Re: Victims of caste system in Punjab
The Mahabharatha is full of contradictions. It is not as you yourself once described not black and white. It is full of moral ambiguities Veda Vyasa who along with composing the epic was also responsible for classifying or holy books into 4 books was the son of a fisherwoman. Vidura the wise who was the royal advisor was the son of a lady-in-waiting. Lord Krishna himself was a cowherd and the Yadavas are classified as backward caste if I am not wrong. Yes Karna was taunted as Suta putra but how much was it political? Duryodhana made him his best friend and also the King of Anga region. Ekalavya was rejected by Dhrona. But he was made a confidant of King Jarasanda.
Many passages in Mahabharata describes the flexible caste system which
in later periods was totally forgotten by the Indian society. An
example is the conversation between Yudhisthira and Naga Nahusha
(3:179):-
Naga:- “O Yudhishthira, say, Who is a Brahmana ?”
Yudhishthira"-"O foremost of Nagas, he, it is asserted by the wise, in
whom are seen truth, charity, forgiveness, good conduct, benevolence,
observance of the rites of his order and mercy is a Brahmana. "
Naga:-** "O Yudhishthira, truth, charity, forgiveness, benevolence,
benignity, kindness and the Veda which worketh the benefit of the four
orders, which is the authority in matters of religion and which is
true, are seen even in the Sudra.**
Yudhishthira:- "Those characteristics that are present in a Sudra, do
not exist in a Brahmana; nor do those that are in a Brahmana exist in
a Sudra. And a Sudra is not a Sudra by birth alone, nor a Brahmana is
Brahmana by birth alone. He, it is said by the wise, in whom are seen
those virtues is a Brahmana. And people term him a Sudra in whom those
qualities do not exist, even though he be a Brahmana by birth."
Naga:- "O king, if thou recognise a person as a Brahmana by
characteristics, then, O long-lived one, the distinction of caste
becometh futile as long as conduct doth not come into play."Yudhishthira:- “In human society, O mighty and highly intelligent
Naga, it is difficult to ascertain one’s caste, because of promiscuous
intercourse among the four orders. This is my opinion. Men belonging
to all orders beget offspring upon women of all the orders. And of
men, speech, sexual intercourse, birth and death are common. And to
this the Rishis have borne testimony by using as the beginning of a
sacrifice such expressions as—of what caste so ever we may be, we
celebrate the sacrifice. Therefore, those that are wise have asserted
that character is the chief essential requisite. The natal ceremony of
a person is performed before division of the umbilical cord. His
mother then acts as its Savitri and his father officiates as priest.
He is considered as a Sudra as long as he is not initiated in the
Vedas. Doubts having arisen on this point, Naga , Swayambhuba Manu has
declared, that the mixed castes are to be regarded as better than the
other castes, if having gone through the ceremonies of purification,
they do not conform to the rules of good conduct, O excellent Naga!
Whosoever now conforms to the rules of pure and virtuous conduct, him
have I, here now, designated as a Brahmana.”