Caste System
The Caste system is the one of the concept of Vedic Tradition that is highly misunderstood. The above picture shows the four major caste representing four aspects of operation. For example in a digital camera making company, the cause of the formation of the company was the knowledge behind the digital-camera. A scientist who discovered the technology and the Research and Development team is sort of the Brahmin class of the company. The executive officers who "power" runs the company becomes the Kshatriya group. The sales team does the Vaisya job of the company. The production people becomes the Sudra group of the Company.
Here all the four class of group are each vital as the four pillars of the company. This strategy is what is seen is the cosmic order or prapancha purusha:- the cosmic form of divine power or the universe; - and hence given in purusha sooktha. Here brahmana = knowledge, kshatriya = intelligence in structure (management) , vaisya = expression and sudra = frame-work (materialism). It is not concerned with human beings or society or job wise stratification or profession. Let us read the mantra and the meaning.
Brahmano asya mukham aaseeth, baahu raajanya kruthaa, ooru thath asya yad vaisya: padbhyaam sudro ajaayatha, chandrama manasa: jaatha chaksho sooryo ajaayatha, mukhaath idrascha agnischa pranaath vayurajaayatha naabhyaam aseeth yad anthareeksham, seershno dyou sama varthatha, padbhyaam bhoomim disa sthothraath thadaa lokaan akalpayan….
The “shape” of the prapancha purusha/the cosmic form is symbolically composed of the following: Knowledge (awareness and consciousness) became the brain of the cosmic form, protection forces as his hands (kshatriya), the thigh as its vyavahara ( vaisya) and feet as the support (sudra)…(.there the mantra is not ending, it continues)….. the moon (chandrama) became the mind, the sun (soorya) became his eyes, Indra and agni (be)came from the face (mukhath), the vayu (breathing) became the praana (life force), atmosphere (anthareeksham) became its stomach, the celestial bodies (dyou) keep the body in balanced way. Using the feet (padbhyaam), the prapancha purusha kept the directions of earth and thus the universe was composed / guided /made.
Where is the chathurvarnyam/ caste system and all the nonsense which people interpret? This can have another meaning also based on the modern scientific interpretations “ as is the microcosm so is the macrocosm “ says the vedaantha and ultra modern physics. If that meaning is taken then : in the same human body, the head/brain is brahmana, hands are kshatriya, thigh the vaisya and feet the sudra, the mind is moon, the eyes are the sun, the face is agni and indra, the breathing air is praana, belly is the anthariksha ……. and so on. So everything is in the body which is equated with the universe. It has nothing to do with the society or social positions. If it has social component, where we shall put the indra , agni, vayu, sun, moon, atmosphere,…..? (Reference from The Indian Institute of Scientific Heritage).
Though all four groups mentioned in the company are vital, it is unfortunate to see that each group get varying degrees of benefits and honor from the company. Depending upon the hierarchy the group members enjoy the benefits from the company. Over time this also happened in India. The intellectual class over-powered other groups, rottening the whole social system of India.