How does dharma relate to the caste system

He is thus called Krishna. His full name was Krishna Dwaipayana—one part of his name denoting his complexion and the other the location of his birth.

There is an element of consistency in Vyasa being dark skinned, for so was Satyavati who in the epic is referred to as kali Mbh: Adi parva : adhyaya sloka This drives a formidable wedge into notions of orthodoxy and taboo associated with the Brahminical order. The latter appears to be inclined towards being inclusive rather than being prohibitive for sections of the people. Authorial intentions are well-nigh impossible to determine. Ever since the famous post-modernist declamation about the author being dead, the search for authorial intentions has even been considered a worthless intellectual exercise.

These difficulties and warnings are especially true for a text like the Mahabharata which may not have had one author and could have had innumerable overlapping and separate intentions. Without in any way underestimating the relevant difficulties, the question of intentionality cannot be set aside in a discussion concerning the Ekalavya episode.

There are at least two reasons for this. First, he is a very minor character who flits in and out of the narrative. Second, his appearance in no way adds to the main storyline. The Mahabharata story would not have been incomplete without the Ekalavya incident. The very fact that the Ekalavya episode is introduced, in however passing a manner, would suggest that the author was trying to convey something. I would go so far as to suggest that through a minor character, and what is done to him, something very significant is being said.

Briefly stated one day, during the period when the brahmin-warrior, Dronacharya, is engaged in training the Kaurava and Pandava princes in the art of warfare, Ekalavya, the son of a nishada king, Hiranyadhanu, appears before Drona as a supplicant. The use of the word nishada Singh: would indicate that Ekalavya belonged not to any one of the main castes but was a hunter or a tribal and a forest dweller.

Thus rejected, Ekalavya made his own dejected way to the forest where he made for himself a statue of Drona and in the presence of the statue began to teach himself archery.

In his mind, Ekalavya had accepted Drona as his guru and was determined to make himself a skilled archer. In the Ekalavya episode and the circumstances surrounding it, all the expectations and duties of the traditional order of society are overturned and the world is turned upside down. One day, the Kauravas and Pandavas were out hunting in the forest and one of their hunting dogs came upon Ekalavya and barked at him; Ekalavya silenced the dog by shooting seven arrows so as to form a muzzle around the mouth.

The Pandavas, amazed by this incident, sought out Ekalavya, who introduced himself with his parental identity and as a shishya of Drona. The Pandavas returned to Hastinapura and reported to Drona what had happened. Arjuna made a particular point of telling Drona that Ekalavya appeared to be superior to him in archery. After some thought, Drona proceeded with Arjuna to seek out Ekalavya, who on meeting his guru offered him due respect.

Drona then told Ekalavya, "Warrior! If you are my shishya , then please pay me the wages for my lessons. There is nothing that I cannot offer to you, my gurudev. Ekalavya thus lost his matchless skill Mbh: Adi parva : adhyaya : slokas : Most of them do not bring out Drona in a good light. On the contrary, the verses suggest that Drona was not a straightforward person but was, in fact, disingenuous.

He created conditions whereby he could teach his son Ashwatthama certain skills without Arjuna learning them. Arjuna discovered this, and devoted himself to the service of his guru, who was so pleased that he declared he would make Arjuna incomparable as an archer Mbh: adi parva : adhyaya slokas Later, when the Pandavas came across Ekalavya, Arjuna complained to Drona that in spite of his assurance, the disciple Ekalavya had proved to be superior.

Once the latter had made that extreme sacrifice, Arjuna was satisfied and had no cause to complain Mbh: adi parva : adhyaya sloka I would suggest that the epic is suggesting [in the Eklavya episode] that ethical conduct—the pursuit and the practice of dharma —has nothing to do with birth. Members of the highest rank behave in the lowest manner and a member of the lowest order upholds the highest codes of ethical conduct. According to the ethics of the traditional order — call it dharma — a brahmin is expected to uphold the highest code of honour and the warrior the code of valour.

But in this episode, we see a brahmin violating one of the principal tenets of dharma — non-cruelty aanrishangsya ; and a warrior instead of taking on a rival in a battle of arms actually delighting in eliminating a rival through the worst possible means. It is important to comprehend what the epic is trying to convey through this episode.

I would suggest that the epic is suggesting that ethical conduct—the pursuit and the practice of dharma —has nothing to do with birth.

A brahmin and a warrior can both behave in a manner that does not befit their status and standing in society. Despite the obstacles, however, some Dalits and other low-caste Indians, such as BR Ambedkar who authored the Indian constitution, and KR Narayanan who became the nation's first Dalit president, have risen to hold prestigious positions in the country. Historians, though, say that until the 18th Century, the formal distinctions of caste were of limited importance to Indians, social identities were much more flexible and people could move easily from one caste to another.

New research shows that hard boundaries were set by British colonial rulers who made caste India's defining social feature when they used censuses to simplify the system, primarily to create a single society with a common law that could be easily governed. Independent India's constitution banned discrimination on the basis of caste, and, in an attempt to correct historical injustices and provide a level playing field to the traditionally disadvantaged, the authorities announced quotas in government jobs and educational institutions for scheduled castes and tribes, the lowest in the caste hierarchy, in In , quotas were extended to include a grouping called the OBCs Other Backward Classes which fall between the traditional upper castes and the lowest.

In recent decades, with the spread of secular education and growing urbanisation, the influence of caste has somewhat declined, especially in cities where different castes live side-by-side and inter-caste marriages are becoming more common. In certain southern states and in the northern state of Bihar, many people began using just one name after social reform movements. Despite the changes though, caste identities remain strong, and last names are almost always indications of what caste a person belongs to.

In recent years, there have been demands from several communities to be recognised as OBCs - in there were violent protests by the Jat community in Haryana and the Patel community led huge protests in Gujarat in demanding access to caste quotas.

Both are prosperous and politically dominant communities, but they support their demand for caste quotas by saying large numbers in their communities are poor and suffering. Jati is historically also used to determine social interactions and marriages, as dharma guides every aspect of daily life.

Dharma includes ritual action. The proper performance of rituals is important to the ordering of individual lives and the life of the community. The texts called Dharmashastras detail the various categories of rituals. Rituals are not simply acts which lend dignity to critical transitions, but acts which have a role in the ordering of the world as it should be. You have to have the right reasons to fight and do it in the name of Krishna.

The Upanishads are a collection of texts that outline some of the core philosophical concepts of Hinduism. Amongst these are moksha, dharma and advaita. There are multiple ways to attain moksha, which will be discussed in this essay. However, the physical and bodily self is equally as important as it serves to act upon the spirits guide.

The self is not whole if it lacks either the outside self or the inside, and subsequently, it cannot be whole if either stands in the way of the other performing their necessary tasks. In the end, the duality and parts of the self act just like people within their society: each has their set Dharma they must fulfill in order for the whole to function…. Though, Sharia have covered different aspects of rules including: Beliefs rules, Moral rules, and Practical rules.

Moral rules refer to virtues, such as honesty and justice. However, the Sharia believes that Beliefs rules are the basic rules to enforce the other rules.

Beliefs rules are worship, such as believing in Allah, Angels, Doomsday and Holy books. Freedom must be restricted. For freedom of one must not offend freedom of others. Gopalan v.