Brahmanas recognised by guna & karma

Is it possible for some devotee(s) to please let me know from which

scripture the following shloka comes from:

janmana jayate sudrah

samskarad bhaved dvijah

veda-pathad bhaved vipro

brahma janati brahmanah

Also can some one please provide references (besides Bg. 4.13 & SB 7.11.35)

from the scriptures in connection Brahmanas being recognised by guna & karma

and not by janma.

I'd recommend looking into Sanskrit dictionaries, dharma-sastras etc.

The closest one in Manu-samhita (10.4):

Brahmana, the Kshatriya, and the Vaisya castes (varna) are the twice-born

ones, but the fourth, the Sudra, has one birth only; there is no fifth

(caste).

> Also can some one please provide references (besides Bg. 4.13 & SB 7.11.35)

> from the scriptures in connection Brahmanas being recognised by guna & karma

> and not by janma.

from my limited resources:

yaviyamsa ekasitirjayanteyah pitur adesakara maha-salina

maha-srotriya yajna-silah karma-visuddha brahmana-babhuvuh.

In addition to these nineteen sons mentioned above, there were eighty-one

younger ones, all born of Rsabhadeva and Jayanti. According to the order of

their father, they became well cultured, well behaved, very pure in their

activities and expert in Vedic knowledge and the performance of Vedic rituals.

Thus they all became perfectly qualified brahmanas. (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.4.13)

sudre tu yad bhavel laksma

dvije tac ca na vidyate

na vai sudro bhavec chudro

brahmano na ca brahmanah

"If the characteristics of a brahmana are found in a sudra and not in a

brahmana, that sudra should not be known as a sudra, and that brahmana should

not be known as a brahmana." (Mahabharata, Vana Parva, Chapter 180)

sudra-yonau hi jatasya

sad-gunanupatisthatah

arjave vartamanasya

brahmanyam abhijayate

"If a person born in a sudra family has developed the qualities of a brahmana,

such as satya [truthfulness], sama [peacefulness], dama [self-control] and

arjava [simplicity], he attains the exalted position of a brahmana."

(Mahabharata, Vana Parva, Chapter 211)

sthito brahmana-dharmena

brahman yam upajiva ti

ksatriyo vatha vaisyo va

brahma-bhuyah sa gacchati

ebhis tu karmabhir devi

subhair acaritais tatha

sudro brahmanatam yati

vaisyah ksatriyatam vrajet

na yonir napi samskaro

na srutam na ca santatih

karanani dvijatvasya

vrttam eva tu karanam

"If one is factually situated in the occupation of a brahmana, he must be

considered a brahmana, even if born of a ksatriya or vaisya family.

"O Devi, if even a sudra is actually engaged in the occupation and pure

behavior of a brahmana, he becomes a brahmana. Moreover, a vaisya can become a

ksatriya.

"Therefore, neither the source of one's birth, nor his reformation, nor his

education is the criterion of a brahmana. The vrtta, or occupation, is the

real standard by which one is known as a brahmana." (Mahabharata, Anusasana

Parva, Chapter 163)

Five brahmins, though as learned as Brhaspati, are never honoured: the

impatient, the harsh, the haughty, the ill-clad and the uninvited. (Garuda

Purana 1.115.22)

tesam agama margena suddhir na srauta vartmana

In Kali-yuga, whatever brahmanas take birth are equal to sudras and are

equally impure. According to scriptural injunctions, they are purified, but in

Kali-yuga, they cannot be purified by chanting or learning Vedic mantras.

(Hari Bhakti Vilasa 5.5, from Visnu Yamala)

(He who has not been initiated) should not pronounce (any) Vedic text

excepting (those required for) the performance of funeral rites, since he is

on a level with a Sudra before his birth from the Veda. (Manu-samhita 2.172)

Canakya's Niti-sastra, ch. 11:

13. The brahmana who is engrossed in worldly affairs, brings up cows and is

engaged in trade is really called a vaishya.

14. The brahmana who deals in lac-die, articles, oil, indigo, silken cloth,

honey, clarified butter, liquor, and flesh is called a shudra.

15. The brahmana who thwarts the doings of others, who is hypocritical,

selfish, and a deceitful hater, and while speaking mildly cherishes cruelty in

his heart, is called a cat.

16. The brahmana who destroys a pond, a well, a tank, a garden and a temple is

called a mleccha.

17. The brahmana who steals the property of the Deities and the spiritual

preceptor, who cohabits with another's wife, and who maintains himself by

eating anything and everything is called a chandala.

Regarding the position of Vaisnava vs. brahmana and other varnas (and also

outcastes) please refer to the file vaisvarn.txt in this file area.

There is a very nice book on that topic written by Srila Bhaktisidhanta

"Brahmana and Vaisnava" issued by Vrajraj Press, India 1999. I think it

should be available in England, and for sure in BLS Radhadesh, Belgium. But

if not i may write you some nice quots from Upanisadas etc.

Below i write some qouts from "Brahmana and Vaisnavism". First come quots

regarding seminal brahmana, then who is fit to become brahmana. I cite few

quots regarding seminal brahmana but i cite BSST sentences to give

background for our understanding why do we actually discuss this topic.

Dharma-sastra has stated

devah paroksa devah pratyaksa devah brahmanah

brahmanair loka dharyante

brahmananam prasadena divi tisthanti devatah

brahmanabhihitam vakyam na mithya jayate kvacit

yad brahmanas tustatama vadanti tad devatah pratyabhinandayanti

tustesu tustah satatm bhavanti pratyaksa devesu paroksa devah

"The demigods are not seen by gross senses.The brahmanas are manifestations

of the demigods. The brahmanas sustain all the planets. The demigods reside

in the heavenly planets by the mercy of the brahmanas.The brahmanas' words

can never be fause. Whatever the brahmanas speak in great satisfaction is

accepted by the demigods. When the manifested forms of the demigods, the

brahmanas, are satisfied, the demigods, who are beyonde sense perception,

are also satesfied."(Visnu 19.20-23)

In such a mood Dharma sastras go on glorification of the brahmanas. Dharma

sastras describe seminal brahmana, for ex.:

yajna-siddhy-artham anaghan

brahmanan mukhato 'srjat

brahmanyam brahmanenaivam

utpanno brahmanah smrtah

"From the mouth the sinless brahmanas were created for the purpose of

performing sacrifices. The child born of a brahmana in the womb of his

brahmana wife is known as a brahmana." (Harita 1.12,15)

When the sages who compiled the twenty Dharma-sastras assisted the kings in

controlling and maintaining human society, they directed society in

following the path of ritualistic fruitive activities. Those rules were

followed according to the particular place. In the opinion of some persons,

at the beginning of the Kali age the Manu Dharma-sastra and the doctrine of

Parasara Muni were prominently accepted, while the other Dharma-sastras were

neglacted. Others say that the doctrine if Harita was prominent and the

activities prescribed by the other Dharma-sastras were neglected. Generally,

whatever one found convenient was accepted, without regard for other's

consent and liking. One cannot expect that the ritualistic smriti-sastras

will be fully honored by all persons, at all places and at all times. By

seminal consideration, the descendants of a brahmana are also brahmanas -

this belief has been generally accepted for a long time. There is no

shortage of evidence from the smritis, Puranas, and histories in support of

this belief. Yet by the evidence that we have presentsd regarding the

degradation of brahmanas, the disqualification of brahmanas who commit

sinful activities, and the uncertainty of who is a real brahmana, every

listener will be able to understand how qualified the present day

descendants of brahmanas are.

Chandogya Upanisad says

asmat kulino 'nanucya

brahma bandhur iva bhavati

"A brahma-bandhu, or a mere relative of a brahmana, is one who belongs to

our brahmana community but has not studied the Vedas"

If someone blasphemes the Vedas, the ritual textbooks that follow the Vedic

version, the Dharma-sastras, the Puranas, the Tantras, as well as neutral

speakers of the truth and think that this will enhance the prestige of

degraded persons like themselves, then honest fruitive workers will never

approve. Let the brahmanas become purely brahminical and let the prestige of

the brahmanas who have actually become brahminical remain intact forever -

this is the intention of the sastras and the speakers of the sastras; they

never want to condemn brahmanas. One should not engage in the sin of

criticizing brahmanas.

Mahabharata, Vana-parva states

nadhyapanat yajanad va

anyasmad va pratigrahat

doso bhavati vipranam

jvalitagni sama dvijah

durveda va suveda va

prakrtah samskrtas tatha

brahmana navamantavya

bhasmacchanna ivagnayah

yatha smasane diptaujah

pavako naiva dusyati

evam vidvan avidvan va

brahmano naiva dusyati

"Brahmanas are like burning fire; therefore even if they do not study the

Vedas, even if they act as prisets for those who should not perform Vedic

sacrifices, or even if they accept charity from low-class people, they are

not at fault."

"Whether brahmanas possess knowledge of the Vedas or are devoid of knowledge

of the Vedas, whether they are worldly or have undergone the reformatory

processes, they do not deserve to be disrespected, for they are like fire

covered by ashes."

"As the bright fire of the funeral pyre is not considered impure, a

brahmana, whether foolish or learned, is not faulty."

Still if one ascribes the prestige of a Satya-yuga brahmana to a Kali-yuga

brahmana, the result is simply a distortion of the truth. If one offers a

brahmana more respect than he deserves, then the glories of he who offers

the respect will increase and the respected brahmana's affection for him

will increase. But if a respected brahmana forgets his actual position out

of pride, then when he remembers the following statement from the

Visnu-yamalahe will be agitated and lose sleep at night. When those

brahmanas who know the condemnations of the Visnu-yamala hear such things,

they should keep their mouths shut. Visnu-yamala in Hari-bhakti-vilasa, in

the begining of fifth Vilasa states

asuddhah sudra-kalpa hi

brahmanah kali-sambhavah

"The brahmanas born in Kali-yuga are impure and no better than sudras"

In Kali-yuga seminal lines are not pure, so those born as brahmanas are

equal to sudras and qualified only in name. Such brahmanas cannot be

purified by Vediv rituals. Rather they can be purified by following the

Tantras.

Anyway,leaving aside the evidence we have quoted so far from the

scriptures regarding seminal brahmanas, we will now discuss the processes

mentioned in the sastras by which a person attains the position of an actual

brahmana, and who is a fit candidate for becoming brahmana.

First comes the whole Vrajasucikopanisad (quoted already by Nayana-ranjana

Prabhu)

Second comes the Chandogya Upanisad of the Sama Veda (4th prapathaka, 4th

khanda) - that is history how Satyakama, the son of Jabala, aproached

Gautama for initiation. (It's long, so i write only last verse)

tam hovaca na etad abrahmano vivaktum arhati. samidham saumya ahara upayitva

nesye. na satyad aga iti.

"Gautama then said - My dear son, no one other than a brahmana can speak

such truth that you have spoken. Therefore you are a brahmana, and i accept

you. O gentle one, go bring wood for sacrifice. - Jambala replied 'I am

going right now to bring wood' Gautama said 'Never divert from the truth'."

Now i will cite six evidences from Mahabharata:

1.Santi-parva, Moksa-dharma, ch 188

himsanrta-priya lubdhah

sarva-karmopajivinah

krsnah sauca-paribrastas

te dvijah sudratam gatah

"When the brahmanas commit violence, speak lies, become greedy, earn their

livelihood by any and all activities, lose their purity by sinful

activities, then they become degraded into sudras."

2.Santi-parva, ch.189

bhrgur uvaca

jata-karmadibhir yas tu samskaraih samskrtah suci

vedadhyayana-sampannah satsu karmasv avasthitah

saucacara-sthitah samyag vighasasi guru-priyah

nitya-vrati satya-parah sa vai brahmana ucyate

satya-danam athadroha anrsamsyam trapa ghrna

tapas ca drsyate yatra sa brahmana iti smrtah

sarva-bhaksa-ratir nityam sarva-dharma-karo 'sucih

tyakta-vedas tv anacarah sa vai sudra iti smrtah

sudre caitad bhavel laksyam dvije ca na vidyate

na vai sudro bhavec chudro brahmano brahmano na ca

"Brghu replied: A person who has been purified by the reformatory processes

like jata-karma, or name-giving ceremony, who is clean, devoted to studying

the Vedas, expert in the six occupations like worship and teaching worship,

situated in pure conduct, eating the remnants of his spiritual master, dear

to the spiritual master, regularly engaged in performing vows, and fixed in

truthfulness is considered a brahmana. A human being who is truthful,

charitable, shy, not hateful, austere, not vengeful, and not cruel is a

brahmana. One who is attached to eating all kinds of foods and performing

all kinds of activities, who is impure, deviant from the principles of Vedic

culture, and ill-behaved is known as a sudra. If the symptoms of a brahmana

are found in a sudra and in the symptoms of a sudra found in a brahmana,

then the sudra should not be called a sudra and the brahmana should not be

called a brahmana."

3.Vana-parva, ch.211

sudra-yonau hi jatasya sad-gunanupatisthatah

vaisyatvam labhate brahman ksatriyatvam tathaiva ca

arjave vartamanasya brahmanyam abhijayate

"O brahmana, if a person is born in the family of a sudra and posesses good

qualities, he becomes a vaisya or a kstriya. And if he possesses the quality

of simplicity, he is a brahmana."

4.Vana-parva, ch.215

tam brahmanam aham manye vrttena hi bhaved dvijah

"Indeed, the only criteria for being a brahmana is to possess pure

characteristics."

5. Santi-parva, ch.318

sarve varna brahmana brahmajas ca

brahmasyato brahmanah samprasutah

bahubhayam vai ksatriyah samprasutah

nabhyam vaisyah padatas capi sudrah

sarve varna nanyatha veditavyah

tat-stho brahma tasthivams caparo yas

tasmai nityam moksam ahur narendra

"Persons of all varnas are brahmanas, because they are all born from Lord

Brahma. The brahmanas were born from the mouth of Brahma, the kstriyasfrom

his arms, the vaisyas were born from his navel, and the sudras were born

from his legs. Do not consider the varnas in another way. One who is fixed

in knowledge is a brahmana. Therefore, O king, this moksa-sastra was spoken

for the benefit of those brahmanas and ksatriyas who have atteined

knowledge. This is the opinion of ancient scholars."

6.Vana-parva, ch. 180

yudhisthira uvaca

satyam danam ksama-silam anrsamsyam tapo ghrna

drsyante yatra nagendra sa brahmana iti smrtah

"Maharaja Yudhisthira replied: A person who possesses truthfulness, charity,

forgiveness, sobriety, gentleness, austerity, and lack of hatred is called a

brahmana."

yudhistira uvaca

sudre tu yad bhavel laksma dvije tac ca na vidyate

na vai sudro bhavec chudro brahmano na ca brahmanah

yatraital laksyate sarpa vrttam sa brahmanah smrtah

yatraitan na bhavet sarpa tam sudram iti nirdiset

"Mharaja Yudhisthira replied: If such symptoms are found in a sudra he

should never be called a sudra, just as a brahmana is not a brahmana if he

does not possess these qualities. O snake, only a person who is endowed with

the characteristics of a brahmana can be called a brahmana, otherwise he is

a sudra."

By these six separate evidences quoted from the Mahabharata, it is

clearly understood that one should be accepted without hesitation as a

savitrya or daiksya (Vedic or spiritually initiated) brahmana if he

possesses simplicity and the nature of a brahamana, regardless his birth.

Those who are brahmanas by birth are very othodox in regards to their eating

and sexual relations. But these principles are not obstacles for the

savitrya brahmanas. We do not find any obstacles in the smooth performance

of such persons' spiritual brahminicam duties. All sastric evidence that is

unfavorable to the ascertainment of who is a brahmana on the basis of

seminal descent are reasonable and unrefutable by argument. The

Dharma-satras that sipport the seminal brahmanas do not contradict

Vyasadeva. The evidence in Sri Mahabharata, however, is more important and

more respected than that of the Dharma-sastras. The evidence of the

Dharma-sastras is only theoretical, while the evidence in the Mahabharata is

practicle. Those who oppose this principle will simply confirm themselves as

evil doers of this world.

Srimad Bhagavatam describes varnas in 7 Canto 11.21-24,35, and confirms that

qualities are important not birth.

(Next pages describe examples of persons born in brahmana family but

degraded, and those born in lower families but who atteined brahmana

standard. It is too long to cite)

The various scriptural references describing the qualifications of

brahmanas and showing respect for brahmanas refer to both seminal brahamanas

and those who have become brahmanas by initiation. These references from

scriptures on karma, jnana, and bhakti do not refer only to seminal

brahmanas. In no case are brahmanas by initiation disregarded. Although in

the opinion of some scriptures there is no possibility of becoming an

initiated brahmana unless one is a seminal brahmana, this restriction was

imposed only because of narrow-minded social traditions. When this

narrow-mindedness is given up by deep research and higher education, then

the entire world will be illuminated by the glories of the eternal Aryan

culture. Then we will understand how futile is the attempt of frogs to fill

the universe with the sound of their croaking.

(Above excerpts are from the Prakrti-jana-kanda. Sometimes i changes the

sentence little bit in grammar in order to keep the flow of reading,

especially when i cite sentences from diffrent places and put them together.

This refers to the seminal part in order to make it shorter. With the latter

part i cite two paragraphs in full.)