Who is a Brahmin? What is Upanishad?
 | This is a story from the life of Swami Siddharoodha Bharati. Swami Siddharoodha Bharati teaches a scholar about the true meanings of Brahmin and Upanishad. One day subbayya Shastri, a renowned scholar from the council of King of Surapura visited Gajananda Swami's Ashram. "What are you teaching your students?" asked the scholar. Guru Gajananda swami replied that he was teaching the Upanishads to his students. "But only Brahmins should be taught the Upanishads, others are not allowed" argued the scholar. Gajananda Swami tried to convince him, but the scholar would not accept that people other than Brahmins should be taught Upanishads. |
Siddharoodha swami who was watching all this came to his guru and asked his permission to say few words to Subbayya Shastri, Guru Gajananda Swami agreed.
Siddharoodha Swami now facing the scholar said "O scholar please listen to me, Upanishad means 'that knowledge which on being taught ever unites the soul with the Brahman'. It does not mean it is for any particular sect"
Is is not correct to say only Brahmins are eligible for the knowledge about Brahman. There are people in different castes also who are eligible for the supreme knowledge. If you insist on Brahmins being the only eligible sect, please tell me is it your body which is Brahmin? is it your Soul which is Brahmin? is it your caste? is it your karma? is it the donations and charity you have made? or is it the knowledge? which of these is Brahmin?
If you call your soul Brahmin, it has been a worm, an insect and many other things in previous lives, soul which has changed many bodies can not be Brahmin. If you call your body Brahmin you will have to call million other bodies which are like yours, then a son burning his father's body will be committing a sin. If you call your caste Brahmin, there are sages like Vasishta, Vyasa, Jambooka rishi, Shrunga muni, Valmiki, Agasthya, Gowtama who were born of either non-humans or into other castes, they have all gained ultimate knowledge. They are considered sages and are most respected. Certainly you can't consider your caste as Brahmin.
Even knowledge can't be BRahmin, because every animal has knowledge, there are wise men in every caste. Certainly knowledge can't be Brahmin. Karma Can't be Brahmin, everyone Prarabdha karma and Sanchita karmas. Charity and donations can't be called Brahmin because people of all castes do charity.
He whoever is wise, without a caste, not bound by kama-krodha-lobha-moha-mada-maatsarya, has realized the self who is consciousness, has established himself in Brahman and is one in him is a Brahmin according to the Vedas