I have been listening to your discourses on Gita. One thing that confuses me is varnas based on gunas. I understand division based on performed work. It takes all forms of work to run the world and so shudras work is as important as Brahmin. So varna system classification based on type of work (karma) makes all sense to me. But in gita 4.13, it says BOTH guna and karma are based on Varna. The guna part is not clear to me. Seems to say Brahmins are superior to shudras, satva vs thamas as in chapter 14 satva guna is far superior and is stepping stone to leap beyond the gunas.

But how can guna (mode) be linked to the Varnas? Why cannot Shudras be in the mode of goodness (satva guna)? In gita its said one must follow Varna system and perform their duties, but, you say, by doing so one may not be in mode of goodness just because of their Varna? It seems Brahmin only naturally doing their duties are in satva guna. Not even Kshtriyas let alone shudras.

What am I missing? Was lord Ram in rajo guna (not recommended) all the time when he performed his duty as Kshatriya? Why is there at all link at all between guna and varna? I don’t seem to find any verse in gita that says Brahmin is satva gun and shudra is Thamas guna .. so how did this link come at all?

Thank you Swamy

Vishak

Swamin

PranAms. With your permission, AdiyEn wants to post this message to Swamy G.Subramaniam.

AdiYen’s opinion is – the answer already lies in Bhagwan’s own words, as below. Please relate this to your question and I’m sure you will find an answer.

[Bg. 4.1, 4.2 & 4.3]

imam vivasvate yogaà
proktavän aham avyayam
vivasvän manave präha
manur iksväkave ’bravit

evaà paramparä-präptam
imaà räjarñayo viduh
sa käleneha mahatä
yogo nastah parantapa

sa eväyam mayä te ’dya
yogah proktah purätanah
bhakto ’si me sakhä ceti
rahasyaà hy etad uttamam

Here the Lord informs Arjuna that this system of yoga, the Bhagavad-gitä, was first spoken to the sun-god, and the sun-god explained it to Manu, and Manu explained it to Iksväku, and in that way, by disciplic succession, one speaker after another, this yoga system has been coming down. But in the course of time it has become lost. Consequently the Lord has to speak it again, this time to Arjuna on the Battlefield of Kurukñetra.

Lord tells Arjuna that He is relating this supreme secret to him because Arjuna is His devotee and His friend.Here the Lord clearly tells Arjuna that He is making him the first receiver of a new paramparä (disciplic succession) because the old succession was broken. It was the Lord’s wish,therefore, to establish another paramparä
in the same line of thought that was coming down from the sun-god to others, and it was His wish that His teaching be distributed anew by Arjuna. He wanted Arjuna to become the authority in understanding the Bhagavad-gitä.

So in AdiYen’s opinion, it may be possibile that there could have been a breakage of disciplic succession after Lord spoke to Arjuna ( may be generations after Arjuna ) .Hence due to the broken Parampara,
the PeruMal’s teachings may not have been carried for many hundreds or thousands of years until the Bhagavad Gita was re discovered may be some two thousand years back.

With Respects

AdiYen Raghunathan