Vajrasuchika Upanishad
वज्रसूचिं प्रवक्ष्यामि ज्ञानमज्ञानभेदनम्। दूषणा ज्ञानहीनानां भूषणा ज्ञानचक्षुषाम्॥ १॥
I shall teach the Vajra-sūcī — the 'diamond-needle' doctrine which destroys ignorance, condemns those who are devoid of the knowledge (of Brahman) and exalts those endowed with enlightenment.
ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियवैश्यशूद्रा इति चत्वारो वर्णाः। तेषां वर्णानां ब्राह्मण एव प्रधान इति वेदवचनानुरूपं स्मृतिभिरप्युक्तम्॥ २॥
Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra are the four classes (varṇas). That the Brahmin is the chief among these classes is stated in the Vedic texts and is affirmed by the Smṛtis.
तत्र चोद्यमस्ति। को वा ब्राह्मणो नाम? किं जीवः? किं देहः? किं जातिः? किं ज्ञानम्? किं कर्म? किं धार्मिक इति॥ ३॥
On this a question arises. Who, verily, is a Brahmin? Is he the individual self (jīva)? The body? The class of birth (jāti)? Knowledge? Action? Or the performer of religious duties?
तत्र प्रथमो जीवो ब्राह्मण इति चेत् तन्न। अतीतानागतानेकदेहानां जीवस्यैकरूपत्वात्। एकस्यापि कर्मवशादनेकदेहसम्भवात्। सर्वशरीराणां जीवस्यैकरूपत्वाच्च। तस्मान्न जीवो ब्राह्मण इति॥ ४॥
Is the jīva the Brahmin? No. Because the jīva is one and the same in innumerable past and future bodies; even for one jīva many bodies arise through karma; and the jīva's form is the same in every body. Therefore the jīva is not the Brahmin.
तर्हि देहो ब्राह्मण इति चेत् तन्न। आचण्डालादिपर्यन्तानां मनुष्याणां पञ्चभौतिकत्वेन देहस्यैकरूपत्वात्। जरामरणधर्माधर्मादिसाम्यदर्शनात्। ब्राह्मणः श्वेतवर्णः, क्षत्रियो रक्तवर्णः, वैश्यः पीतवर्णः, शूद्रः कृष्णवर्ण इति नियमाभावात्। पित्रादिदहने पुत्रादीनां ब्रह्महत्यादिदोषसम्भवाच्च। तस्मान्न देहो ब्राह्मण इति॥ ५॥
Then is the body the Brahmin? No. The body of every human — down to the chāṇḍāla — is made of the same five elements. Old age and death, virtue and vice are found alike in all. There is no rule that the Brahmin is white, the Kshatriya red, the Vaishya tawny and the Shudra dark. And if the body were the Brahmin, sons and kinsmen would be guilty of brahmahatyā when they cremate their fathers. Therefore the body is not the Brahmin.
तर्हि जातिर्ब्राह्मण इति चेत् तन्न। तत्र जात्यन्तरजन्तुष्वनेकजातिसम्भवा महर्षयो बहवः सन्ति। ऋष्यशृङ्गो मृग्याः, कौशिकः कुशात्, जाम्बुको जम्बुकात्, वाल्मीको वल्मीकात्, व्यासः कैवर्तकन्यायाम्, शशपृष्ठाद्गौतमः, वसिष्ठ ऊर्वश्याम्, अगस्त्यः कलशे जात इति श्रुतत्वात्। एतेषां जात्या विनाप्यग्रे ज्ञानप्रतिपादिता ऋषयो बहवः सन्ति। तस्मान्न जातिर्ब्राह्मण इति॥ ६॥
Then is it birth (jāti) that makes a Brahmin? No. Many great ṛṣis were born outside the varṇas. Ṛṣyaśṛṅga from a deer, Kauśika from kuśa grass, Jāmbuka from a jackal, Vālmīki from an ant-hill, Vyāsa from a fisher-girl, Gautama from the back of a hare, Vasiṣṭha from Urvaśī, Agastya from a jar. Yet many of them became foremost teachers of divine wisdom. Therefore birth does not make a Brahmin.
तर्हि ज्ञानं ब्राह्मण इति चेत् तन्न। क्षत्रियादयोऽपि परमार्थदर्शिनोऽभिज्ञा बहवः सन्ति। तस्मान्न ज्ञानं ब्राह्मण इति॥ ७॥
Then is it knowledge that makes a Brahmin? No. Among Kshatriyas and others too there are many who have realised the highest truth. Therefore knowledge alone does not make a Brahmin.
तर्हि कर्म ब्राह्मण इति चेत् तन्न। सर्वेषां प्राणिनां प्रारब्धसञ्चितागामिकर्मसाधर्म्यदर्शनात्। कर्माभिप्रेरिताः सन्तो जनाः क्रियाः कुर्वन्तीति। तस्मान्न कर्म ब्राह्मण इति॥ ८॥
Then does action (karma) make a Brahmin? No. Prārabdha, saṁcita and āgāmi karma are common to every living being; all people act driven by their karma. Therefore action does not make a Brahmin.
तर्हि धार्मिको ब्राह्मण इति चेत् तन्न। क्षत्रियादयो हिरण्यदातारो बहवः सन्ति। तस्मान्न धार्मिको ब्राह्मण इति॥ ९॥
Then does the performance of religious duties (dharma) make a Brahmin? No. Many Kshatriyas and others have given gold in charity. Therefore the performer of religious duties is not the Brahmin.
तर्हि को वा ब्राह्मणो नाम? यः कश्चिदात्मानमद्वितीयं जातिगुणक्रियाहीनं षडूर्मिषड्भावाद्यखिलदोषरहितं सत्यज्ञानानन्दानन्तस्वरूपं स्वयं निर्विकल्पमशेषकल्पाधारमशेषभूतान्तर्यामित्वेन वर्तमानम् अन्तर्बहिश्चाकाशवदनुस्यूतमखण्डानन्दस्वभावमप्रमेयमनुभवैकवेद्यमपरोक्षतयाभासमानं करतलामलकवत् साक्षादपरोक्षीकृत्य कृतार्थतया कामरागादिदोषरहितः शमादिगुणसम्पन्नो भावमात्सर्यतृष्णाशामोहादिरहितो दम्भाहङ्कारादिभिरसंस्पृष्टचेता वर्तते। एवमुक्तलक्षणो यः स एव ब्राह्मण इति श्रुतिस्मृतिपुराणेतिहासानामभिप्रायः। अन्यथा ब्राह्मणत्वसिद्धिर्नास्त्येव॥ १०॥
Then who, verily, is called a Brahmin? Whoever, having attained self-realisation, directly perceives the ātman — as clearly as a myrobalan fruit in the palm — as one without a second, free of birth, attributes and action; free of all faults such as the six infirmities (old age, sorrow, delusion, hunger, thirst, death) and the six states (birth, being, growth, change, decay, perishing); of the nature of Truth, Consciousness, Bliss and the Infinite; changeless in itself, the ground of all change; the inner ruler of every being; pervading within and without like space; indivisible bliss, immeasurable, known only in direct experience — and having so realised, is freed from desire, attachment and the rest, endowed with the six virtues (śama, dama, uparati, titikṣā, samādhāna, śraddhā), untouched by envy, thirst, hope, delusion, pride and egoism — such a one alone is called a Brahmin. This is the intent of the Vedas, the Smṛtis, the Purāṇas and the Itihāsas. In any other way, Brahminhood is not established.
सच्चिदानन्दात्मानमद्वितीयं ब्रह्म भावयेत्। आत्मानमद्वितीयं ब्रह्म भावयेदित्युपनिषत्॥ ११॥
Meditate on the Self as Brahman — Being, Consciousness, Bliss — without a second. Meditate on the Self as Brahman, without a second. This is the Upaniṣad.