Ishwa helper Reged: 03/03/02 Posts: 553

Re: Varna dharma from birth [Re: vsat] #13060 - 03/06/02 08:56 PM Edit Reply Quote

Dear Vsat, With all reaspect, I disagree on some historical points. In a sense Veda Vyasa is a creator of the Vedas, but in this sense: to create is to mould something that was already present. Veda Vyasa re-arranged the Mantras to fit in Dasha-Mandala. The Samhitas don't speak of Vasudeva Krshna, who wasn't even born when Krshna Dvaipayana Vyasa lived. Veda Vyasa lived during king Parikshit I Kauravya, 1100 years before KaliYuga, according to the Bhagavata Purana. Krishna Vasudeva passed away on the first day of KaliYuga, near to when Parikshit II started ruling. Veda Vyasa lived in the Brahmana Period, when the Samhita were canonized, and the Brahmanas like Shatapatha and Aitareya were starting. In that period the dominant name for God was Indra for the Kauravya dynasty as was also the case for the Panchala Bharatas before the Brahmana Age. The Vedic period doesn't know anything about Krshna Vasudeva, but mention a Krshna as pupil of Ghora Angirasa in the Upanishad. This Krshna belonged to the Harita Angirasa gotra, who lived in Panchala Bharata period, before the time of Veda Vyasa. The BhagavadGita gives the essence of Vedanta=Upanishadic and Sankhya-Yoga systems prevalent in that period. About Shastra The Shastra period is preceded by the Sutra period. The Baudhayana DharmaSutra as we have now is older than the Manava DharmaShastra. The Sutras are coming after the Upanishads known as Vedanta. In this way The Manava DharmaShastra doesn't represent in the now known edition the original Vedic organization. Varna is more suited to a organized system of the sutra period than of the older Vedic, especially RgVedic. General Note Every traditional book from Hindu culture is the FINAL stage of a long period of composition. For instance the epic books started with a few thousand Shlokas, but rapidly started growing towards tens of thousands. The final edition doesn't represent anymore the original situation completely, but unveils some of them. by carefully analyzing. I think that we have belief at one side and historical developments and facts at the other. Belief is from within, not from scriptures which are never perfect. They're like guidelines or illustrations. But these guidelines are themselves changing every period synchronizing with the thoughts, but remaining in essence the same. For the essence is a glimpse of the eternal unchanging formless one. punarlekhanaya