The Role of the Brahmins and Kshatriya in Education Term Paper

Introduction

The present research will be based on the ancient Indian epos “Ramayana”. Conventionally the authoring of the epos is attributed to the Treta Yuga, one of the four most prominent personalities of ancient Indian history. Rama is said to have been born in the Treta Yuga to King Daśaratha.

The epic poem consists of twenty four thousand verses (Shlock), united into seven books (Kands):

1. “The book of childhood” (of Rama – the main character of Ramayana).
2. “The book of (king’s court)” Aiodhya.”
3. “The book of (life of Rama the exile in) forest desert.”
4. “The book of (Rama’s union with) Kishkinda.”
5. “Wonderful book” (bout Lanka Island – the kingdom of the evil spirit of Ravana, the thief of Rama’s spouse – Sita).
6. “The book of the battle” (monkey troops of Rama against Ravana’s demons).
7. “Conclusion” (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2004).

Essence

The Ramayana had a significant impact on later Sanskrit poetry, first and primarily throughout its foundation of the Sloka indicator. And like the Mahabharata, Ramayana is not just an epic with the beginning, culmination and conclusion. It includes the philosophies of early Hindu gurus and offers them through allegory in description and the diversification of the philosophical and the supplicational. The characters of Rama, Sita, Lakshmana, Bharata, Hanuman and Ravana (the scoundrel of the peace) are all basic to the educational awareness of India. (Narayan, 1993).

In his epos, Valmiki articulates his view of human behavioral system on the example of Rama: life is temporary and the riotous advance to it is worthless. Nevertheless, that should not permit one to be unresponsive to one’s own privileges and duties described in the antique texts. He thus implements the regard that Dharma is something that is announced in the Veda and it ought to be chased for its own sake, not for something that it brings you in hurt or enjoyment. Following this will guarantee one’s wellbeing in this and the subsequent world. Moreover, Ramayana also strengthens the necessity for judging the obvious results before making assures, for if one makes them he/ she must follow them, and never mind how durable and difficult it may be. (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2004).

Sankshepa Ramayana, the short recitation of the whole Ramayana story by the sage Narada to Valmiki, creates the first narration of Valmiki Ramayana. Narada records the sixteen features of the perfect human and assures that Rama had been created as the absolute man owning all sixteen of the named features. Though Rama announces “he is but a man, and never once asserts to be celestial”, Rama is viewed by Hindus as one of the most imperative Avatar of the god Vishnu and as a perfect man. (Narayan, 1993).

Valmiki describes Rama not just as a mystical being, but as a person with all the assistant inadequacies, who stumbles upon moral predicaments but who surmounts these by simply sticking to the dharma – the virtuous way. There are numerous examples told in Valmiki Ramayana which radiate shades on the immaculate character of the leading actor and strengthen the theme of Rama stressed with corporeal faults and discriminations whilst aiming to pursue the course of dharma. (Narayan, 1993).

The sages in the epos are represented in the deeds and thoughts of the main characters, as every of them is the inspiration of the types of wisdom. The fact that all the characters are taking advice from Brahmins only emphathize their role in the spread of knowledge:

Spake each peer and holy Brahman: “Dasa-ratha’s will be done!”
Spake the king unto the envoys: “Part we with the rising sun!”…
Royal grace and kingly greeting, marked the ancient monarch’s word,
Janak with a grateful pleasure Dasa-ratha’s answer heard,
And the Brahmans and preceptors joyously the midnight spent,
And in converse pure and pleasant and in sacred sweet content.
Rigliteous Rama, gallant Lakshman piously their father greet,
Duly make their deep obeisance, humbly touch his royal feet,
And the night is filled with gladness for the king revered and old,
Honoured by the saintly Janak, greeted by his children bold,
On Mithila’s tower and turret stars their silent vigils keep,
When each sacred rite completed, Janak seeks his nightly sleep.

One of the most important characters, who help Rama overcome all the difficulties, is the wisest sage, and Rama’s personal Guru – Vishwamitra. He argues that everyone aims to achieve contentment and to eliminate poverty, but is usually of no success. Universe is gigantic and eternal. Human is just an insignificant element of the Cosmos and consequently, needs to lead one’s life in observance with the wellbeing of all. As an alternative, human considers that Universe and the whole world is created for his own satisfaction, and takes advantages of it. Just as a baby takes milk from its mother or a bee takes nectar out of a flower, man can also takes essential possessions from Nature. (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2004)

His expression may characterize the essence of his entire role in the education:

There is no disease like greed,
No enemy like anger,
No sorrow greater than poverty,
No happiness equal to wisdom.

As for the division of the society, this is also regarded as the part of Indian wisdom. As the part of education it played the greatest ever role in the further development of civilization. (Narayan, 1993) This is observed in the following lines of the epos:

Kshatras bowed to holy Brahmans, Vaisyas to the Kshatras bowed

Toiling Sudras lived by labour, of their honest duty proud.

The varṇa scheme was first and primary a scheme for separating society into interdependent classes, and only secondarily a means for likewise classifying other dominions by projecting communal axioms into them. When relating to these other fields, to the “usual” and paranormal worlds, for instance, the system pursues a reliable logic: the constant traits, characteristics, powers, skills, and functions that defined the Brahmin priests, Kshatriya warriors and rulers, and the commoner social class were recast as templates for the divisions within these other territories. Moreover, relations among the social divisions – normally hierarchically ruled – were also replicated in other kingdoms subject to the varṇa system. (Duiker & Spielvogel, 2004)

Communal classes, in their spirits and relations, were the example for the categorization of other kingdoms. Because of the precedence of the social measurement to the varṇa scheme as a whole, it is consequently suitable that we begin with the Vedic texts that apprehends themselves unswervingly and openly with antique India’s description of sociology.

The varṇa system is, it will be memorized, the Indian variant of what Dumézil has classified as a generally Indo-European “tripartite ideology,” the societal demonstration of which separates society into three “purposes”: religion and rule, defense, and productivity. (Narayan, 1993)

Conclusion

In conclusion it is necessary to mention, that the role of Brahmins and Kshatriya in education played sufficient role, as sages, represented in the castes of Brahmins inspirited the wisdom of the world. As it has been regarded in the paper, all the characters resort to the help of various Gurus, Sages or Priests in order to follow the rules collected in various tractates of wisdom. Not to be proofless, here are the lines, which describe Brahmins:

Jabali a learned Brahman and a Sophist skilled in word,
Questioned Faith and Law and Duty, spake to young Ayodhya’s lord:
Wherefore, Rama, idle maxims cloud thy heart and warp thy mind,
Maxims which mislead the simple and the thoughtless human kind?
Love nor friendship doth a mortal to his kith or kindred own,
Entering on his Nvide earth friendless, and departing all alone,
Foolishly upon the father and the mother dotes the son,
Kinship is an idle fancy,-save thyself thy kith is none!

But unfortunately, only Brahmins may be regarded as the collectors of wisdom, as Kshatriya only use that wisdom, and often can not do without sages in every difficult situation, inspite they are considered the perfect inspirations of human prototypes.

References

Duiker, W. J. Spielvogel, J. J. 2004. The Essential World History Wadsworth Publishing.

Narayan R.K. 1993. The Ramayana, Penguin USA publisher.

William Buck 2000. Ramayana (Paperback), University of California Press.