Verse 3575-3577

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

शतशः प्रतिषिद्धायां जातौ जातिमदश्च किम् ।
तदन्यातिशयासिद्धौ विशिष्टा सा च किं मता ॥ ३५७५ ॥
वशित्वादिगुणाधाराः प्रक्षीणाशेषकल्मषाः ।
सर्वेऽप्यत्राविशेषेण तद्योगे च विजातयः ॥ ३५७६ ॥
भवेयुर्यदि सिद्ध्यन्ति विशिष्टास्तत्समाश्रयाः ।
वैशिष्ट्यमन्यथा नैव लुब्धकद्विजजातिवत् ॥ ३५७७ ॥

śataśaḥ pratiṣiddhāyāṃ jātau jātimadaśca kim |
tadanyātiśayāsiddhau viśiṣṭā sā ca kiṃ matā || 3575 ||
vaśitvādiguṇādhārāḥ prakṣīṇāśeṣakalmaṣāḥ |
sarve'pyatrāviśeṣeṇa tadyoge ca vijātayaḥ || 3576 ||
bhaveyuryadi siddhyanti viśiṣṭāstatsamāśrayāḥ |
vaiśiṣṭyamanyathā naiva lubdhakadvijajātivat || 3577 ||

Hundreds of times has the ‘genus’ (universal) been rejected; whence then is this pride due to ‘caste’ (genus)? specially when no superiority over others is perceived in it, why should it be regarded as superior? In fact, men belonging to other castes also are found, on the presence of particular qualities, to be the receptacle of qualities of self-control and free from all impurities. If, by reason of their connection with the particular (Brāhmaṇa) caste, they had been superior to others, in the matter of possessing the said qualifications, then alone could they be admitted to be really superior,—not if they merely belonged to the Brāhmaṇa caste, but in actual life were like fowlers, and others.—(3575-3577)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

In fact, by having openly and arrogantly used the expression “to illiterate Śūdras”, through pride of caste, you have yourself shown your own great illiteracy and stupidity. For instance, (1) do you put forward the assumption that there is a distinct genus of the name of ‘Brāhmaṇa’ and thereupon you, Brāhmaṇas carry on your backs a million loads of superiority? Or (2) is it on the basis of your superiority in the matter of having had all your Birth and other Sacraments duly performed? Or (3) on the basis of your having been born of a Brāhmaṇa Mother and Brāhmaṇa Father?—If it is the first, then this ornament of yours is only like that caused by the ‘sky-lotus’,—This is what is pointed out in the following;—[see verses 3575-3577 above]

We grant that there is such a ‘caste’; even so, your pride would be justified if there were some superiority perceptible in you, due to that caste. As a matter of fact, however, we do not perceive any such superiority in you.—This is what is pointed out by the words—‘specially when no superiority, etc. etc.’—‘others’—i.e. people other than Brāhmaṇas,—i.e. the Śūdra, etc.—superiority over these—none is perceived. That is to say, in the Brāhmaṇa, we do not find any superiority over the Śūdra, etc. in regard to their Intelligence, Memory, etc., or to their Blood, Urine, etc.; thus no superiority being perceptible, how could the caste be regarded as superior on the basis of that superiority’,—by virtue of which, through arrogance born of your caste-pride, you assert that ‘they should have imparted it to the Vedic scholars alone—not to Śūdras’?—In ease, by belonging to the Brāhmaṇa-caste, you were, by your very nature, superior persons, endowed with such powers as self-control, fulfilment of wish, Mercy and so forth, and had all evils removed from you,—then you would certainly be superior beings; otherwise, if you simply belonged to the Brāhmaṇa-caste and led the life of the Fowler, the Fisherman, the Cobbler, etc.,—what superiority could be yours?—(3575-3577)