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by N.Amarnath
PART 8
In Chapter 4 Verse 13 Lord Krishna proclaims Himself as
the Creator, having
brought into existence four kinds of people,
categorized according to their qualities and duties based on the
qualities. Instead of attributing partiality to the Lord based on
this statement, it is worthwhile to look into the subject with an open
mind and in a wider context.
The whole creation is made up of only of three gunas (qualities of nature)
in different combinations and permutations. They are Sattva, Rajas and
Tamas. 'Satva' represents righteousness, contemplation, purity,
moderation, equanimity, and such other noble qualities and is the highest
among the three. Rajas represents valor, achievement, ambition, desire for
success, worldly desires, and such other active qualities and comes next
in terms of divinity or spirituality. Tamas represents dullness,
inactivity, laziness, depression and such other insipid qualities and
occupies the lowest position among the three gunas. Here, the importance
of the three gunas (attributes) are determined according to their capacity
to bring Peace, harmony and happiness.
The whole creation is a mixture of the three gunas, each guna presenting
itself in varying its quantities and concentrations. That explains the
variety and diversity in the creation. These qualities are present in all
beings in different concentrations and quantities. Human beings are no
exception.
If a person has more of Satva than the other two
qualities, he will have a purer disposition. If a person has the
highest concentration of Rajas followed by Satva, he will have a worldly
but noble disposition. If he has the highest concentration of Rajas
followed by Tamas, instead of sattva, he will have a worldy but cruder
disposition. Finally if the quality of Tamas is in greater concentration
compared to the other two qualities, such a person will have a completely
gross and cruel disposition.
How does a particular combination of gunas arise in a human being? It is
not because he is born in a particular group or community but because he
is a product of his previous actions performed in his previous lives.
Given the faculty of Freewill, each human being performs different
actions. These actions produce results, some of which are immediate and
visible while some are invisible and carried forward as a residue. That
which is immediate is enjoyed while the residual results come to fruition
in some future life. When actions or causes are different, effects
will have to be different.
Therefore, the existence of these four types of human beings in the
creation is a natural process of the orderly existence of which God is the
Supreme Lord. This is from the standpoint of the qualities inherent
in the creation of human beings. There will also be variations in the
humanity form the standpoint of duties performed by people.
PART 9
We have seen how human beings differ based upon their inherent qualities
of nature. Driven by their predominant guna-combinations, the humanity can
also be seen divided into four natural groups, based upon the actions
performed by them. Those people with the predominance of Sattva followed
by Rajas and Tamas will be in knowledge related professions; like
philosophers, preachers and teachers etc.
Those people with the predominance of Rajas followed by Satva and Tamas in
that order will be in achievement related professions like conquerors,
leaders, administrators etc. Those people with the predominance of
Rajas followed by Tamas and Satva in that order will be in trade related
professions like manufacturers, businessmen, financiers etc.
Those people with the predominance of Tamas followed by Rajas and Satva
will be in service related professions like clerks, cooks, coolies etc.
Rajas being the intermediary attitude (guna), when either Satva or Tamas
is predominant in a particular combination, only Rajas follows it.
Therefore, occurrence of four groups as above is a certainty; where as any
other combination is impossibility.
The four-fold division among human beings, by virtue of their attitudes
and by virtue of the actions performed by them, is natural in the
creation. As long as there is humanity in the world so long the four-fold
division will also remain. Nothing except acceptance of such fact can be
done about that because creation means, it is by the combination of
different shades of the three gunas only. As the Creator, Lord Krishna
owns up His responsibility for the natural division, but nowhere in Gita
He distinguishes human beings on the basis of their birth, caste, creed,
gender or any other man made division. Before God all are equal, and are
eligible to receive the highest Knowledge taught by Him to free them form
the clutches of sorrow; it is every one's birthright. The Free Will given
to each one, irrespective of their guna-combinations ensures this
birthright. Those who use their free will to reach the Lord reach Him
without doubt; so also those who use their free will to solely chase
materialistic and sensuous pleasures vainly go after them and are ever
immersed in sorrow ingrained in such a pursuit.
While owning up responsibility for the natural four fold division in the
creation, in the same Verse, Lord Krishna also declares that He is not
responsible for that. It is from the perspective of He being the non-doer
witness, which concept will be dealt with in the appropriate place later.
Therefore, there is no grain of truth in the observation, that Lord being
impartial having owned up responsibility for the four-fold division in the
humanity, is proved as above.
Some people observe that the teaching of Bhagavad-Gita is not for youngsters as
they might turn recluse upon being taught the Knowledge propounded by
Bhagavad- Gita.
We shall analyze the truth in the above observation
Suggested Further Reading
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to Part 10 |
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About the Author: Mr.N.Amarnath is currently working as a Manager in State Bank Of India. He is a former Olympian
(Moscow 1980) and served as India's Captain during the 1982 Asian Games
in basket Ball. He has been a student of the Bhagavad Gita for the past 6 years,
attending one class each week. He considers himself for being
fortunate to have been taught the subject matter in a traditional manner
by a qualified Guru. |
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