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16. Putting the man-made rules in their place

^{52"When your intellect crosses the dense forest, then you will gain indifference to all that has been heard and all that has to be heard. ⁵³When you remain unmoved by all that you hear, when your intellect is steady and satisfied, at that time you will have attained to yoga."}

"All that has been heard and all that has to be heard." Krishna is talking about the plethora of man-made rules and beliefs of the caste system here! "All that has been heard and all that has to be heard" is a reference to what Arjuna has said about the caste system, in chapter 1, verses 40 to 44, where he twice uses such words:

^{40With the destruction of family, the eternal family way of life is destroyed, and when the way of life is destroyed, the whole family becomes irreligious, so it is said. ⁴¹Irreligion having become prominent, Krishna, the women of the family become polluted, and by the pollution of womenhood, O descendant of Vrishni, comes intermixing of castes. ⁴²This intermixing certainly leads to hellish life both for the family and for its destroyers. Their forefathers fall down, by the stoppage of the actions of offerings of food and water. ⁴³By the faults of these destroyers of the family, intermixing of castes is caused, which causes devastation of the caste system and the eternal family system also. ⁴⁴The people whose family systems are spoiled, Janardana, dwell in hell daily, thus I have heard.}

In verses 52 and 53, Krishna could not have been referring to authentic Vedantic teaching about the Atman and Brahman, because he himself supports it in the Geeta. In fact in 15:15 he says that he himself is the creator of the Vedanta: "By the vedas I am certainly knowable. The creator of the Vedanta, I know the vedas." We have seen before that Krishna is not speaking against the vedas, but telling Arjuna to go beyond the vedas. Neither could he have been referring to the caste system per se, as in 4:13 he says, "The fourfold castes were created by me according to the properties of action. Although I am its creator, know me to be the nondoer, imperishable." When he uses the words "dense forest" that Arjuna needs to cross, he could have been only referring to the hundreds of man-made rules that had grown over the caste system.

To support his decision of not fighting, Arjuna had given two basic reasons: one, that it would be wrong and sinful to kill one’s relatives, respected elders and teachers for the sake of enjoying the kingdom (1:26-37) and two, that it would lead to the destruction of the family, intermixing of castes and devastation of the caste system (1:40-44). Krishna has answered the first of these in 2:11-30. As far as the caste reasons were concerned, there are two aspects of it: one that which pertained to what were properly Arjuna’s duties as a kshatriya, which Krishna answered in 2:31-38; and two, the caste rules (of inter-caste marriage etc.) that were purely man-made. These he considers so unimportant, that he first speaks of the right spirit to act in, in verses 2:39-48, and only then, in two verses, dismisses them off as irrelevant and asks Arjuna to gain indifference to such things and be unmoved by them. How do we square up the two treatments from Krishna, one upholding the svadharma belonging to one’s caste in 2:31-38, and the other treating caste-rules as irrelevant here in 2:52-53? There is need for discrimination here. In 2:31-38, Krishna is talking on what were actually and properly Arjuna’s caste duties, the carrying out of which would be conducive to Arjuna’s spiritual growth. Here in 2:52-53, Krishna is telling Arjuna to ignore and treat as of no consequence, those man-made rules that have grown up over the basically sound foundations of a well-ordered society.

It is interesting to note how Arjuna’s mind has been influenced here. His arguments in 1:32-44 were the same arguments presented by Dhritarashtra when he had tried to dissuade the Pandavas from war (Udyog Parva chapters 22-27): that the slaughter of the Kurus would be a heinous sin, that the war did not become the Pandavas noble nature, that eating the bread of beggary would be better than bloodstained enjoyments, that sovereignty gained by war would be adharma and would destroy all works of merit, and that even for the three worlds the Pandavas should stain their hands in the blood of their kinsmen. These insidious arguments percolated into Arjuna’s mind and had come up exactly at the wrong moment!

It is amazing to see people in India so chained and bound by caste rules, that they have become blind to the plain teaching of the Bhagavad Geeta and the Vedas about the caste system. Their intellects, their discriminating powers, are lost in the dense forest of man-made caste rules, as Arjuna’s was. Arjuna was in a similar position. In the above verses, he uses the argument of the intermixing of castes leading to the devastation of the caste system. And Krishna’s blunt answer to that is: "Don’t bother about all that. Those are only man-made rules. Do what God wants you to do. You have heard of plenty of things and will hear of plenty more. When you remain unmoved by such things, know that at that time your connection with God has been strengthened."

In a similar vein, Jesus said (Mark 7:8) "You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men." The remark was made to the Jews who had created an elaborate system of ceremonial washing before eating. A quick to-the-point wash before eating is of course a good and healthy thing. However the Jews had built up such an elaborate ritual around this simple act, that it ended up overshadowing the real commands of God. That is what generally happens with man-made systems.

The intellect of the person who wants to really obey God has sooner-rather-than-later, to discriminate between what rules are truly God-made and what are merely man-made ones. I do not know how the caste-system in India originated. Krishna says in 4:13 that the fourfold castes were created by him. Some people believe that to be a later interpolation by people having vested caste interests, since it does not fit well in the context. I do not know the truth about that. I do not know how the caste-system originated. But I do know one thing for sure: however it originated, the elaborate caste-rules were added later on by people, and codified into an elaborate law-book by Manu. Whether he was the culprit, or only a person who put in writing what the rules in the society had become, we don’t know. But we do know for sure that the elaborate caste rules are man-made. And its further degradation over time into the evils of untouchability and "honor killings" is clearly of human origin.

What then, is the "dense forest" of verse 52? (Also translated as "mire – deep mud, slush or dirt" or "morass – marshland – something that traps, confuses or impedes") It is the "dense forest" of man-made rules found in any religion, be it Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Jainism, or whatever. Such man-made rules are found in every religion, and found in plenty. That’s why it is called a "dense forest!" In fact it seems that if there is one ability that a genuine seeker has to develop, it is the ability to distinguish between God-made rules and man-made rules! One hallmark of God-made rules are that they are applicable to all people, at all times, under all situations, regardless of whether they know it as a rule or not. Example of God-made rules are "do not harbor jealousy or hatred in your heart against anybody" and "do not act out of revenge against anybody." These rules are applicable to all people, at all times, under all situations, regardless of whether they know them in the "Thou shalt not..." kind of format or not. If you harbor jealousy, you will pay the price, regardless of who you are, and whether you have heard it as a "thou shalt not harbor jealousy" rule or not. The rule is applicable to people of all castes, creeds, nationalities, religions, and whether they even know it as a rule or not. The hundreds of caste rules in India are obviously not applicable to Americans – they would not even have heard of them, and it makes no difference to their lives. So obviously these are man-made.

Another way to develop this ability, the ability to distinguish between "God-made rules" and "man-made rules" is to become well-aware of the Scriptures that are considered God-inspired. You will be amazed to find how large is the proportion of rules that are man-made! Continuing with verse 52, when you know that such rules are not God-made at all, you naturally develop "indifference to them"; you naturally stop treating them as important. "Let people say what they want to say; I follow God, and since these rules of yours are only man-made, I do not give any importance to them." Then as naturally, according to verse 53, "you remain unmoved by all that you hear." If "what you hear" is according to God’s laws, you know it anyway and have anyway ordered your life accordingly. If it is not, it doesn’t make a whit of a difference in the final analysis. You may face the wrath of the people, for this world and its religions are full of man-made rules that man in his religious pride considers God-made because they happen to come along with the general package of his religion. But even that doesn’t matter in the ultimate analysis. What matters is that "you remain unmoved by all that you hear, and your intellect is steady and satisfied" in the words of verse 53. Because to continue with the words of verse 53, "at that time you will have attained to yoga." That is, at that time, you would have attained to a closer union with God. Which is a more worthwhile goal to achieve than being in the right books of society! In fact the way verse 53 is worded, it is when you remain unmoved by all that you hear, and when your intellect is steady and satisfied, that can be the considered a proof that you have attained to yoga!

Why is this so? This is so because only a person who "knows Brahman", who "knows God" will have not only the clarity, but also the guts to stand against the full wrath of society, all the while remaining calm inside. The vast majority of the people prefer to be in the herd and blindly follow society. The peer pressure of society is huge and most people mutely fall in line. To resist this pressure, you need three things:

Clarity that you are right: This comes from knowing the scriptures well, and knowing what are God-made rules and what are man-made ones. This also requires a well-developed intellect that has made a habit of separating the two.
Clarity that it is worthwhile to stand up against society: Many people, even though they know that society’s stand is wrong and against the scriptures, don’t see how it is worthwhile to take a firm stand against society. "Why bother?" they say. "What are you going to gain by being stubborn?" Only when you are strongly in yoga i.e. union with God, will you find it worthwhile to take a firm stand. Then what’s important for God becomes important for you. And it’s important for God that man should follow him rather than get caught up in the thousands of unnecessary rules that man has made up in the name of religion.
Guts to take the firm stand: This also comes from having a strong relationship with God. What’s the worst that will happen to you? You will get killed, most probably by a religious fanatic; that’s the worst that will happen to you. So what difference will that make to your relationship with God? Nothing. Then what’s there to fear? Nothing. Only those who have a strong relationship with God will have to guts to take a firm stand against the man-made rules of religion and society. For them, it’s better to die having your relationship with God strong, rather than live with a weakened relationship with God.

A realized person is one who had gone beyond castes. Look at the following extracts from the Upanishads (which being a part of the Vedas, are considered the Word of God by Hindus). Judge for yourself of what worth are the caste rules you are bound by. And choose for yourself what you want to follow, the man-made caste rules or God, who doesn’t give a damn about caste rules:

From the Narada Parivrajaka Upanishad, part VI:

^{13That ascetic is considered as one beyond the castes and orders who realizes the supreme truth which is free of the body, senses, etc., ¹⁴which is the all-witness, the spiritual wisdom, the self of bliss and the self-radiant. Castes and orders, etc., pertaining to the body are invented by the bamboozling illusion. ¹⁵They (the castes and orders) are never part of my Self which is of the form of pure consciousness. He who realizes thus by the teachings of the Upanishads shall be deemed as one beyond the castes and orders. ¹⁶He whose conduct conforming to castes and orders has dropped out on visualizing his Self, goes beyond all restrictions of castes and orders and remains in the Self. ¹⁷The knowers of the truth of all the Vedas declare that man to be beyond the castes and orders who is established in his Self, having reached the stage beyond his order (ashrama) and his caste. ¹⁸Therefore, Oh Narada, even the castes and the orders of other people have all been superimposed on the Self by delusion; this is not done by the knower of the Self. ¹⁹There is no Vedic injunction, no prohibition, no rule of exclusion or inclusion to those who have realized Brahman; nor is there anything restricting their conduct, Oh Narada.}

From the Varaha Upanishad, chapter 2, 5-7:

To be born as a human being is difficult – more difficult it is to be born as a male being – and more so is it to be born as a Brahmin. Even then, if the fool does not cognize through the hearing, etc., of Vedanta, the true nature of the Sat-chit-ananda (of Brahman) that is all-pervading and that is beyond all caste and orders of life, when will he obtain Moksha?

Also From the Varaha Upanishad, chapter 2, 13-15:

That man who sees (his) Atman which is all-witness and is beyond all caste and orders of life as of the nature of Brahman, becomes himself Brahman. Whoever sees, through the evidence of Vedanta, this visible universe as the Supreme Seat that is of the form of light, attains Moksha at once.

From the Maitreya Upanishad, part I:

^{17Those ignorant people who stick to castes and orders of life obtain the worthless fruit of their respective actions. Those who discard the ways of caste, etc., and are happy with the bliss of the Self become merged in Brahman. ¹⁸The body consisting of various limbs and observing the rules of castes and orders has a beginning and an end and is only a great trouble. Free of attachment to one’s children, etc., and the body, one should live in the endless supreme happiness.}

From the Mudgala Upanishad Part IV:

…The six delusions are about family, lineage, class, caste, stations (ashrama) and forms. Through contact with the supreme spirit becomes the Jiva – he is none other…

From the Niralamba Upanishad:

10. Neither skin nor blood nor flesh nor bone has caste; To self is caste ascribed through mere usage.

14. Ignorance is the illusory knowledge – like that of the snake in the rope – of Brahman that is All in all, all-pervasive and non-dual. This illusory knowledge is associated with a plurality of selves based on the plurality of the adjuncts of bondage and liberation, viz.; stations in life, castes, men, women, the immobiles, mankind, animals and gods.

30. Bondage is the planning of action and duties bound up with castes and stations of life.

From the Avadhuta Upanishad:

3. He who rests constantly in himself, after crossing the barrier of castes and stages of social position and thus rises above varnas and ashramas and is in union with God is said to be an Avadhuta.

From the Tejo-Bindu Upanishad:

1:13. Heat, cold, hunger, thirst, thought and fancy – all these do not exist in It. In It there is no pride of the Brahmin caste, nor is there the collection of the knot of salvation.

5:35-39. There is no Ganga, no Gaya, ... no class, no motion, no caste and no worldly business. All is Brahman only and nothing else...

From the Vajrasuchika Upanishad:

It must be asked, ‘Who is a Brahmin’ – the self, body, class, knowledge, action or virtue ? The soul is not a Brahmin because the soul is the same in all bodies past and future. The same person takes many bodies according to karma, nor is the body Brahmin – the body is the same from the Chandala to the highest caste being made of the five elements and is seen to have old age, death etc., alike. There is no fixity of color such as Brahmin is white, Kshatriya is red, Vaishya is yellow and Shudra is black; also when the father’s body is cremated, the son etc., may be guilty of killing a Brahmin. Nor is the class a Brahmin. Then there would be many classes within the classes. Many are the great sages: Rishyasringa born of a deer, Kaushika of reed, Jambuka of a jackal, Valmiki of an ant-hill, Vyasa of a fisher-girl, Gautama of a hare’s back, Vasistha of Urvasi, Agastya of a pot according to tradition. These are not Brahmins by birth but by their knowledge. Nor is knowledge Brahmin: Kshatriyas and others also have knowledge. Nor is karma: all creatures are seen to have similar karma of Prarabdha etc., and all creatures act being impelled by karma. Nor is a man of virtue: There are many givers of gold – Kshatriyas etc. One who has directly realized, like the berry in the palm, the Atman without a second, devoid of class, quality and action and of defects like the six waves like hunger, the states like birth and death, of the nature of truth, knowledge and bliss, free from adjuncts, the basis of all thoughts, immanent in all creatures, present inside and outside like space. Bliss without parts, beyond knowledge, to be realized by experience alone – and having become successful, free from lust, rich in mental control, without greed, mind untouched by hypocrisy.

This is the intention of Veda. Otherwise the nature of Brahmin cannot be achieved. One should contemplate one’s self as the spirit without a second, truth, knowledge and bliss.

Now judge for yourself of what worth are the caste rules you are bound by. And choose for yourself what you want to follow, the man-made caste rules or God, who doesn’t give a damn about caste rules! And a special note for those indulging in honor killings: "Do not murder…" is a God-made rule; the silly fancies on which you commit honor killings are man-made. You will leave behind the society for whose sake you commit those murders. The blood of the murders you will take with you, to face God with.