Question on Yudhisthir's justice as shown today

Hi All,

Was caste system really according to the Vedas during Dwapara Yuga? Meaning that the learned were Brahmins, the protectors were Kshatriyas etc.?

If it was not so and the caste system had already become rigid, then wasn't Yudhisthir's justice as shown in today's episode faulty?

He said Shudra is Agyaani, Vaishya has a little Gyan and so on.

Can we actually say that the Shudra guy and Vaishya were less culpable in the murder than the Kshatriya and the Brahmin?

Or is it because the laws were different back then? My sister said that universal law was not prevalent at that time.

Of course, it could all be the brainchild of BRC, but I was just wondering about the justice shown today.. I was not convinced.

The meaning of his agyani comment was coming from the fact that only Kshatriyas and Brahmans were allowed to read the Vedas and other scriptures. So according to Yudi, the Shudra and Vaishya, having not read the relevant scriptures were not aware of the punishment/repercussions that they might face after committing the murder. On the other hand, the Brahman and the Kshatriya knew what they were doing and what were the consequences. Yudi basically gave the poorer men the benefit of the doubt.

This concept is still in use in the current day and age in the form of "tax the rich" i.e. who all have more resources, education etc should be held responsible for their actions first (it's not in practical use, because with money comes the power to twist the system also, but hum naara aaj bhi yeh hi lagate hai).

Originally posted by: proteeti

The meaning of his agyani comment was coming from the fact that only Kshatriyas and Brahmans were allowed to read the Vedas and other scriptures. So according to Yudi, the Shudra and Vaishya, having not read the relevant scriptures were not aware of the punishment/repercussions that they might face after committing the murder. On the other hand, the Brahman and the Kshatriya knew what they were doing and what were the consequences. Yudi basically gave the poorer men the benefit of the doubt.

This concept is still in use in the current day and age in the form of "tax the rich" i.e. who all have more resources, education etc should be held responsible for their actions first (it's not in practical use, because with money comes the power to twist the system also, but hum naara aaj bhi yeh hi lagate hai).

Thank you for your response😊

That makes sense. I think my confusion was more from the fact that what if the Shudra is equally literate? What if he is also fully aware of all the repurcussions? Then wouldn't he be getting a lenient treatment because of his caste?

If I guess the caste were based on Karma at those times rather than the Janma, then it is a good argument.

That was my initial question - whether the caste system still followed the definition of getting the caste according to your Karma and not by birth as it is now. 😊

Originally posted by: AnkitaPurka66

Thank you for your response😊

That makes sense. I think my confusion was more from the fact that what if the Shudra is equally literate? What if he is also fully aware of all the repurcussions? Then wouldn't he be getting a lenient treatment because of his caste?

If I guess the caste were based on Karma at those times rather than the Janma, then it is a good argument.

That was my initial question - whether the caste system still followed the definition of getting the caste according to your Karma and not by birth as it is now. 😊

A Shudra was not allowed to gain proper education by which he might be able to see the differences in the ethical zone. The original rule-book, which Yudi was quoting, had this policy of leniency only against the policy that lower castes be barred from all education.

Once people started questioning this arrangement (the education part), the high and mighty people on the top were quick to change the policy of punishment (reversing the severity), thereby conveniently ignoring the point of education.

In the Mahabharat Era, the caste system was in the process of changing its definition. This we see in the form ke nobody was allowed to change their caste, but Karma had a strong hold within the castes.

If we go back to the episode where the young Bheeshma is taming a mighty horse, we would see King Shantanu offering to make a merchant (Vaishya) into a Kshatriya and give him some land to be King of. This practice was extinct by the time of today's epi with Yuvaraj Yudi.

The three varnas, brahmins, kshatriyas, and vaishyas, were allowed to read the Vedas while the shudras were deprived the same.

Privilege-wise also, brahmins were the most privileged followed by kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras and they were expected to be knowledgeable in the same sequence. Brahmins were to be the most gyaani followed by the rest in the given sequence of chaturvarna.

So, it can mean that if you are more privileged and intellectual then the society and the country expects better and more informed actions from you. Hence, the difference in punishments. That's how I interpreted today's episode.

Thank you guys 🤗 both answers were very helpful. I understood the point. 😊

I have seen a lot of assertions that the caste system was not in the Vedas: it originated in Manu's smritis. If anybody who's actually read the Vedas is familiar, please let us know

Yudhisthir's justice - different punishments based on one's caste - is something BRC wove out of clean cloth: not there in the original epic

Lord Krishna say that by birth cast is not determine but by karma cast is decided

For eg Vishamitra was Kshatriya but when he started doing bhraman ritual then he terms as bhraman because of bhraman act

However according to vedas

From bhrama mouth bhraman appear

From bhrama shoulder Kshatriya appear

from bhrama stomach vaish appear

From bhrama feet shudra appear

Actually bhraman , Kshatriya vaish and shudra in earlier days these are not call cast but call as 4 varna

There are 4 varna that is bhraman Kshatriya vaish and shudra

And under every 4 varna there are many cast and cast decided by gotra nd occupation

Varna is what in which person do according to his or her nature

And cast is decided by lineage