I heard that Karna was not allowed to get knowledge from Parasurama as he was not a son of Brahmin.later he disguised as a brahmin son to get knowlegde.
From when this system of caste by birth started exactly ?
It seems it started before Krishna left this material world . I have read the 12th canto of SB where it is stated, a man in kaliyuga will be considered a brahmin simply by wearing a thread . but this incident of Karna has put me in dilemma . Please correct me if i am wrong.
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THE CASTE SYSTEM
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Hare Krishna Prabhuji. Dandavat Pranam. All glories to Srila Prabhupada
A person's caste can be determined in both ways. Birth in a family of a Brahmana is a chance to become a Brahmana, similarly for Kshatriya and other castes also. In Vedic times generally people were not degraded like modern days, so those days it was assumed if someone born in a brahmana family He can be accepted as Brahmana because all the samaskaras were performed those days and sons generally adopt the profession of his father those days. But at the same time there is no exclusiveness that caste was by birth. Mahabharata has the examples where conversation between Naga and Yudishthira explains that a sudra can be a Brahmana if he has Brahmana quality, where as a Brahman may not be called a Brahmana if he act like a Sudra.
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."
Dronacharya didn't allow Karna because the Gurukula was for Royal orders. It is not the reason of caste.
your aspiring servant
Hari Bol