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Sudras were not supposed to understand Vedic knowledge. Especially brahmanas and ksatriyas

Expressions researched:
"Śūdras were not supposed to understand Vedic knowledge. Especially brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas"

Lectures

Srimad-Bhagavatam Lectures

Brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, they are trained differently. Brāhmaṇa—for understanding Vedic knowledge and guide the other three subdivisions, namely kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, not śūdras. Śūdras were not supposed to understand Vedic knowledge. Especially brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas.

Prabhupāda: Hmm. So, draupadī-patīnām. Patīnām is plural number. So she had five husbands, all the brothers. We should not imitate that. This is possible by Draupadī, not by others. So although she had five husbands, the Pāṇḍavas—Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira, Bhīma, Arjuna, Nakula, Sahadeva—but at the time of retirement, they did not care what will happen to their wife. The same husbands, when they saw that their wife was insulted in the assembly of the Kurus . . . Draupadī was insulted because they lost Draupadī in gambling.

Just see. Gambling is so dangerous. The bet was the wife. The Pāṇḍavas and the Kurus were playing on chess, and they lost their kingdom, they lost their wife, then they were ordered to be banished for twelve years and one year incognito. The condition was, "Now the betting is that if you lose the game, then you will be banished for twelve years in the forest. And one year you have to remain incognito. Nobody will know where you are. If you are," I mean to say: "Picked up, if somebody knows you, recognizes you, 'Here are the Pāṇḍavas,' then again twelve year." This is the previous condition of the Battle of Kurukṣetra. The whole idea was to reject the five Pāṇḍavas and enthrone Duryodhana and his brothers. That was the diplomacy.

So when they were living incognito—nobody could know where the Pāṇḍavas were at—they attempted to gain Draupadī in the dress of brāhmaṇas. Draupadī's father made a bet that, "This is the condition of my daughter being given to a boy." The condition was that on the ceiling a fish was hanging, and the boy who will be victorious in piercing the eyes of the fish by arrow . . . not directly looking, but there was a waterpot, the reflection; he has to fix up his point by seeing the reflection down, and then he has to pierce the eye. Then Draupadī will accept.

All the noted princes in those times, they kept such bet. Even Kṛṣṇa had to marry Satyabhāmā . . . Satyabhāmā's father also made a bet that . . . he kept five very strong bulls. So condition was that, "Any boy who will be able to control these bulls, then I will offer my daughter to him." So all the princes who came to control the bulls, they got their hands and legs fractured by the pushing of the bull. Nobody could . . . then Kṛṣṇa came. And Kṛṣṇa controlled the five bulls, expanding Himself into five strong boy, and He was offered Satyavādi.

So in kṣatriya marriage it was not so easy. The boy had to show how much powerful he is. Then the girl will be offered. Not only that; there will be killing. The opposite party may be killed. When there is fight, there is killing. And by killing, the blood is smeared over here (gestures). That is the red sign. That is the red sign, now used with vermillion. Not by killing. Yes, it has become . . . it is made easier. (laughter) Formerly the red sign was not so easy. There must be blood. That is kṣatriya. Kṣatriya means the fighting race, fighting caste, king, royal. They must be very chivalrous fighting, not timid. A kṣatriya cannot be timid. Brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, śūdras, they are trained differently. Brāhmaṇa—for understanding Vedic knowledge and guide the other three subdivisions, namely kṣatriyas, vaiśyas, not śūdras. Śūdras were not supposed to understand Vedic knowledge. Especially brāhmaṇas and kṣatriyas.

So the kṣatriyas were very chivalrous. In every action there is fight. And this gambling was allowed for the kṣatriyas. If the opposite party challenges, "I want to play with you gambling," "Yes." The kṣatriya cannot deny. If somebody, opposite party, comes, "I want to fight with you," "Yes, come on." Just like Jarāsandha. Jarāsandha was requested by Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna and Bhīma that, "We have come to you to fight with you. Any one of us you can select, and that is our request." Jarāsandha, he immediately accepted, "Yes." So he rejected Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna. He said: "Kṛṣṇa is a coward. I do not wish to fight. And Arjuna, Arjuna is less strong than me, so I don't wish to fight with him. Now, the only combatant is Bhīma. So I shall fight with him." So during daytime they would fight, all day. And after daytime they are friends. All these three gentlemen, Kṛṣṇa, Arjuna and Bhīma, were guest of Jarāsandha. From evening, they will eat together, talk together, laugh together, and then in the morning they will fight. This is kṣatriya spirit.

Page Title:Sudras were not supposed to understand Vedic knowledge. Especially brahmanas and ksatriyas
Compiler:SharmisthaK
Created:2022-11-03, 09:31:41
Totals by Section:BG=0, SB=0, CC=0, OB=0, Lec=1, Con=0, Let=0
No. of Quotes:1