The Dhaarmik Traditions - Indic Studies Foundation

The use of analogy is termed UpamAna in Sanskrit epistemology. It is one of the six
instruments of the mind used to gather pAra Vidya. Clearly the analogy has failed in
its purpose which was to educate the public on the role of guNAs in the 'division of
labor' paradigm as embodied in the Varna Ashrama system, and it is probably time
to discard such an analogy which does not fit with the politically correct temper of
the times. But merely because it is politically incorrect is hardly reason enough to
misinterpret it as a system based on Race as the British did with the obvious
motive of driving a divisive wedge in the society and make their own job of ruling
autocratically all the more easier. Thus it was, and the evident glee with which the
British went about embellishing and reinventing the Caste system is obvious for all
to read Equally obvious is the fact that they would not have succeeded if there was
no exploitation of weaker sections of society by fellow human beings.
There are several points to note about the verse
1. The tenth Mandala of the Rg. was probably the last one written, even though it is
generally accepted that the Mandalas are not in chronological order. Despite that
the antiquity of the Rg. according to astronomical dating is circa 5000 BCE.
Vedantic ideas had not evolved as yet, as exemplified in the Brahma sutras. The
concept of Purusha (as opposed to Prakriti the material universe) was the first
glimpse of an ontological principle at work.
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