12.181
भृगुरुवाच॥
Bhṛgu said.
असृजद्ब्राह्मणानेव पूर्वं ब्रह्मा प्रजापतिः। आत्मतेजोभिनिर्वृत्तान्भास्कराग्निसमप्रभान् ॥१२-१८१-१॥
Brahmā, the Lord of creatures, in the beginning created the Brāhmaṇas from his own splendor, making them as radiant as the sun and fire.
ततः सत्यं च धर्मं च तपो ब्रह्म च शाश्वतम्। आचारं चैव शौचं च स्वर्गाय विदधे प्रभुः ॥१२-१८१-२॥
Then the Lord established truth, righteousness, austerity, the eternal Brahman, proper conduct, and purity for the sake of heaven.
देवदानवगन्धर्वदैत्यासुरमहोरगाः। यक्षराक्षसनागाश्च पिशाचा मनुजास्तथा ॥१२-१८१-३॥
Gods, dānavas, gandharvas, daityas, asuras, great serpents, yakṣas, rākṣasas, nāgas, piśācas, and humans as well.
ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश्च द्विजसत्तम। ये चान्ये भूतसङ्घानां सङ्घास्तांश्चापि निर्ममे ॥१२-१८१-४॥
O best of the twice-born, Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, Śūdras, and all other groups among beings—He also created all those groups.
ब्राह्मणानां सितो वर्णः क्षत्रियाणां तु लोहितः। वैश्यानां पीतको वर्णः शूद्राणामसितस्तथा ॥१२-१८१-५॥
The Brāhmaṇas are associated with the color white, the Kṣatriyas with red, the Vaiśyas with yellow, and the Śūdras with black.
भरद्वाज उवाच॥
Bharadvāja said.
चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य वर्णेन यदि वर्णो विभज्यते। सर्वेषां खलु वर्णानां दृश्यते वर्णसङ्करः ॥१२-१८१-६॥
If the fourfold order is divided by class, then indeed, a mixture of classes is seen among all the classes.
कामः क्रोधो भयं लोभः शोकश्चिन्ता क्षुधा श्रमः। सर्वेषां नः प्रभवति कस्माद्वर्णो विभज्यते ॥१२-१८१-७॥
Desire, anger, fear, greed, sorrow, anxiety, hunger, and fatigue arise in all of us; so from what basis is caste divided?
स्वेदमूत्रपुरीषाणि श्लेष्मा पित्तं सशोणितम्। तनुः क्षरति सर्वेषां कस्माद्वर्णो विभज्यते ॥१२-१८१-८॥
Sweat, urine, feces, phlegm, bile, and blood—these are exuded by the body of all beings; so from what is color (complexion) divided or distinguished?
जङ्गमानामसङ्ख्येयाः स्थावराणां च जातयः। तेषां विविधवर्णानां कुतो वर्णविनिश्चयः ॥१२-१८१-९॥
There are innumerable species of moving and stationary beings. Among those of various colors, how can there be a determination of color? (12-181-9)
भृगुरुवाच॥
Bhṛgu said.
न विशेषोऽस्ति वर्णानां सर्वं ब्राह्ममिदं जगत्। ब्रह्मणा पूर्वसृष्टं हि कर्मभिर्वर्णतां गतम् ॥१२-१८१-१०॥
There is no distinction among castes; all this world is of Brahman; it was formerly created by Brahman; indeed, by actions it has gone to castehood.
कामभोगप्रियास्तीक्ष्णाः क्रोधनाः प्रियसाहसाः। त्यक्तस्वधर्मा रक्ताङ्गास्ते द्विजाः क्षत्रतां गताः ॥१२-१८१-११॥
Those twice-born, fond of sensual pleasures, fierce, irascible, daring, having abandoned their own duty and with reddened limbs, have become kṣatriyas.
गोषु वृत्तिं समाधाय पीताः कृष्युपजीविनः। स्वधर्मं नानुतिष्ठन्ति ते द्विजा वैश्यतां गताः ॥१२-१८१-१२॥
Those twice-born who, having made their livelihood from cows and agriculture and having drunk (milk), do not perform their own duty, have become like Vaiśyas.
हिंसानृतप्रिया लुब्धाः सर्वकर्मोपजीविनः। कृष्णाः शौचपरिभ्रष्टास्ते द्विजाः शूद्रतां गताः ॥१२-१८१-१३॥
Those twice-born who are fond of violence and falsehood, greedy, living by all kinds of work, dark in conduct, and deprived of purity, have become like śūdras.
इत्येतैः कर्मभिर्व्यस्ता द्विजा वर्णान्तरं गताः। धर्मो यज्ञक्रिया चैषां नित्यं न प्रतिषिध्यते ॥१२-१८१-१४॥
Thus, by these actions, the twice-born who have become separated have entered another caste. Their duty and sacrificial acts are never prohibited.
वर्णाश्चत्वार एते हि येषां ब्राह्मी सरस्वती। विहिता ब्रह्मणा पूर्वं लोभात्त्वज्ञानतां गताः ॥१२-१८१-१५॥
These four letters, which are of Brahmā and Sarasvatī, were formerly established by Brahmā, but due to greed, they have now fallen into ignorance.
ब्राह्मणा धर्मतन्त्रस्थास्तपस्तेषां न नश्यति। ब्रह्म धारयतां नित्यं व्रतानि नियमांस्तथा ॥१२-१८१-१६॥
The austerity of Brāhmaṇas established in the system of dharma does not perish. For those who always uphold the Veda, their vows and disciplines also remain.
ब्रह्म चैतत्पुरा सृष्टं ये न जानन्त्यतद्विदः। तेषां बहुविधास्त्वन्यास्तत्र तत्र हि जातयः ॥१२-१८१-१७॥
The Absolute and this world were created long ago; those who do not know this, being ignorant of it, for them, there are indeed many other kinds of births here and there.
पिशाचा राक्षसाः प्रेता बहुधा म्लेच्छजातयः। प्रनष्टज्ञानविज्ञानाः स्वच्छन्दाचारचेष्टिताः ॥१२-१८१-१८॥
There are piśāca-demons, rākṣasa-demons, ghosts, and many kinds of barbarian races, whose knowledge and wisdom are destroyed, acting as they please.
प्रजा ब्राह्मणसंस्काराः स्वधर्मकृतनिश्चयाः। ऋषिभिः स्वेन तपसा सृज्यन्ते चापरे परैः ॥१२-१८१-१९॥
Those offspring who are sanctified by Brāhmaṇa rites and are resolute in performing their own duty are created by sages through their own austerity, while others are created by others.
आदिदेवसमुद्भूता ब्रह्ममूलाक्षयाव्यया। सा सृष्टिर्मानसी नाम धर्मतन्त्रपरायणा ॥१२-१८१-२०॥
She, Mānasī, the creation that arose from the primeval god, rooted in Brahman, imperishable and unchanging, is devoted to the system of dharma.
