In India the ancient sages were well aware of the fact that the higher, super-speciality education cannot be taught to the masses and ought to be taught to a chosen few.
Indian scriptures have numerous Sanskrit quotes where the rishis insisted on merit of the students. Manusmriti the ultimate and a conclusive authority on the Hindu way of life clearly specifies that the scriptures can be studied by the Brahamins, the Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas — and the learned Brahamins may even teach them to their pupil but none else should be given lessons in the Vedas.
विदुषा ब्राह्मणेनेदं अध्येतव्यं प्रयत्नतः ।
शिश्येभ्यश्च प्रवक्तव्यं सम्यङ्नान्येन केन चित्
Learned Brahmin can endeavour to study them (shastras)
Even teach them to his pupil but none else, ever. (मनुस्मृति 1.104)
Further, in first sutra of chapter 10, Manu explicitly says that only a Brahmin can teach in a Gurukul.
The indication clearly is that only the meritorious ones from among the Brahmins, the Kshatriyas and the Vaishyas should be picked for lessons in scriptures because it is they, and only they, who have the kind of temperament and intelligence to cope up with the rigorous life in Gurukul ashram and only the Brahamins can teach in a Gurukul.
Bhagvada Gita written by sage Vyasa goes a step further. Without specifying any caste or varna the 29th sloka of its 3rd chapter says that the learned ones should not, in any way, disturb the base, materialistic persons who are glued to the pleasures of the temporal world. The Sanskrit word he uses for them is प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढा: which literally means ‘the morons, infatuated by the splendour of nature/world”. In fact the word प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढा: is rather a technical one and my advice is that those who want to really understand Bhagvadagita should have an introduction to Sankhya philosophy that had a tremendous influence on the Vedantic era and Bhagvadagita. Unfortunately almost all translations and commentaries on Bhagvadagita are by theologists and Hindu religious preachers who fail to appreciate that Sankhya philosophy assigns no role to godhood or divinity. By western standards it’s is totally atheistic.
Says sage Vyas :
प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढा: सज्जन्ते गुणकर्मसु |
तानकृत्स्नविदो मन्दान्कृत्स्नविन्न विचालयेत् ||
prakṛiter guṇa-sammūḍhāḥ sajjante guṇa-karmasu
tān akṛitsna-vido mandān kṛitsna-vin na vichālayet
Broadly the shlok would translate to mean that the wise and the learned ones should desist from disturbing the morons who are infatuated by the splendour of this world and aspire to reap the benefits accruing from their worldly deeds or karma.
Simply put, the shlok advises the learned ones not to distract or disturb the fools who are gladly enjoying the worldly merry-go-round and have no liking for higher knowledge or wisdom.
Ashtavakra Gita
Ashtavakra Gita, a class work by sage Ashtavakra, a great scholar of Advaitavada (absolute monism), divides the populace into two categories:
- The प्रकृतेर्गुणसम्मूढा: the morons who are infatuated by the splendour of this world and hence are glued to this materialistic world. Ashtavakra calls them yoked and bonded to this world.
- Those intelligent persons who know that the world is unreal, transient and fragile. Ashtavakra calls them free from worldly bondage.
Says Ashtavakra in his Gita chapter 1 shlok 11:
मुक्ताभिमानी मुक्तो हि
बद्धो बद्धाभिमान्यपि।
किवदन्तीह सत्येयं
या मतिः सा गतिर्भवेत्॥१-११॥
One who thinks he is free, shall be so,
One who feels yoked, shall be so,
the saying is sound and fit,
as you think, so shall your destiny be. Ashtavakra Gita (1.11)
Thus Ashtavakra explains the predicament of the homo sapiens in precise terms:
One who thinks he is free shall be so,
One who feels yoked shall be so,
the saying is sound and fit,
as you think, so shall your destiny be.
In effect, he says that your thinking decides your destiny. The fools who are infatuated by the splendour of this world/nature and hence are glued to this materialistic world (कृतेर्गुणसम्मूढा:) are destined to follow the life of momentary joys and sorrows. But the ones who know this world to be unreal shall enjoy everlasting bliss.
What Manusmriti does is that it bluntly identifies the precise caste or class of persons who, by the nature of their social, economic and cultural ethos, are dumped to lead a life of despair in line with Ashtavakra’s line (या मतिः सा गति) that is, as is your thinking, so is your destiny.
To sum up my argument I would like to quote a shloka from Ashtavakra Gita (1.5) which, at times, I feel is more profound than Bhagvadagita. It says :
न त्वं विप्रादिको वर्ण: नाश्रमी नाक्षगोचर:।
असङगोऽसि निराकारो विश्वसाक्षी सुखी भव॥१-५॥
Neither do you belong to Brahamin or any other caste,
Nor to any ashrama or to any of the categories perceived by your five senses,
you are but a free, formless infinity
witness to this material world. So be happy and blissful.
Concluded