Mokshadharma Parva — The origin of the difference of colour amongst different orders. The birth of various castes

Janaka said Whence, O great Rishi, does this difference of colour arise among men of the different orders? I wish to know this. Tell me this, O foreinost of speakers.

The Shrutis say that the offspring one begets is his own self. Originally sprung from Brahman, all the inhabitants of the Earth should have been Brahmanas. Sprung from Brahmanas, why have men begun to perform works distinguished from those of Brahmanas.

Parashara said It is as you say, O king! The offspring begotten by one is none else than the begetter himself. Because men have deviated from penance, this distribution into classes of different colours has taken place. When the soil and the seed is good, the offspring produced become meritorious. If, however, the soil and seed are inferior, the offspring that will be born will be inferior.

Persons well read in the scriptures know that when the Lord of all creatures began to create the worlds, some creatures originated from his mouth, some from his arms, some from his thighs, and some from his feet.

Those who came out of his mouth, O child, were called Brahmanas. Those who originated from his arms were called Kshatriyas. Those, O king, sprang from his thighs, and some from his feet.

Only these four orders of men, O king, were thus created. They who belong to classes besides these are said to have originated from an intermixture of these.

The Kshatriyas called Atirathas, Amvashthas, Ugras, Vaidehas, Shvapakas, Pukasas, Stenas, Nishadas, Sutas, and Chandalas, O monarch, have all originated form the four original castes by intermixture with one another.

Janka said When all have originated from Brahman alone, how did human beings become divergent of race? O best of ascetics, numberless diversity of races is seen in this world.

How could, men devoted to penances acquire the dignity of Brahmanas, though of indiscriminate origin? Indeed, those born in pure wombs and those in impure, all became Brahmanas.

O king, that status of great persons who succeeded in purifying their souls by penances could not be regarded as affected by their low births.

Great Rishi, O monarch, by begetting children in indiscriminate wombs, gave them the dignity of Rishis by means of their power of asceticism.

My grandfather Vashishtha, Rishyashringa, Kashyapa, Veda, Tandya, Kripa, Kakshivat, Kamatha, and others, and Yavakrita, O king, and Drona, that foremost of speakers, and Ayu, and Matanga and Datta, and Drupada, and Matsya-all these, O king of the Videhas, gained their respective positions through penance as the means.

Originally only four families arose, O king viz., Angiras, Kashyapa, Vashishtha and Bhrigu.

On account of acts and behaviour, O king, many other families came into existence in time. The names of those families have originated from the penances of those who have founded them. Good people use them.

Janaka said Tell me, O holy one, the especial duties of the several castes. Tell me also with their common duties are. You know everything.

Parashara said Taking gifts, officiating at the sacrifices of others, the teaching of pupils, O king, are the especial duties of the Brahmanas. The protection of the other castes is the special duty of the Kshatriya.

Agriculture, cattle-tending, and trade are the duties, of the Vaishyas. While service of the (three) twice-born classes is the duty, 0 king, of the Shudras.

I have now told you what the especial duties are of the four castes, O king. Hear, now, O child as I tell you what the common duties are of all the four castes.

Compassion, abstention from injury, carefulness, giving to others what is due to them, Shraddhas in honour of departed manes, hospitality to guests, truthfulness, subjugation of anger, contentedness with one's own married wives, purity, freedom from malice, knowledge of Self, and Renunciation,-these duties, O king are common to all the castes.

Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas,these are the three twice-born orders, They have all an equal right to the performance of these dutics, O foremost of men.

These three castes following the duties Other than those sanctioned for them, suffer indignity, O king, as they go up and acquire great merit by taking for their model some righteous individual of their respective classes who duly satisfies his own duties.

The Shudra never falls down; nor is he worthy of any of the rites of regeneration. The course of duties originating from the Vedas is not his. He is not interdicted, however, from practising the thirteen duties which are common to all the castes.

O king of the Videhas, Brahmanas learned in the Vedas, O king, regard a (virtutous) Shudra as equal to Brahman himself. I, however, O king, regard such a Shudra as the effulgent Vishnu of the universe, the foremost one in all the worlds.

Persons of the lowest caste, desiring to root out the evil passions, may follow the conduct of the good; and, while so acting, they may acquire great merit by performing all rites that lead to advancement, omitting the Mantras which are to be uttered by the other castes while performing the self-same ceremonies.

Wherever persons of the lowest caste follow the conduct of the good, they succeed in acquiring happiness on account of which they are able to pass their time in happiness both in this world and the next.

Janaka said O great ascetic, is man sullied by his deeds or is he stained by the order or class in which he is born? A doubt has arisen in my mind. You should expound this to me.

Parashara said Forsooth, O king, both, viz., acts and birth, are sources of demerit. Listen now to their difference.

That man who, though sullied by birth, does not coinmit sin, abstains from sin notwithstanding birth and acts.

If, however, a person of superior birth perpetrates censurable deeds, such acts pollute him. Hence, of the two, viz., acts and birth, acts pollute man.

Janaka said What are those righteous acts in this world, 0 best of all twice-born ones, the accomplishment of which does not inflict any injury upon other creatures?

Parashara said Hear from me, O king, about what you ask, viz.., those acts free from injury which always rescue man.

Those who, keeping aside their domestic fires, have freed themselves from all worldly attachments, become freed from all anxieties. Gradually getting up step by step, in the path of Yoga, they at last see the stage of highest happiness. Gifted with faith and humility, always practising self-control, possessed of keen intelligence, and abstaining from all acts, they acquire eternal happiness.

All classes of men, O king, by duly doing virtuous acts, by speaking the truth, and by abstaining from sin, in this world, go up to heaven. There is no doubt in this.