शास्त्रं वदति – 10

Saastram speaks -10

Manu has assigned duties for people belonging to each varNa or caste. The following sloka states the duties of a BrAhmin.

अध्यापनम् अध्ययनं यजनं याजनं तथा।
दानं प्रतिग्रहं च एव ब्राह्मणानाम् अकल्पयत् ।। (1- 8) .

adhyāpanam adhyayanaṁ yajanaṁ yājanaṁ tathā|
dānaṁ pratigrahaṁ caiva brāhmaṇanām akalpayat||

Teaching and studying the Vedas. Performing yAga or sacrifice for the welfare of the society and also for his own benefit. Giving and accepting alms. These are the duties assigned to a brAhmin.

अध्यापनम् – Teaching, अध्ययनम्- Learning, यजनं- sacrifice or the act of sacrificing, याजनं- performing or conducting a sacrifice ,तथा- Like that,
दानं- giving alms, च- and, प्रतिग्रहं- accepting alms, अकल्पयत् –thought or assigned, ब्राह्मणानां – for the brAhmins.

4 comments:

InConvincible said...

Hello PRG !

I would be very happy if you could please refer to something that would clarify this:
Is the "Varna" or "Caste" of a person decided by his birth home, or the tasks and jobs that he takes up later in his life according to his choice?

karunakaran said...

चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्म विभागशः Says Krishna.

InConvincible said...

I guess i got it right, but please explain it for my satisfaction !

P.R.Gayathri said...

A person cannot proclaim himself as a brahmin just because he is born into it. He should perform the deeds that are prescribed to him in the scriptures. Can a doctor's son be a doctor? He has to study medicine and qualify himself for being a doctor. Probably being born in a kashatriya or a brahmin family will help the person attain the strict rigors required.
viswamitra, a born kshatriya, is a classic example of a person becoming a rajarishi.