Brahma-Sūtra 1.3.34

English of translation of Brahmasutra 1.3.34 by Roma Bose:

“His grief (arose) on account of hearing its disrespect, on account of hastening at that time, for this is what is indicated (by the term “Śūdra”).”

Nimbārka’s commentary (Vedānta-pārijāta-saurabha):

It is not to be supposed, on the ground^[1] that in the Chāndogya the term ‘Śūdra’ is applied by a preceptor to one desirous of salvation, that a Śūdra^[2] is entitled to the knowledge of Brahman. Because of “his”,^[3] i.e. of Jānaśruti’s, desire for salvation, on hearing the disrespectful words used by the swan; and because of his hastening towards, for that reason, to the preceptor at that very moment,—“it is indicated” that his grief had arisen and that was what was meant by the address ‘Śūdra’.

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

Now the following question is being considered: Just as it has been said that the gods are entitled to the knowledge of Brahman, as the term ‘God’ is mentioned in the text:‘Then, whosoever among the gods is awakened’ (Bṛhadāraṇyaka-upaniṣad 1.4.10), so whether or not a Śūdra too is entitled to the knowledge of Brahman, seeing that in the Chāndogya, the word ‘śūdra’ is mentioned in reference to Jānaśruti who desired for salvation.

If it be suggested: The word ‘śūdra’ being mentioned in the Chāndogya under the Saṃvarga-vidyā in the passages: ‘“Oh! the necklace and the carriage be yours, O Śūdra, together with the cows”’ (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 4.2.3), “‘You have brought these, O Śūdra”!’ (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 4.2.3); a Śūdra too must be entitled to the knowledge of Brahman, it being possible for him also to be a seeker^[4]. And, he may gain the knowledge of the nature, etc. of Brahman through the hearing of tradition and the rest, in accordance with the statement of the ancient ones: ‘He should make the four castes hear, beginning with the Brāhmaṇa’ (Mahābhārata (Asiatic Society edition) 12.12360a^[5]), and, the statement of Hari-Vaṃśa: ‘One who is Śūdra by birth should attain a good end through hearing’, which lays down an injunction with regard to the hearing of Brahman by him also. The prohibition contained in the passage: ‘Hence, a Śūdra is not to be initiated to a sacrifice’ (Taittirīya-saṃhitā 7.1.1^[6]), is concerned simply with his disqualification with regard to acts like sacrifices to be performed by means of fire, but is not a cause of his disqualification for knowledge, as knowledge is mental, and as Vidura^[7] and the rest, as well as women like Sulabhā^[8] and so on are found to possess the knowledge of Brahman,—

We reply: A Śūdra is not entitled to the knowledge of Brahman for the following reasons: First, he lacks the requisite fitness, not having the knowledge of the nature of Brahman and the method of worshipping Him. Secondly, although the worship of Brahman may be accomplished mentally, yet the knowledge of the nature, etc. of Brahman is generated by the study of the Veda, preceded by the investiture with the holy thread. Finally, a Śūdra being excluded from investiture, is not fit for knowing Brahman and as such his seeking is of no great value. As the injunctions regarding work hold good in the case of the first three classes, the prohibition holds good equally with regard to knowledge as with regard to work. Also, as in accordance with the statement: ‘The Veda is to be confirmed by tradition and Purāṇa’ (Mahābhārata (Asiatic Society edition) 1.260^[9]), tradition and Purāṇa, too, confirm the knowledge established by the Veda, a Śūdra cannot attain knowledge from that too. The injunction about the ‘hearing’, on the other hand, simply means that such a ‘hearing’ has the effect of destroying a Śūdra’s sins and securing prosperity for him, here or hereafter; and not that he is entitled to meditation or knowledge. The possession of knowledge by Vidura and the rest should be known to be due to the non-destruction of the knowledge which they attained in another birth, and their such low births should be known to be due to their works which had begun to bear fruits. Hence a Śūdra is not entitled to the knowledge of Brahman.

On the other hand, the term ‘Śūdra’, mentioned in Scripture, is to be explained thus: This the reverend author of the aphorisms states in the words: “grief”, and so on. “For” implies the reason, and “his”, means Jānaśruti Pautrāyaṇas. That is, on hearing the disrespectful words used by the swan for his want of knowledge of Brahman, thus: ‘“O, who is that man of whom you speak, as if he were Raikva, with the cart”?’ (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 4.1.3), Jānaśruti at once hastened to Raikva, the man with the cart and a knower of Brahman. From this, it is “indicated” that his “grief” had arisen. Hence, the address ‘Śūdra’ was applied by the sage to a non-Śūdra, with a view to intimating his own omniscience, thinking: ‘This Jānaśruti has come to learn the knowledge of Brahman from me, tempting me with the offering of riches. He does not know me, that I have performed all my duties and am omniscient’. Thus, (the whole story goes:), Jānaśruti Pautrāyaṇa was a royal saint, versed in religious duties. Certain divine sages, pleased with his multitude of qualities, and intending that having heard their conversation, and having thereupon approached Raikva, the knower of Brahman, Jānaśruti, too, would become a knower of Brahman, assumed the forms of swans and began to fly in a circle over the king who was lying on the roof of his palace in summer. Then, the swan which was following said with surprise to the one which was leading: ‘O Bhallākṣa, Bhallākṣa, do you not see the light of the king Jānaśruti which has pervaded the region of the heaven? That light will bum you, so do not cross if. On hearing these words of the one following it, the leading swan replied: ‘“O, who is that man of him you speak as if he were Raikva, with the cart”?’ (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 4,1.3), i.e. you speak of this Jānaśruti as if he were Raikva with the cart, meaning, the reverend Raikva who has a ‘yugva’ or a cart and is a knower of Brahman. By the adjective ‘with a cart’, Raikva’s mark was indicated, in order that he might be easily found out and approached. Then, on hearing the disrespectful words used by the swan, Jānaśruti too, ascertained, in the morning, the whereabout of Raikva through his man, and repaired to the sage Raikva, taking with him six hundred cows, a necklace and a chariot yoked with horses; and having approached him, said: ‘O Raikva! Take all these cows and the rest, and teach me, O reverend sir’. Raikva replied: ‘“O, the necklace”’ (Chāndogya-upaniṣad 4.2.3) and so on, i.e. ‘O Śūdra, the heap of wealth, like the chariot and the rest, together with the cows be yours And he addressed him as ‘O Śūdra’ more than once (viz. again in Chāndogya-upaniṣad 4.2.5). A ‘Śūdra’ is one who grieves (śocati), and the word is formed in accordance with the rule:

‘When the root “śuc” is followed by the suffix “ra”, the “ca” is replaced by “da”’ (Siddhānta-kaumudī Uṇādi-sūtra 176^[10]), and the vowel ‘u’ is lengthened (in accordance with the Uṇādi-sūtra 175^[11]). Hence “his”, i.e. Jānaśruti’s grief alone “was indicated” by Raikva, with a view to pointing out Jānaśruti’s fitness for receiving instruction, and not his connection with any caste,—this is the sense.^[12]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Here the śatṛ-sffix implies reason.

[2]:

The fourth and the lowest caste.

[3]:

Here the genitive case implies an agent (kartṛ) in accordance with Pāṇini-sūtra 2.3.65, Siddhānta-kaumudī 623.

[4]:

That is, just as it has been shown that gods are entitled to the knowledge of Brahman, since they desire (arthins) for salvation, so the Śūdras too desire for salvation and are as such entitled to the same knowledge.

[5]:

P. 81, line 4, vol. 3.

[6]:

P. 241, line 21, vol. 2.

[7]:

Vidura was the younger brother of Dhṛtarāṣṭra and Pāṇḍu. He was the son of Vyāsa and a slave-girl, who was dressed as one of the widows of Vicitra-vīryya, and mistaken by Vyāsa as such. Vide Mahābhārata (Asiatic Society edition) 1.4301, etc.

[8]:

Sulabhā was female mendicant who entered into a highly learned discourse with Janaka. Vide Mahābhārata (Asiatic Society edition) 12.11854 et seq. (Chap. 321).

[9]:

P. 10, line 11, vol. I.

[10]:

P. 599, vol. 2.

[11]:

Thus, śuc+ra = śūd+ra = śūdra.

[12]:

Vide Chāndogya-upaniṣad 4.1-4.2.