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BHAGAVAD GUNA DARPANA
 
castes), there are some who are deluded by the desires for
fruits and whose sattvaguna is mixed up with rajas and tamas
and has become impure here and there. Their competency for
various kinds of upisana according to circumstances is unques-
tionable. In the case of women of all castes, Sudras and animals,
competency for upisanas whose elements are common virtues
and duties not prohibited to other castes, cannot be gainsaid.
Such is the case with Vidura and Dharmavyādha. By reason
of the force of the effects of experience gathered through a
long series of lives, their wisdom has appeared again as in the
case of a person awakening from sleep. They have merely per.
mitted themselves to associate with inferior social classes to
rid themselves of the traces of the evil effects of karma which
had already started to function (and had given them the present
birth). In respect of all the e persons, there is no question of
knowledge being generated in them.
 
"Vidura, Dharmavyādha and others like Śramaṇi attained
perfection (pure bhakti) on account of their knowledge, gained
by them in their previous births". (Vishṛu Dharma)
 
In the case of even those who have no knowledge of God,
there is no prohibition about thinking of God, singing His
praise and hearing of Him. These form the beginning of the
bhakti proper, which they will reach in course of time.
 
The great law-giver has laid down: Dharmas which
are open to all classes from the Chandala upwards are non-
violence, truth, purity, service to others, love and gratitude
towards parents and performance of acts pleasing to the
Supreme Deity. Even when a person is forbidden to do
sankirtana (praising God), he will get related to God indirectly
and distantly by merely following, rejoicing with, tolerating
or showing no enmity towards one doing sankirtana. In the
Mahābhārata, it is said: "A person gets purified, if he hears
of dharma, sees it performed, speaks of it or approves of it".
In fact, any dharma, relating to God, which preaches bhakti
or causes it to be practised is said particularily to be sparsa-
vedin (that is, something that transforms by mere touch).
That is, a relation to God in any manner established purifies
him. Again, it is said: The Lord, cried to for help in a
loud voice, worshipped, seen or bowed to (as in a temple),
destroys with force all sins. Who then will not worship
 
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