There is hardly any evidence of a rigid caste system in the Vedas. It is argued that the purushasuktahymn of the Rig Veda (X.90) which is often referred to in order to give a religious sanction to the caste system was a later interpolation.
The Vedas, however, speak of various classes of people, which appear to have been names of professions, and they were not hereditary.
The very concepts of castes by birth, upper/lower castes, superior/inferior castes, outcastes, untouchables, Dalits, etc. are clearly prohibited by Rig-Veda”.
The caste system which is so integral to Hinduism was also not practiced in the Vedic times.
The Book of Manu was made by Manu Dharma Shastra. The Book of Manu was a book originated in India in and around 9th century A.D. This book of Manu was given a false spiritual interpretation by orthodoxy. And this book was projected as ‘Manu Dharma Shastra’ by orthodoxy. It is the Manu Dharma Shastra is the foundation and cause for caste discrimination.
The orthodoxy which has taken upon the responsibility to maintain, propagate and perpetuate the authority of caste discriminating principle called Manu Dharma Shastra.
This caste discrimination led to umpteen numbers of castes and sub-castes within the Indian population. Today because of this caste discrimination makes the Hindus hate each other, fight each other therefore there is no unity among the Hindus.
This caste discriminating tool is used by the modern-day politicians to divide and destroy the social fabric of India. The politicians and the orthodox cults preserve and promote Varnashrama Dharma for their own advantage, which is non-Vedic. Orthodox cults and the politicians glorify, preserve, enforce and perpetuate caste discrimination in India.
In the year 1794 A.D. Sir William Jones, the European chief justice of the then-Supreme Court of India at Calcutta, coined the new term Hinduism for the caste discriminating principle of Varnashrama Dharma originated on the basis of Manu Dharma Śāstra.
(Sir William Jones spent 11 years on the Supreme Court of Calcutta were highly productive ones, and he applied democratic principles to his judicial decisions. The six charges Jones made to the Calcutta Grand Jury during that period helped determine the course of Indian jurisprudence as well as preserve the rights of Indian citizens to a trial by jury, as Jones considered Indians to be equal under the law with Europeans.
His most famous accomplishment in India was established the Asiatic Society of Bengal, in January of 1784. The founding of the Society grew out of Jones's love for India, its people and its culture, as well as his abhorrence of oppression, nationalism, and imperialism. His goal for the Society was to develop a means to foster collaborative international scientific and humanistic projects that would be unhindered by social, ethnic, religious and political barriers. Through the Society, Jones hoped to make Oriental studies much more attractive to people from the West. As a result, Jones exerted a substantial influence on the academic and literary disciplines in Western Europe. He would remain the Society's president until he died.
In addition to establishing the Society, Jones felt compelled to learn Sanskrit so that he could better prepare himself to understand Hindu and Muslim laws. This led to an enormous personal project: the compilation of all such laws. The task was so huge that he was unable to complete it before he died. However, he did publish portions, including Institutes of Hindu Law, or the Ordinances of Menu, Mohammedan Law of Succession to Property of Intestates and Mohammedan Law of Inheritance. He also published numerous works about India, covering a variety of topics including law, art, music, literature, botany, and geography.)
The term Hindu religion is totally a new name that cannot be found in any Indian literature prior to 1794 A.D. Out of the five Indian religions of Buddhism, Jainism, Saivism, Vaishnavism, and Sikhism; Saivism and Vaishnavism were brought under the Varnashrama principle.
After naming the discriminating principle of casteism of Manu Dharma as Hindutva, the religions of Saivism and Vaishnavism, which were enslaved to the caste discriminating principles, were given a new name as ‘Hindu Religion’! Thus, the Hindu religion is different from Santana Dharma or Vedic religion.
The term Hinduism came into existence in British rule. Hinduism is the caste discriminating principle of Varnashrama Dharma based on of the Book of Manu.
After 1750 A.D., Europeans captured certain parts of India and started ruling those areas. The capital of the then British India was Calcutta the present-day Kolkata.
The Britishers were duty-bound to administer justice to the people living within their dominion. Thus, they set up courts of justice. They needed laws to administer justice through the courts.
To administer justice to the Christian citizens of India living within their dominion, there was Christian Law, based on Biblical principles.
To administer justice to the Muslim citizens of India living within their dominion, there was Islamic Law, based on Quranic principles. But to administer justice to non-Christian and non-Islamic citizens living in British dominion, there was no law book. This created problems for the Britishers.
At this time, Sir William Jones was appointed as the chief justice of the Supreme Court at Calcutta. Local pundits made Sir William Jones believe that the book of Manu was the law book for the people of India.
Sir William Jones believed pundits and translated the book of Manu from Sanskrit to English. Thus, on the basis of the laws of Manu, a law was formed for administering justice to non-Christian and non-Muslim Indians of the British dominion and this law was called it as the Hindu law.
The principles of the book of Manu which was used for drafting the Hindu Law were called it as Hinduism. The basic principle of the book of Manu is caste discrimination.
The name coined by Sir William Jones to denote caste discriminating principles is Hinduism. It is not a religion. It is a way of Life. It is the way of life of the Indus people.
In this, a historic false perception crept in. That is when they called the terms Christian Law, Muslim law and Hindu Law, both Christian Law and Muslim Law were associated with the Christian religion and Islamic religion. But in respect of Hindu Law, a false perception of religion was wrongly attributed to it as if it was also associated with a ‘Hindu religion’ which was not there.
This false perception developed a false notion that non-Christian and non-Muslim Indians of the British dominion was belonging to the Hindu religion.
Out of the five Indian religions, since Saivism and Vaishnavism were already enslaved to Varnashrama dharma i.e. caste discrimination or Hindutva, the people of India began to use the newly originated common name of ‘Hindu religion’ to denote Saivism and Vaishnavism. The context and substance of the term Hinduism; coined by Sir William Jones is different from the context and substance of this term ‘Hindu religion’, which was substituted erroneously and used by the people to denote Saivism and Vaishnavism.
The Orthodox believe in Varnashrama Dharma or caste discrimination. People of India wrongly believe that Hinduism is an ancient religion because they are unaware of the fact that Hinduism is not the Santana Dharma or Vedic religion.
People of India have to liberate from the stranglehold of casteism to realize their original religion is not Hinduism which is full of different castes and creeds but Vedic religion or Santana Dharma. The people should be educated about the historical truth of the Vedic Religion or Santana Dharma.
The caste system which is so integral to Hinduism was also not practiced in the Vedic era. There is hardly any evidence of the rigid caste system in the Vedas. The Vedas, however, speak of various classes of people, which appear to have been names of professions, and they were not hereditary.
Rigveda prohibits:~ “The very concept of castes by birth, upper/lower castes, superior/inferior castes, outcastes, untouchables, Dalits,
Bhagavata clearly says in 7.11.35 that: ~ “Just because one is born to a Brahmin doesn’t automatically make him a Brahmin. But he has more chances of becoming a Brahmin by acquiring Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana. Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana is the only qualifications of Brahmin to become a Brahmin. If a person born to a non-Brahmin who acquires Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Atma Gnana possesses he/she should be immediately accepted as a Brahmin.”
In the Vedic era, Brahmin was a person who had acquired Self- knowledge or Brahma Gnana Atma Gnana. This was an extremely difficult path of the discipline of body, mind, and intellect, and people irrespective of their birth or class, who dedicated to such an austere life, were recognized as Brahmins.
A great example of this tradition (that a person becoming a Brahmin, rather than born as one) is the case of Vishwamitra, a warrior (Kshatriya), who became a Brahmin after attaining Atma Jnana or Self-Knowledge.
A Smritis or code of conduct composed by sage Atri defines Brahminhood very clearly.
By birth, every man is a Shudra (an ignorant person). Through various types of disciplines (samskaras), he becomes a dwija (twice-born). Through the studies of scriptures, he becomes a vipra (or a scholar). Through the realization of supreme spirit (Brahma Jnana), he becomes a Brahmin.”
The belief that people born in Brahmin caste, automatically become Brahmins, is a much later concept in the very ancient India. Thus, Brahmin means not caste but one who has attained Atma Jnana or Brahma Jnana.
By birth everyone is Shudra only with Self-knowledge or Brahma Gnana or Brahma Gnana it is possible for every Shudra to become a Brahmin. Those who identify themselves as Brahmins caste without Brahmajnana are not Brahmins.
The religion and caste and creed are nothing to do with God. Humanity itself is a religion. Love and peace and equanimity are much necessary to discard the religion and sect which breeds hatred, violence in the name of God and religion.
Santana Dharma deserves to be treated on its own as a distinct religion with its own sacred texts and practices without inter-linking it with Hinduism.:~Santthosh Kumaar
