Why caste in Hinduism?

This question has been asked to me often. Reading on this in Kaanchi Mahaswamigal’s தெய்வத்தின் குரல் I got the clearest understanding on this.

It’s also a pleasant surprise when I read in Swedish Religious book for school children when it mentioned the core of its existence ‘Caste gives security and determined roles in society’.

The division of labour in ant or honey societies much appreciated by the west, but Hinduism’s caste’s definition of division of labour which actually gives security to society and gives strength to works is ridiculed. And in our own religion, ‘English/West’ educated minds are unable to understand the real reasons.

When one does not have something which is good, that does not mean one should say what the other has is bad or to be ridiculed. This is very bad social disorder which affects society’s very existence.

The caste on the other hand as still followed by films ‘cast by’ gives people their ‘individual determined role’ in society. Just as an actor/actress given a determined role in film. Play the role and do the share of contribution instead of being a victim from an outsider who mocks at the role being played for any reason.

There might have been few incidents where little exploitation might have happened, but it got blown out of proportions during foreign rule of India and till now not many corrections done to erase these out of proportion effects. What one sees, instead is that coupled with ‘Colonial education’ India’s own people calling themselves educated want to ridicule caste which actually had saved Vedas and what we call now as Hinduism in India while in rest of the world, Veda and Hinduism long got to ruins or carried away in new forms of revolutionary religions which like revolutions after revolutions give way to new religions.

Reminded of Kaanchi Mahaswamigal’s palm tree and creeper comparison with Hinduism and rest of other religions. While a creeper might grow faster and reach on top of palm tree to question why palm tree has not grown, it actually forgets that not only the palm tree has seen hundreds and thousands of such creepers, but also the very creepers gets their strength to creep on the existence and tolerance of the palm tree without which the creeper wouldn’t have grown to the top to ask the question.

Thus, Hindus caste gives society’s social security which includes the job and rest….while Hindus four stages of life as Brahmachariyam, Grahastham, Vaanaprastham and Sannyasin defines the timeperiods where one performs these works. In Brahmachariyam one learns as a student and in Grahastham one does the work and contributes to society what is learnt and passes the skill to children. In Vaanaprastham, one goes to forest with wife leaving children to carry on. While in Sannyasin, one leaves even the wife and wonders in search of God…for which one should have done all 3 earlier stages as preparations/qualifications to reach God in Sannyasin.

Thus every work of Hindus in caste is nothing but a service to God and to be taken as a division of labour in society’s needs. This is the true meaning of மக்கள் சேவை மகேசன் சேவை to see God in everyone and to perform duty as service to God whatever one may do.

Just a while ago, I read and learnt that ‘Urbi et Orbi’ in Latin means ‘To the city and the world’ – Not surprising my earlier post on ‘யாதும் உரே யாவரும் கேளிர் ’.