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Despite the varietal display we face everywhere within Nature, the supreme truth is that every one, in spite of whatever tendencies he has and pursues, the real contentment and fulfilment for every one consists in discovering his own inmost fullness and abundance and striving to realize it without fail. In that alone does human life become meaningful and crown itself.

Dear and blessed souls:

Harih Om Tat Sat.

Let rational intelligence be the guide

Krishna’s response in the form of dialogue and Arjuna’s reception coupled with enquiry, have become an alluring pair, incorporating every time superior dimensions, allied thoughts, timely reflections and aspirations. Ultimately viewed, the discussion involves not merely the war-field scenario, but everything of human world encompassing emotional mind and rational intelligence.

Mind thrives with emotional affinity, intelligence prevails with rational quests, queries and analyses. Thus, the next verse (4.12) presents a very pertinent analysis of the human mind and its queer predilections.

Myopic vision blinds all

People are short-sighted, narrow-minded. Lacking discrimination, they look for quick results for whatever they do. They are prone to believe practically in anything, provided it will enable them to achieve their ends fast. They do not stop to think and examine whether what they hear is true, correct and reasonable. Unless such examination graces one always, he will not only be denied progress in his life but will also be led to degeneration and downfall.

Thus, when someone speaks about devatas, superhuman deities, and their readiness to help and bless those who worship them steadfastly, it appeals to them greatly, because it needs only a short-term effort. In devata- worship there is nothing like a discipline or value to be adhered to as part of life. Such a call, rather indiscreet indulgence, appeals to them easily.

Ambitious, thus, to get quick results and fruition, they take to worship of these deities. It is more their fondness for speedy outcome that prompts them to deity worship. Whereas to take to Krishna or the Self is to lead a disciplined and pure life. It is not a short or one- time indulgence, but a consistent disciplined pursuit. The craving for quick results is blinding as well as binding.

Fleeting, not lasting, benefit tempts humans

Lasting benefit and fulfilment do not appeal to unthinking minds. They worship aerial deities and get some quick results, but the plights and fates of their life do not the least change at all. They will be strictly under the undulating course of life, bringing its own afflicting alternates to which everyone on earth is subject. The alternating sukha-duhkhas do not relax their hold on them. What then is the benefit they have gained? It is sheer blindness that drives people to such titillating worship and its seducing rewards.

Long austere exile did not make Arjuna wise

It is like Arjuna’s plight in Kurukshetra, where he had arrived with his Gāṇḍīva and Pāśupata-astra, rewards he won by austerities! Imagine how suddenly he became unnerved, his body trembled, Gāṇḍīva slipped, mind whirled and intelligence cooked up adversities! He could not the least extricate himself from the sweeping plight. What more is to be said to safeguard oneself against such a calamity?

Fourfold tendencies at work in humans

Krishna now goes to explain (4.13) how human tendencies intrinsically differ, what must be the right analysis about such differences, and how should one relate and evaluate them to have a balanced vision.

Variety is the very expression of Nature. If existence has to be vibrant and useful, it has to embody ample variety. For, it is only in the presence of variety that our mind and intelligence can thrive, gain experience and evolve knowledge. Knowledge is an outcome of comparison and contrast. Unless things are different from one another, they cannot be distinguished discreetly enabling the knowing-process to be on, bringing more and more enrichment and enlightenment to the individual every time.

Millions of humans are there. But every one is distinct from the others. That is why we are able to look at others and distinguish them appropriately. Inner differences, related to mind and intelligence, are called tendencies and persuasions. It is these inner differences that manifest outside in the form of various activities and interactions. This basic varietal constitution enables and empowers human society to remain cohesive, each individual complementing the rest.

Commonness and collectiveness are possible only because of these outer and inner differences, variety.

Krishna discusses the subject fundamentally, revealing that broadly, human tendencies can be divided as fourfold, enabling co-existence and cohesion at every stage of collective interactions.

The basic word Krishna uses is cātur-varṇyam. Varṇa means colour. Varṇyam, a derivative, denotes the science based on varṇa, colour. Even in plants and vegetation we are able to distinguish one from another only because of their colours and shapes. Shape is derived from perceiving colours. Colour is relevant to visual perceptions.

Infer tendencies by activities

Likewise, the inner variety can be detected by observing the tendencies it gives rise to. Tendencies, called guṇas meaning qualities, are inner and hence not visible. Because tendencies give rise to activities, which are visible, we are able to infer and categorize them appropriately. Such identification and resultant factors are together called cātur-varṇyam, meaning the finding rationally arrived at by relating actions with tendencies triggering them. In the absence of resultant actions, the inner tendencies will remain totally inaccessible, unidentifiable. The whole process is based upon dedicated observation and skilful inference. Hence it becomes a śāstra, scientific process and finding.

Krishna, identifying himself with the Supreme, the source of the entire creation and preservation, says that though he is in a way the author of this cātur- varṇya, as is the Supreme for everything, yet he is, in reality, a non-doer, akartā, who is inexhaustible. The categorization becomes necessary because the human society needs multiple contributions from a variety of sources. All acting together will alone empower the society, rendering it viable and effective to take up and fulfil the various tasks and missions necessary to constitute the wholesome functioning of the world.

It is like the five fingers in our palm, each different from the rest, having its own size and place. Only then they can work in unison as well as individually. This mutuality and collectivity have to be specially understood as a fundamental factor in creation and preservation.

Brāhmaṇa-Kshatriya-Vaiśya-Śūdra distinctions

Brāhmaṇa, Kshatriya, Vaiśya and Śūdra are the four varṇas. Merely by looking at them physically, none can make any difference. But in their tendencies and corresponding activities, ample differences will be there.

Brāhmaṇas are those given to the austerity of discipline, values, restraint and moderation in everything they do – in thoughts, words and deeds. They are the custodians of knowledge. They devote their time only to acquire knowledge and make it available to others by exposing it with the necessary discipline and austerity.

Education, human growth & achievements

Any time in human society education has the greatest place. Teaching can be done only by those who are solely devoted to knowledge and its dissemination. Thus, Brāhmaṇas are a class by themselves, given to gaining and disseminating knowledge. They will neither have taste nor time to take up any other tasks or missions. As the student has to be exclusively given to learning, the teachers have also to be wholesomely given to transmitting what they learn to others. fie whole society recognizes this and facilitates the role of Brāhmaṇas, so that people will get their due share of knowledge in time. If the whole humanity is left to be devoid of knowledge, it will virtually be worse than cattle. Because of the importance and indispensability of teaching and learning, Brāhmaṇas, given to preserve and promote knowledge, were given special support and encouragement by kings to freely pursue their lifestyle of knowledge pursuit and dissemination.

Teacher-student ratio in Nalanda University

The importance India used to give for learning and teaching can be best measured from Nalanda University, wherein students from other countries used to arrive in large numbers and take admission. In Nalanda University, the teacher-student ratio was 1 to 5. The place knowledge and its promoters occupied in this holy land, can be clearly judged from this instance.

Law, order and defence

Equally important is the group of people who can deal with law and order as well as defence. This calls for those imbued with the spirit of chivalry, which persuades one to employ his body and its might to contend and contain unlawful people as well as territorial aggressors. This spirit and corresponding tendencies are to be instilled by Nature itself in the very composition of one’s personality. People should be impelled to join police and military service, when called for. This group are the warriors, kshatriyas, noted for their physical strength and fighting tendencies.

Agriculture, trade and industry

Vaiśyas are those given to pursuing agriculture, trade, commerce and rearing of cows. Mankind largely depends upon cow’s milk for health and wellbeing. Cow-care is itself a line of activity which must appeal to people.

Physical service

The fourth category is called Śūdras, who are given to rendering physical service to others. They may not be given to thinking so much, not inclined to gaining knowledge or excelling in that pursuit. But, they are ever willing to serve others and get rewarded for it. They are satisfied with such a career.

Despite tendencies, Self remains unaffected

The fundamental difference in the activities of these four categories is fully due to the inner tendencies of each, which are a creation and preservation of Nature. But these are verily superficial. In the core of every individual is the impersonal and impartial Self. Hence complete non-activity and immutability reign there.

Activity does not involve one’s core

In other words, the nucleus in every individual is one of inactivity and unchangeability. It is not involved in whatever actions the body, senses, mind, intelligence and ego do. None of these reaches or touches the centre of one’s being. The central presence remains exclusively intact, shining in its own spiritual splendour and glory. Thus, none has anything to complain or feel deficient about the whole system Nature has evolved and preserved.

So, the differential tendencies and the resulting activities do not verily matter in any significant consideration. Each carries his own sovereign inner fullness and absoluteness. This is, no doubt, the wonder of the creational display. It thrives in transformingness, but nothing verily affects the core of any one. The world survives, so too the human aggregate, with all these differences and variety, making the whole display interesting and even alluring. But nothing adverse happens anywhere any time. So, there is all ground to feel peaceful and harmonious about Nature and her amazing display.

Despite the varietal display we face everywhere within Nature, the supreme truth is that every one, in spite of whatever tendencies he has and pursues, the real contentment and fulfilment for every one consists in discovering his own inmost fullness and abundance and striving to realize it without fail. In that alone does human life become meaningful and crown itself.

(to be continued)