tretāgniśaraṇaḥ sadā |
BRP223.043.2 ārdrahastaprado nityaṃ prajā dharmeṇa pālayan || 43 ||
BRP223.044.1 satyaḥ satyāni kurute nityaṃ yaḥ śuddhidarśanaḥ |
BRP223.044.2 dharmadaṇḍena nirdagdho dharmakāmārthasādhakaḥ || 44 ||
BRP223.045.1 yantritaḥ kāryakaraṇaiḥ ṣaḍbhāgakṛtalakṣaṇaḥ |
BRP223.045.2 grāmyadharmān na seveta svacchandenārthakovidaḥ || 45 ||
BRP223.046.1 ṛtukāle tu dharmātmā patnīm upāśrayet sadā |
BRP223.046.2 sadopavāsī niyataḥ svādhyāyanirataḥ śuciḥ || 46 ||
BRP223.047.1 vahiskāntarite nityaṃ śayāno 'sti sadā gṛhe |
BRP223.047.2 sarvātithyaṃ trivargasya kurvāṇaḥ sumanāḥ sadā || 47 ||
BRP223.048.1 śūdrāṇāṃ cānnakāmānāṃ nityaṃ siddham iti bruvan |
BRP223.048.2 svārthād vā yadi vā kāmān na kiñcid upalakṣayet || 48 ||
709
BRP223.049.1 pitṛdevātithikṛte sādhanaṃ kurute ca yat |
BRP223.049.2 svaveśmani yathānyāyam upāste bhaikṣyam eva ca || 49 ||
BRP223.050.1 dvikālam agnihotraṃ ca juhvāno vai yathāvidhi |
BRP223.050.2 gobrāhmaṇahitārthāya raṇe cābhimukho hataḥ || 50 ||
BRP223.051.1 tretāgnimantrapūtena samāviśya dvijo bhavet |
BRP223.051.2 jñānavijñānasampannaḥ saṃskṛto vedapāragaḥ || 51 ||
BRP223.052.1 vaiśyo bhavati dharmātmā kṣatriyaḥ svena karmaṇā |
BRP223.052.2 etaiḥ karmaphalair devi nyūnajātikulodbhavaḥ || 52 ||
BRP223.053.1 śūdro 'py āgamasampanno dvijo bhavati saṃskṛtaḥ |
BRP223.053.2 brāhmaṇo vāpy asadvṛttaḥ sarvasaṅkarabhojanaḥ || 53 ||
BRP223.054.1 sa brāhmaṇyaṃ samutsṛjya śūdro bhavati tādṛśaḥ |
BRP223.054.2 karmabhiḥ śucibhir devī śuddhātmā vijitendriyaḥ || 54 ||
BRP223.055.1 śūdro 'pi dvijavat sevya iti brahmābravīt svayam |
BRP223.055.2 svabhāvakarmaṇā caiva yatra śūdro 'dhitiṣṭhati || 55 ||
BRP223.056.1 viśuddhaḥ sa dvijātibhyo vijñeya iti me matiḥ |
BRP223.056.2 na yonir nāpi saṃskāro na śrutir na ca santatiḥ || 56 ||
BRP223.057.1 kāraṇāni dvijatvasya vṛttam eva tu kāraṇam |
BRP223.057.2 sarvo 'yaṃ brāhmaṇo loke vṛttena tu vidhīyate || 57 ||
BRP223.058.1 vṛtte sthitaś ca śūdro 'pi brāhmaṇatvaṃ ca gacchati |
BRP223.058.2 brahmasvabhāvaḥ suśroṇi samaḥ sarvatra me mataḥ || 58 ||
BRP223.059.1 nirguṇaṃ nirmalaṃ brahma yatra tiṣṭhati sa dvijaḥ |
BRP223.059.2 ete ye vimalā devi sthānabhāvanidarśakāḥ || 59 ||
BRP223.060.1 svayaṃ ca varadenoktā brahmaṇā sṛjatā prajāḥ |
BRP223.060.2 brahmaṇo hi mahat kṣetraṃ loke carati pādavat || 60 ||
BRP223.061.1 yat tatra bījaṃ patati sā kṛṣiḥ pretya bhāvinī |
BRP223.061.2 santuṣṭena sadā bhāvyaṃ satpathālambinā sadā || 61 ||
BRP223.062.1 brāhmaṃ hi mārgam ākramya vartitavyaṃ bubhūṣatā |
BRP223.062.2 saṃhitādhyāyinā bhāvyaṃ gṛhe vai gṛhamedhinā || 62 ||
BRP223.063.1 nityaṃ svādhyāyayuktena na cādhyayanajīvinā |
BRP223.063.2 evambhūto hi yo vipraḥ satataṃ satpathe sthitaḥ || 63 ||
BRP223.064.1 āhitāgnir adhīyāno brahmabhūyāya kalpate |
BRP223.064.2 brāhmaṇyaṃ devi samprāpya rakṣitavyaṃ yatātmanā || 64 ||
BRP223.065.1 yonipratigrahādānaiḥ karmabhiś ca śucismite |
BRP223.065.2 etat te guhyam ākhyātaṃ yathā śūdro bhaved dvijaḥ |
BRP223.065.3 brāhmaṇo vā cyuto dharmād yathā śūdratvam āpnuyāt || 65 ||