Ever since the dawn of Hindu civilization from time immemorial and till the invasion of Arabs in the 8th Century, the Indian polity and society had total egalitarian parity, equanimity and equality; free from any kind of ethnic discrimination or evils like untouchability. There had been no place for ethnic or caste discrimination, societal stratification or social superiority-inferiority. Our ancient scriptures are replete with unambiguous instruction for total equality and egalitarian equanimity; not only towards humans, but for all living beings. It is evident from the Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta which states in Shloka 4 of chapter 12 that only those people shall achieve salvation and realize the God, who are engaged in the total welfare of all living beings
ते प्राप्नुवन्ति मामेव सर्वभूतहिते रताः। अ. 12.4 श्रीमद् भगवद्गीता।
The common and oft repeated allegation on Hindu traditions that the Shudras had been treated contemptuously as Kshudra meaning mean person, deprived of dignity. It was not so in ancient past. The Brahmin auxillaries like Gopath Brahmin of Atharv Veda speaks that Shudras are the producers of valuable goods from the sweat of their labour.
This means that the shudras produced valuable products to be traded at a price with profit, by the Vaishya (oS’;) to pay tax to the king.
श्रमस्य स्वेदेन उत्पादन रत एव शूद्र अपने श्रम के स्वेद (पसीने) से मूल्यवान वस्तुओं के उत्पादन उत्पादकीय कार्य में रत या संलग्न वर्ग को शूद्र कहा गया है।
Social and Ethnic Equality in the Ancient Bharat Prof. Bhagwati Prakash Ever since the dawn of Hindu civilization from time immemorial and till the invasion of Arabs in the 8th Century, the Indian polity and society had total egalitarian parity, equanimity and equality; free from any kind of ethnic discrimination or evils like untouchability. There had been no place for ethnic or caste discrimination, societal stratification or social superiority-inferiority. Our ancient scriptures are replete with unambiguous instruction for total equality and egalitarian equanimity; not only towards humans, but for all living beings. It is evident from the Shrimad Bhagwat Geeta which states in Shloka 4 of chapter 12 that only those people shall achieve salvation and realize the God, who are engaged in the total welfare of all living beings. rs izkIuqofUr ekeso loZHkwrfgrs jrk%A v- 12-4 Jhen~ Hkxon~xhrkA The common and oft repeated allegation on Hindu traditions that the Shudras had been treated contemptuously as Kshudra meaning mean person, deprived of dignity. It was not so in ancient past. The Brahmin auxillaries like Gopath Brahmin of Atharv Veda speaks that Shudras are the producers of valuable goods from the sweat of their labour. This means that the shudras produced valuable products to be traded at a price with profit, by the Vaishya (oS’;) to pay tax to the king. JeL; Losnsu mRiknu jr ,o ‘kwnz vius Je ds Losn ¼ilhus½ ls ewY;oku oLrqvksa ds mRiknu mRikndh; dk;Z esa jr ;k layXu oxZ dks ‘kwnz dgk x;k gSA In pursuance of this doctrine, the ‘Kamandak Neetisaar’ recommends that while setting up a township, the king should ensure that it is inhabited by a greater number of Shudras, who produce valuable products, and equally large number of Vaishyas who indulge in trading and commerce of these goods produced by Shudras and to pay higher amount of taxes from such a higher level of trade. This Neetisaar emphatically states that number of Brahmins and Kshatriyas should the relatively lesser, as they are dependent upon the state exchequer for their livelihood. This system had been prevalent till the invasion of Arabs and beyond that even till the eighteenth century, when the European goods under British rule flooded to erode the Shudra, the productive entrepreneurial-class, engaged in production of valuable goods. This has been testified by Angus Maddison, the renowned British Economic historian in his book, entitled ‘World Economic History – A millennium perspective”, wherein he has stated
that India had 33 percent contribution in world GDP in 1 AD, 30% in 1000 AD, 25% in 1500 AD and 22% in 1700 AD. Europe, Russia, US, Latin America, Japan and China had not been anywhere near India in their contribution the to world GDP, till the shudras had been the productive entrepreneurs of ancient MSME (Micro, small and Medium scale Industrial Enterprise) sector. In the In Mahabharat era, the shudras had probably been most affluent people in the country to be given the responsibility for extending hospitality to the state guests.
In the Anushasan Parv of the Mahabharat, one of the major role for Shudras has been stated to provide hospitality, including lodging and boarding to the state guests. The Shloka read as under :
सशूद्रः संशिततपा जितेन्द्रियः। सुश्रुर्तिथिं तपः संचिनुते महत्।। (महाभारत-अनुशासन पर्व)
To corroborate this fact of hyper affluence of Shudras as MSME entrepreneurs in that era, most of the Vaastu Granth and several Puranas state that in the ancient past the measuring tape for construction of housing unit of Shudras was embedded with golden fabric. A shloka from Vishwakarma Prakash reads as under :
ब्राह्मणस्य सूत्र दर्भजं, मौजन्तु त क्षत्रियस्य।
कार्पासं च भवैद्वैष्ये, स्वर्णनिर्मितं शूद्रस्य सूत्रम्।।
It means that the house measuring tape or the lining and sizing thread of Brahmins was of Kusha or Darbh category grass, for Kshatriya it was made of Munj category grass. For Vaishya it used to be a alton thread and for Shudra it was a golden thread in the era.
There are lot of misgivings about the access of Shudras of Vedas, which is not true. The Yajurveda in its chapter 26 mantra 2 clearly states that Rishis to teach Veda to all the four Varnas. The mantra reads as under :
‘‘यथेमां वाचं कल्याणीमावदानि जनेभ्यः। ब्रह्मराजन्याज्या शूद्रायचार्याय च स्वाय चारण्याय।
प्रियो देवानां दक्षिणायै दातुरिह भूयासमयज्मे कामः समृद्धतामुपमादो नमतु।।’’ यजुर्वेद अ. 26 मंत्र 2
YathemAm v Acham kalyAnim AdadAmi Janebhya;
Brhma rajanyabhyam Sudraya caa Aryaya ca Svya-caranaya ca…..
It means that “ Just as I am speaking these blessed words of Vedas to you people, these
words are for the men and women, the Brahminas, Kshtriyas, Vishayas. Shudras tribes
and all others irrespective of they being our own people or aliens.”
Even 442 years back when Tulsidasji composed Ramcharit Manas, he stated that Rajghaat on Sarayu was equally accessible for water to all the four Varnas. This Choupai reads as under :
राज घाट बांधेऊ परम मनोहर। तहाँ निमज्जिउ वरण चारिउ नर।। (रामचरित मानस उत्तर काण्ड
Likewise, Atharva Veda directs all the people i.e. human beings to have equal access to water and food together in its shlok 3.30.06
समानी प्रपा सहवोऽन्नभागः समाने योक्त्रे सहवो युनज्मि। सम्यंचेःग्निं सपर्य तारा नाभिमिकाभितः।। अथर्व. 3.30.06
भावार्थ: तुम्हारी जल शाला एक हो, अन्न का विभाजन साथ-साथ हो, एक ही जुए में तुम जुडे़ हुए हो। जैसे पहिये के अरे ना में चारों ओर जुड़े होते हैं, वैसे ही तुम सब प्रजाजन मिलकर ज्ञान रूप प्रभु की पूजा करो।
Thus our tradition before the foreign invasion from 8th century had been of egalitarian and benevolent equanimity and parity to all. In this regard the Mantra for Upnishad reads as under:
सर्वेऽत्र सुखिनः सन्तु सर्वे सन्तु निरामयाः। सर्वे भद्राणि पश्यन्तु मा कश्चिद् दुःखभाग्भवेत
It means “May every being be happy, May every being free from all diseases, May every being be feel appear blissful, May there not be any trace of sorrow any whaere
Indeed, the evils like untouchability, caste discrimination etc. have emerged after the Jehadi persecution, Jajiya, British Colonialism, and consequent Urban stratification in British era, and destabilization and erosion of ‘decentralized production, being pursued by Shudras’. In light of this there should be no caste discrimination and all Hindus should behave with each other with total egalitarian equanimity and parity, to build the strong and Samras Bharat.