- Brahmin, Shudra….I don’t care
- The reality of caste system – Next Move
- The reality of caste system – 2
- The reality of caste system – 1
- Is Purush Sukta of Vedas casteist?
- There is no caste-system in Vedas
- Vedas and Dignity of Labor
- Rakshas in Vedas and Hinduism
- Vedas and Daas
- Vedas and Dasyu in Hinduism
- Vedas and Shudra
In previous chapters, we have discussed the actual meanings of Daas, Dasyu, and Rakshas and have concluded that they refer to no tribe or race, but to criminals, and hence, Vedas call for their destruction. These real meanings of Daas, Dasyu, and Rakshas debunk the myth spread by communists and Indologists with a vested interest in Aryan Invasion Hoax and stories of how Aryans killed natives called Dasyu or Daas and later made them their servants or Shudras. We have already seen that while Vedas are critical of Dasyus, they hold Shudras in high esteem and call for their well-being.
Before we explore the Vedic Varna Vyavastha in detail, let us discuss what Vedas say on Dignity of Labor.
Nowadays several categories of jobs are considered suitable for low-caste. These include the bulk of effort-oriented tasks. However, nothing could be far from Vedas. In Vedas, the dignity of labor is the key underlying concept. Let us review some mantras in Vedas in this regard:
Ved Mantras on Farming
Rigveda 1.117.21: The King and the minister should sow seeds and do farming from time to time to set right examples for Arya. This makes them deserving of praise.
Rigveda 8.22.6 echoes the same sentiment.
Rigveda 4.57.4: The king should hold the plow and start the farming during the beginning of the season. He should also ensure healthy cows for milk.
Accordingly, we also find in Ramayan the reference of King Janak plowing when he found Sita (Ramayan 1.66.14)
Rigveda 10.104.4 and Rigveda 10.101.3: Scholars should plow the land.
In Adiparva 3.24 there is a reference of Dhaumya Rishi would send his student Aaruni to control the water flow to farms, indicating that the Rishi used to get involved in farming activities.
The entire 4.57 Sukta of Rigveda states the glory of farming by one and all.
Ved Mantras on Tailor and Weaver
Rigveda 10.26 states that Rishi do Yajna, are benevolent for all, experts in transportation science, rear sheep for wool, make clothes out of wool and clean the clothes.
Yajurved 19.80: Wise people weave various kinds of clothes.
Rigveda 10.53.6 also stresses on the importance of weaving.
Rigveda 6.9.2 and Rigveda 6.9.3 stress on having training centers for weaving clothes, which should be learned by everyone.
Ved Mantras on Artisans and Technicians
‘Taksha’ word is used in Vedas for artisans, technicians, carpenters, and related skilled labors.
Rigveda 4.36.1 stresses on the glory of those who construct chariots and planes. The next mantra states that such carpenters and technicians should be invited to noble Yajna.
Further, in the same Sukta, Mantra 6 considers Taksha worthy of eulogy and in next one, skilled labor is called as a scholar, creative and patient.
Other mantras that sing glory of skilled labor are Rigveda 10.39.14, 10.53.10, 10.53.8, Atharvaveda 14.1.53, Rigveda 1.20.2, Atharvaveda 14.2.22, 14.2.23, 14.2.24, 14.2.67, 15.2.65, Rigveda 2.41.5, 7.3.7, 7.15.14.
The skills mentioned include making vehicles, clothes, utensils, forts, weapons, toys, pots, wells, buildings and cities among others.
Some mantras in Rigveda like 1.116.3-5 and 7.88.3 encourage Arya to make ships and travel far away to explore the world. Those involved in constructing boats and ships are praised.
Some other mantras praising various kinds of professions include:
• Commerce – Rigveda 5.45.6, Rigveda 1.112.11
• Boatman – Rigveda 10.53.8, Yajurveda 21.3, Yajurveda 21.7, Atharvaveda 5.4.4, 3.6.7
• Barber – Atharvaveda 8.2.19
• Goldsmith and Gardener – Rigveda 8.47.15
• Ironsmith and Smelter – Rigveda 5.9.5
• Metallurgy – Yajurveda 28.13
It is evident that not only Vedas contain a description of various kinds of skills and technology, but also glorify the dignity of labor.
Summary
It is a baseless allegation that Vedas demean those involved in labor-oriented tasks. On the contrary, Vedas affirm highest Dignity of Labor.
This post is also available in Hindi at http://agniveer.com/5869/dignity-of-labor-hi/
Vedas and Dignity of Labor (http://agniveer.com/?p=881) What Vedas have to say about D… http://agniveer.com/?p=881
Thanks Agniveerji…
I think everyone who say that Vedas degrade labourer class , must read this article..
@Agniveer ji
You Rock!!!
________Yajurved 19.80 again states that wise people weave various kinds of clothes_____
Then all Doctors, Engineers, sportsmen, politician, bureaucrats & business men etc should leave their Job & go to factory for working as labour. What a foolishness mentioned!
__________Vedas contain description of various kinds of skills_________
Is there any mention of making atom Bombs, Super computers, watching live cricket match being played thousand miles away.
Juber, get a life man. Given you have been repeatedly told about casteism, you seem to be upset that the Vedas say things on the contrary to the data with which you have been conditioned and you are trolling away here. No work is regarded in the Vedas as unworthy of Man or vocations earmarked as the occupation of downtrodden. Anyway, let me add more stuff…
Here are more verses….please have your friends that are trying to teach us our faith look up the verse and sukta numbers…
The carpenter seeks out that which is cracked, the physician the ailing, the priest the soma press. Flow, Soma…
I am a singer, my Father’s a physician, my Mother’s task is to grind the corn. Diverse are our callings but we all aim at wealth. We run in its wake like a cowherd trailing cows..
The smith with his store en kindles the flame to make wares…..
And here are more vocations seen across Vedas, courtier, comedian, construction worker, artisan, potter, hinter, fisherman, astrology, farmer, shepherd, distiller, dyer and what not. Please have your brethren look up the verses…
Dignity of labor is upheld in the Vedas unlike in the pre / post Islamic Arab society that makes mawalis alone do some stuff.
this is what happens whenmadarsachaaps try to understand eternal knowledge there is where they end…yajurved 19.80- says – just as intelligent weaver weave best designed cloth from a wollen yarn,intelligent people(scientists n engineers) should create great models of machines with their imagination and expertise,and so the scholars and researchers of health andnature should do,create ideal society with best facilities like is saraswati woman of learning and education ,varuna ,expert ofhealth and medication and create a society where each individual and ruler himself is like indra lordofdivinemind…essensce ofthis verse is to achieve excellence in science,enginnering,medicine,ethics,morality and goverment ..and society which upholds dharma at its best …
All works cannot be done by a single man.Some would be doctors some would be engineers.The God says that there should be Doctors,scientists,engineers ,labours etc.But it does not mean that doctors should go for labou,engineers should go for doctoring ec.
Juber:-
today u r wearing different kind of clothes with differend kind of science involved. those people who weave different kind of clothes naturally intelligent.
Apply ur independent mind and the see the beauty of Vedas which dont regard any work inferior.
@Rashmi
No person can become God and all actual gurus like Rishi Patanjali consider Eeshvar as guru of gurus of all times.
@Rashmi
namaste sister,
Would you please give the mantra which says that without a guru you can not know God?
@correctfunda
In Vedas!
The brahmins and oother upper castes would be happy if they are made SC/STs in today’s India for getting reservation benefits. Even the Dalit Christians and Dalit Muslims want reservation benefits!!
Brothers, what’s your take on Demons/Ghosts?
I personally do not believe in these things, but still need an answer from vedic perspective. People are murdered for doing witchcrafts and stuff like that as they were suspected by their fellow villagers. Ofcourse all of you have heard about this. its there in almost everydays news.
Brother roger
As per Vedas, there are three entities God, soul, and matter/energy/Prakriti. All this creation is a combination of soul and Prakriti. Now God cant be any ghost so as the Prakriti. Now remains soul. Any soul can have two states, either Bandhan or Mukti (salvation). Any soul in salvation cant turn into ghost etc! So now remains the soul in Bandhan. This soul is always in control of Eeshvar in such a way that it has free will but not so much that it can go away from the path of bliss for endless time. This soul needs physical body to act. Thus soul in Bandhan would certainly have physical body.
Now we can conclude few things from above
1. Anyone who has been called as demon is nothing but a human indulging in bad deeds.
2. There is nothing like ghost etc who are claimed to be seen by few people only as they dont have physical body.
3. Actually ghosts live in one’s mind! They (?) live in those minds who believe in those! So better not to believe in ghosts as they do not exist in non believing minds!
@Arya
Bro, What an answer! simply superb. Again many many thanks to you! Couldn’t have been better that that.
@Arya
Bro, What an answer! simply superb. Again many many thanks to you! Couldn’t have been better that that.
I know I’m a bit late in reading this, but thanks Agniveer. I was looking for an article on this subject for a long time. Well done!
Brother Agniveer,
We are really inspired by your efforts to put the records striaght and promote the caste equality amongst Hindus in UK. Unfortunately, a significant majority of Hindus are in desperate need of moral, sprititual and factual education and it would be great if you could help us in our efforts to root out caste prejudice from British society.
Davinder Prasad
Genewral Secretary
CasteWatchUK
Dear Brother,
We went through your site and are pleased to see your works. We would be keen to support in any form whatever we can do to eliminate the slur of caste system. We are aware of many casteist elements in UK, some of whom are at senior positions of influence. We have received a lot of flak from these bigoted minds just as you have.
But we have identified birth-based caste-system as our number 1 priority. (In fact any discrimination on basis of birth, gender, color for that matter). And we are emboldened by the fact that the Vedas – the oldest texts – are vehemently against this nonsense.
To destroy this caste-system we can work together on several fronts:
– participating in talk shows and seminars where we junk caste-system as anti-vedic and against Hinduism, (obviously against humanity)
– holding programs where we involve people from alleged lower-castes in conducting Vedic rituals that are considered exclusive to so-called higher castes or males. For example, sacred thread ceremony for a so-called dali woman.
Taking a step ahead, we train people from so-called lower castes into very simple rituals and officiate them formally as Brahmins. (As per Vedas, Brahmin means an educated person and has nothing to do with caste at all.) Such people can be given titles like pandit (which again means an intelligent person and has nothing to do with caste at all).
Point is that we will have the snatch away those symbols from so-called birth-based Brahmins etc.
And then we video-record these events and showcase to world through a variety of channels.
Similarly we conduct programs for other societies as well.
If we can make a headstart in UK, following up in India will also become much simpler for us.
Please mail us at agniveer @ gmail dot com or through Contact Form on the site and we can discuss how to take these initiatives ahead.
Admin
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