Shloka 10
Adhyāya 189: Japa—Inquiry into the Jāpaka, Method
Vidhi), and Fruit (Phala
भगुरुवाच न विशेषो<स्ति वर्णानां सर्व ब्राह्ममिदं जगत् । ब्रह्मणा पूर्वसृष्ट हि कर्मभिर्वर्णतां गतम्
bhagur uvāca na viśeṣo 'sti varṇānāṃ sarvaṃ brāhmam idaṃ jagat | brahmaṇā pūrvasṛṣṭaṃ hi karmabhir varṇatāṃ gatam ||
Wika ni Bhagu: “Noong pasimula’y walang pagkakaiba sa mga varṇa. Sapagkat ang buong daigdig na ito’y unang nilikha ni Brahmā, kaya sa diwa’y pawang may likas na Brahman. Pagkaraan, dahil sa pagkakaiba-iba ng karma at mga gawain, saka ito napangkat sa iba’t ibang varṇa.”
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
That varṇa distinctions are not primordial or inherent; the world is originally one in essence, and later social classifications arise from karma—people’s actions, roles, and conduct—rather than an absolute original separation.
In a didactic dialogue within Śānti Parva, Bhagu explains an origin account of varṇa: initially there was no differentiation, but as beings engaged in different kinds of work and behavior, society came to describe them in distinct varṇa categories.