J Joshi: Pranam, If the concept of temple (mandir) is not mentioned in Vedas and are man made then please clarify the reason for naming this website as vedmandir.

Please clarify my doubt. Thanks.

Swami Ram Swarup: My blessings to you. Vedas deny the existence of temples where idol worship/avtarwad is performed. Mandir word is not prohibited in Vedas because the meaning of mandir is residence and place, building and not the temple where idol worship is performed.

Ved mandir means where the knowledge of Vedas resides i.e., where the knowledge of Vedas is preached i.e., store house of Vedic knowledge, please.

Jay Prakash: There are four Division (Varan) in Hinduism so if any one shudra can do the Havan/Yag, if he is being a shakhari & intersted to do this?
Swami Ram Swarup: In this connection, I paste my article based on Yajurveda mantra 31/11.

“BRAHMANNOASYA MUKHMASEED BAHU RAJANAYAH KRITAH,

UROO TADSYA YADVAISHYAH PADBHYAAM SHUDRO AJAAYAT.”

(Yajurveda mantra 31/11)

Oh! Aspirant (ASYA) in this God’s universe (BRAHMANNAHA) the learned of Vedas and who has realised God (MUKHMASEET) is supreme like a mouth i.e., the knower of Vedas and Almighty God is respectable in this world like a mouth and he is called Brahmin. (BAHU) he who is powerful i.e., has powerful arms (KRITAH) he has been made (RAJANYAH) kshatriye (Tad) he in this universe (ASEET) is (VAISHYAH) is called (Vaishya) i.e., businessman (YAT) Who (UROO) does deeds like (UROO) thighs

i.e., he has the power in his thighs to travel here and there quickly for business. (PADBHYAAM) having qualities of service and without pride. (AJAAYAT) generates (SHUDRAH) the man who has no education and good qualities etc.

Meaning: Oh! Aspirant, in this God’s universe the learned of Vedas and who has realised God is supreme like a mouth i.e., the knower of Vedas and Almighty God is respectable in this world like a mouth and he is called Brahmin, he who is powerful i.e., has powerful arms has been made kshatriye. He in this universe is called Vaishya i.e., businessman who does deeds like thighs i.e., he has the power in his thighs to travel here and there quickly for business. He who has qualities of service and without pride generates the man who has no education and good qualities etc.

Four Ashrams

There are four ashrams in the life, Brahamcharya ashram up to age of 25 years, Grihastha ashram up to 50 years, Vanprasth ashram up to 75 years and Sanyas ashram up to 100 years. So one should try to discharge his duties of every ashram knowing duties thereof and then must take sanyas, but if anybody else is interested to take sanyas being ascetic by true speech etc., then he can take sanyas even at an early age.

I have already written about caste system (varn vyavastha). Yajurveda mantra 31/11 says that caste is based on present deeds (karmas) and not by birth. The sense of Mantra is that if a son of shudra studies Vedas, controls senses/organs and mind, does practice of Ashtang yoga, then he will be considered Brahmin and a Brahmin who has no such qualities he will be treated as shudra etc., etc. There is no caste system in Vedas based on birth and the other holy books like Manusmriti, six shastras, Upnishads, Valmiki Ramayana, Mahabharat (Bhagwad Geeta) etc., were written by ancient Rishis/Munis based on only the knowledge of Vedas, so no caste system exists therein based on birth.

In this connection Yajurveda mantra 31/11 also says that he who knows Vedas and God, he is Brahmin being most supreme in the world like a mouth in the body. So anyone (of any caste) can be a Brahmin by hard studies of Vedas, practising Ashtang yoga therein and thus realizing God. One who has physical power in his arms, he is Kashtriye-Rajput to protect the country. So anyone can be a Rajput, holding the said qualities. One who has powers in his thighs to travel and to do hard work to establish business, he is Vaishya (businessman). One who has not studied, based on his qualities that he could not gain the qualities of Brahmin, Kashtriye and Vaishya, he is shudra (may be of any caste).

There is a symbolic story in Mahabharat. That once Yudhistar saw that his brother Bhima was caught by a huge python. Yudhistar asked python that my brother is a great warrior having sufficient power that you could not catch him. So really you are not python, tell me, who you are. Python replied that he was a yaksha. O Yudishtar, if you would answer my question, then your brother would be released. Yaksha asked Yudhistar that if a son of Brahmin takes wine, meat, gambles and does bad deeds then whether he will be considered as Brahmin and when a shudra (lowest caste) reads Vedas, does practice of Ashtang yoga, controls his five senses, five organs and mind and does always pious deeds then whether the son of such shudra will remain shudra? Yudhistar replied that the Brahmin will be treated as shudra and shudra will be treated as Brahmin.

King Janak called all the emperors/anybody to break the bow to prove to be the best powerful emperor amongst all to marry his daughter Sita. So King Janak did not make any objection of caste system. So was the case of marriage of Draupadi where in the dress of a Brahmin Arjuna pierced the eye of the fish with arrow and Yudhistar married Draupadi. Draupadi was daughter of Khastriye, Rajput whereas in the dress, Yudhistar was Brahmin. So qualities are to be checked either of boy or girl.

Caste System

Caste system has not been made by God. So punishment etc., mentioned by people in caste system were against the Vedas and every spiritual book but now its all okay as per Government. But yet the hundred percent implementation of govt. orders is to be made.

Holy books cannot give an order to anyone to avoid preach to any cost because preaches like Vedas or other holy books are for human beings/souls and not for any special caste. But better if society will help. Such things are occurring only due to lack of study of Vedas, please.

So at present spreading of knowledge of Vedas will sure finish the ravages of hatred. When sun rises, the darkness of the night is over, similarly when knowledge of the Vedas will spread, the illusion will automatically be over. When sun rises, the darkness from the earth is removed from that portion only which comes towards sun. And rest of the portion remains dark. Similarly wherever the vedic knowledge will spread and be gained, the ignorance/illusion from those human beings will be over. Therefore spreading of knowledge of Vedas and other holy books, is must.

Yajyen can be performed by any man or woman, if the person is pure vegetarian, please.