Brahma Crafts Castes and Duties

Parāśara reveals Brahma's creation of castes, the role of sacrifices, and humanity's decline. Explore the realms of afterlife and the importance of duty in this Vishnu Purana epic. 

Introduction

Maitreya asked Parāśara about the creation of mankind, known as Arvāksrotas. He wanted to know how Brahma created the four castes and what duties he assigned to each.

Creation of the Castes

Parāśara explained that Brahma created beings from different parts of his body:

• From his mouth: Beings with the quality of goodness (Brāhmanas - priests)

• From his breast: Beings with the quality of passion (Ksatriyas - warriors)

• From his thighs: Beings with both passion and darkness (Vaisyas - merchants)

• From his feet: Beings dominated by darkness (Sūdras - laborers)

The Role of Sacrifices

Brahma created these castes to perform sacrifices. Through these rituals:

1. The gods are nourished

2. The gods provide rain

3. Rain supports all of humankind

Pious people perform these sacrifices. As a result, they may gain heavenly rewards or achieve ultimate liberation after death.

The Golden Age of Humanity

Initially, the beings of these castes were righteous and faithful. They:

• Lived freely, without obstacles

• Had pure hearts

• Followed sacred practices

• Were filled with wisdom

• Contemplated the glory of Vishnu (Hari)

The Decline of Human Nature

As time passed, sin began to affect created beings. This led to:

• The weakening of human perfection

• The rise of negative qualities like passion

• Increased susceptibility to contrasts (e.g., heat and cold)

Human Adaptation and Agriculture

To protect themselves, humans:

1. Built shelters using trees, mountains, or water

2. Created villages and cities

3. Constructed dwellings for protection

They then began manual labor and agriculture, cultivating 17 types of grains.

The Fourteen Sacred Grains

Out of these, 14 grains are used in sacrifices:

1. Rice

2. Barley

3. Māșa

4. Wheat

5. Millet

6. Sesame

7. Priyangu

8. Kulattha pulse

9. Śyāmaka (a type of panic)

10. Nīvāra (uncultivated rice)

11. Jarttila (wild sesame)

12. Gavedhukā (coix)

13. Markata (wild panic)

14. Venu-yava (bamboo seed or barley)

These grains, along with sacrifices, play a crucial role in sustaining the human race.

The Rise of Wickedness

However, some people rejected sacrifices and the Vedas. They strayed from their duties and became immersed in wickedness.

Realms of the Afterlife

Brahma established different realms for those who followed their duties:

• Brāhmanas: Heaven of the Pitrs (ancestors)

• Ksatriyas: Sphere of Indra

• Vaiśyas: Region of the winds

• Sūdras: Sphere of the Gandharvas

Other realms include:

• World of the eighty-eight thousand saints: For religious Brāhmanas

• Realm of the seven Rsis: For pious hermits

• World of ancestors: For respectable householders

• Region of Brahma: For religious mendicants

• Highest seat of Vishnu: For Yogis who continuously meditate on the supreme being

Those who neglect their duties or obstruct religious rites are assigned to terrifying realms of darkness and fear after death.

Thus concludes the sixth chapter of the first part of the Vishnu Purana.