"'"'Uma said, "O holy one, O thou that didst tear off the eyes of Bhaga and
the teeth of Pushan, O destroyer of the sacrifice of Daksha, O three-eyed
deity, I have a great doubt. In days of yore, the Self-born One created
the four orders. Through the evil consequence of what acts doth a Vaisya
become a Sudra? Through what acts doth a Kshatriya become a Vaisya and a
regenerate person (Brahmana) becomes a Kshatriya? By what means may such
degradation of castes be prevented? Through what acts does a Brahmana
take birth in his next life, in the Sudra order? Through what acts, O
puissant deity, does a Kshatriya also descend to the status of Sudra? O
sinless one, O lord of all created beings, do thou, O illustrious one,
dispel this doubt of mine. How, again, can the three other orders
naturally succeed in attaining to the status of Brahmanhood?"
"'"'The illustrious one said, "The status of a Brahmana, O goddess, is
exceedingly difficult to attain. O auspicious lady, one becomes a
Brahmana through original creation or birth. After the same manner the
Kshatriya, the Vaisya, and the Sudra, all become so through original
creation. Even this is my opinion[569]. He, however, that is born a
Brahmana falls away from his status through his own evil acts. Hence, the
Brahmana, after having attained to the status of the first order, should
always protect it (by his acts). If one, who is a Kshatriya or Vaisya,
lives in the practice of those duties that are assigned to the Brahmana,
after the manner of a Brahmana he becomes (in his next life) a Brahmana.
That Brahmana who casts off the duties of his order for following those
assigned for the Kshatriya, is regarded as one that has fallen away from
the status of a Brahmana and that has become a Kshatriya. That Brahmana
of little understanding, who, impelled by cupidity and folly, follows the
practices assigned to Vaisyas forgetful of his status as a Brahmana that
is exceedingly difficult to attain, comes to be regarded as one that has
become a Vaisya. Similarly, one that is a Vaisya by birth may, by
following the practices of a Sudra, become a Sudra. Indeed, a Brahmana,
falling away from the duties of his own order, may descend to the status
of even a Sudra. Such a Brahmana, falling away from the order of his
birth and turned out of it, without attaining to the region of Brahmana
(which is his goal if he duly observes his own duties), sinks into Hell
and in his next birth becomes born as a Sudra. A highly blessed Kshatriya
or a Vaisya, that abandons those practices of his that are consistent
with the duties laid down for his order, and follows the practices laid
down for the Sudra, falls away from his own order and becomes a person of
mixed caste. It is in this way that a Brahmana, or a Kshatriya, or a
Vaisya, sinks into the status of a Sudra. That man who has attained to
clearness of vision through practice of the duties of his own order, who
is endued with knowledge and science, who is pure (in body and mind), who
is conversant with every duty and devoted to the practice of all his
duties, is sure to enjoy the rewards of righteousness. I shall now recite
to thee, O goddess, a saying uttered by Brahma (the Self-born) on this
subject. Those that are righteous and desirous of acquiring merit always
pursue with firmness the culture of the soul. The food that comes from
cruel and fierce persons is censurable. So also is the food that has been
cooked for serving a large number of persons. The same is said of the
food that is cooked in view of the first Sraddha of a deceased person. So
also is the food that is stained in consequence of the usual faults and
the food that is supplied by a Sudra. These should never be taken by a
Brahmana at any time[570]. The food of a Sudra, O goddess, is always
disapproved of by the high-souled deities. Even this, I think, is the
authority enunciated by the Grandsire with his own mouth. If a Brahmana,
who has set up the sacred fire and who performs sacrifices, were to die
with any portion of a Sudra's food remaining undigested in his stomach,
he is sure to take birth in his next life as a Sudra. In consequence of
those remains of a Sudra's food in his stomach, he falls away from the
status of a Brahmana. Such a Brahmana becomes invested with the status of
a Sudra. There is no doubt in this. This Brahmana in his next life
becomes invested with the status of that order upon whose food he
subsists through life or with the undigested portion of whose food in his
stomach he breathes his last.[571] That man who, having attained to the
auspicious status of a Brahmana which is so difficult to acquire,
disregards it and eats interdicted food, falls away from his high status.
That Brahmana who drinks alcohol, who becomes guilty of Brahmanicide or
mean in his behaviour, or a thief, or who breaks his vows, or becomes
impure, or unmindful of his Vedic studies, or sinful, or characterised by
cupidity, or guilty of cunning or cheating, or who does not observe vows,
or who weds a Sudra woman, or who derives his subsistence by pandering to
the lusts of other people or who sells the Soma plant, or who serves a
person of an order below his, falls away from his status of
Brahmanahood.[572] That Brahmana who violates the bed of his preceptor,
or who cherishes malice towards him, or who takes pleasure in speaking
ill of him, falls away from the status of Brahmanahood even if he be
conversant with Brahman. By these good acts, again, O goddess, when
performed, a Sudra becomes a Brahmana, and a Vaisya becomes a Kshatriya.
The Sudra should perform all the duties laid down for him, properly and
according to the ordinance. He should always wait, with obedience and
humility, upon person of the three other orders and serve them with care.
Always adhering to the path of righteousness, the Sudra should cheerfully
do all this. He should honour the deities and persons of the regenerate
orders. He should observe the vow of hospitality to all persons. With
senses kept under subjection and becoming abstemious in food, he should
never approach his wife except in her season. He should ever search after
persons that are holy and pure. As regards food, he should eat that which
remains after the needs of all persons have been satisfied. If, indeed,
the Sudra desires to be a Vaisya (in his next life), he should also
abstain from meat of animals not slain in sacrifices. If a Vaisya wishes
to be a Brahmana (in his next life), he should observe even these duties.
He should be truthful in speech, and free from pride or arrogance. He
should rise superior to all pairs of opposites (such as heat and cold,
joy and sorrow, etc.) He should be observant of the duties of peace and
tranquillity. He should adore the deities in sacrifices, attend with
devotion to the study and recitation of the Vedas, and become pure in
body and mind. He should keep his senses under subjection, honour the
Brahmanas, and seek the welfare of all the orders. Leading the domestic
mode of life and eating only twice a day at the prescribed hours he
should gratify his hunger with only such food as remains after the needs
have been satisfied of all the members of his family with dependants and
guests. He should be abstemious in food, and act without being impelled
by the desire of reward. He should be free from egotism. He should adore
the deities in the Agnihotra and pour libations according to the
ordinance. Observing the duties of hospitality towards all persons, he
should, as already said, eat the food that remains after serving all
others for whom it has been cooked. He should, according to the ordinance
laid down, worship the three fires. Such a Vaisya of pure conduct takes
birth in his next life in a high Kshatriya family.[573] If a Vaisya,
after having taken birth as a Kshatriya, goes through the usual
purificatory rites, becomes invested with the sacred thread, and betakes
himself to the observance of vows, he becomes, in his next life, an
honoured Brahmana. Indeed, after his birth as a Kshatriya, he should make
presents, adore the deities in great sacrifices with plentiful Dakshinas,
study the Vedas, and desirous of attaining to Heaven should worship the
three fires. He should interfere for dispelling the sorrows of the
distressed, and should always righteously cherish and protect those
subjects that own his sway. He should be truthful, and do all acts that
have truth in them, and seek happiness in conduct like this. He should
award punishments that are righteous, without laying aside the rod of
chastisement for good. He should induce men to do righteous deeds. Guided
by considerations of policy (in the matter of swaying his people), he
should take a sixth of the produce of the fields.[574] He should never
indulge in sexual pleasure, but live cheerfully and in independence,
well-conversant with the science of Wealth or Profit. Of righteous soul,
he should seek his wedded spouse only in her season. He should always
observe fasts, keep his soul under control, devote himself to the study
of the Vedas, and be pure in body and mind. He should sleep on blades of
Kusa grass spread out in his fire chamber. He should pursue the
aggregate of Three (viz., Righteousness, Wealth, and Pleasure), and be
always cheerful. Unto Sudras desirous of food, he should always answer
that it is ready. He should never desire any thing from motives of gain
or pleasure. He should worship the Pitris and gods and guests. In his own
house he should live the life of a mendicant. He should duly adore the
deities in his Agnihotra, morning, noon, and evening every day, by
pouring libations agreeably to the ordinance. With his face turned
towards the foe, he should cast off his life-breath in battle fought for
the benefit of kine and Brahmanas. Or he may enter the triple fires
sanctified with Mantras and cast off his body. By pursuing this line of
conduct he takes birth in his next life as a Brahmana. Endued with
knowledge and science, purified from all dross, and fully conversant with
the Vedas, a pious Kshatriya, by his own acts, becomes a Brahmana. It is
with the aid of these acts, O goddess, that a person who has sprung from
a degraded order, viz., a Sudra, may become a Brahmana refined of all
stains and possessed of Vedic lore, One that is a Brahmana, when he
becomes wicked in conduct and observes no distinction in respect of food,
falls away from the status of Brahmanahood and becomes a Sudra. Even a
Sudra, O goddess, that has purified his soul by pure deeds and that has
subjugated all his senses, deserves to be waited upon and served with
reverence as a Brahmana. This has been said by the Self-born Brahmana
himself. When a pious nature and pious deeds are noticeable in even a
Sudra, he should, according to my opinion, be held superior to a person
of the three regenerate classes. Neither birth, nor the purificatory
rites, nor learning, nor offspring, can be regarded as grounds for
conferring upon one the regenerate status. Verily, conduct is the only
ground. All Brahmanas in this world are Brahmanas in consequence of
conduct. A Sudra, if he is established on good conduct, is regarded as
possessed of the status of a Brahmana. The status of Brahma, O auspicious
lady, is equal wherever it exists. Even this is my opinion. He, indeed,
is a Brahmana in whom the status of Brahma exists,--that condition which
is bereft of attributes and which has no stain attached to it. The
boon-giving Brahma, while he created all creatures, himself said that the
distribution of human beings into the four orders dependent on birth is
only for purposes of classification. The Brahmana is a great field in
this world,--a field equipped with feet for it moves from place to place.
He who plants seeds in that field, O beautiful lady, reaps the crop in
the next world. That Brahmana who wishes to achieve his own good should
always live upon the remains of the food that may be there in his house
after gratifying the needs of all others. He should always adhere to the
path of righteousness. Indeed, he should tread along the path that
belongs to Brahma. He should live engaged in the study of the Samhitas
and remaining at home he should discharge all the duties of a
householder. He should always be devoted to the study of the Vedas, but
he should never derive the means of subsistence from such study. That
Brahmana who always conducts himself thus, adhering to the path of
righteousness, worshipping his sacred fire, and engaged in the study of
the Vedas, comes to be regarded as Brahma. The status of a Brahmana once
gained, it should always be protected with care, O thou of sweet smiles,
by avoiding the stain of contact with persons born in inferior orders,
and by abstaining from the acceptance of gifts. I have thus told thee a
mystery, viz., the manner in which a Sudra may become a Brahmana, or that
by which a Brahmana falls away from his own pure status and becomes a
Sudra."'"'"