Who is kshatriya

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He is never depressed or dogged down, as this is considered a contamination kasmalam, 2. Of course these qualities cannot be expected from everyone, and even in a person who has the genuine talents and inclinations for the role of kshatriya, these must be developed through appropriate training and experience, so aspiring kshatriyas should not feel discouraged at their shortcomings.

Kshatriyas are educated and trained in strategy and diplomacy in dealing with the enemy — the first attempt is sama, treating the opponent like a friend and allowing sufficient space for his livelihood and prosperity, the second is dana, trying to win them with peace offerings and gifts, the third attempt is bheda, trying to break up hostile alliances and facing one enemy at the time, and only as a last resort one should resort to danda, punishment as in taking physical action against the offender.

This brings us to another very important clarification. The main job of a kshatriya is fighting to protect the prajas, because that is his natural inclination and the best use of his qualities, as Krishna has stated specifically. O Arjuna, happy are the kshatriyas to whom such opportunity comes unsought. For a warrior, engaging in such a battle is like having the doors of heaven open in front of him.

This will also be confirmed again in verse However, the warrior spirit of a kshatriya is not the war mongering, blood lust, and cruelty of the asuras; he is not a brawling bully and he avoids confrontation and conflict if there is any other option still possible, as the Pandavas demonstrated in practice in their dealings with the aggressive Duryodhana and his brothers. Besides, there is a specific code of conduct for kshatriyas; non-combatants should never be attacked or harmed, and property that is not directly connected to the fighting should not be destroyed; for example, the encampments where the warriors retire for the night are not to be touched.

Even on the battlefield a warring enemy should not be attacked if he is unprepared, unarmed, distracted, distraught, or if he admits defeat. Here is a description of the unqualified kings of Kali yuga: stri bala go dvija ghnas ca, para dara dhanadritah, uditasta mita praya, alpa sattvalpakayusah, asamskritah kriya hina, rajasa tamasavritah, prajas te bhaksayisyanti, mleccha rajanya rupinah,.

They will be mentally and emotionally unstable, rather weak mentally and physically and short lived. Covered by rajas and tamas, they will not perform any proper duty or auspicious ritual, but they will devour the prajas.

From the teachings and examples offered by the shastra we can therefore understand who is a kshatriya and who is not; in this regard we also need to remember that in times of emergency apat kala all the members of society were called to defend it even on the battlefield against external and internal aggressors. Brahmanas usually oversaw the strategies and sometimes fought in the battle, vaisyas not only contributed wealth and supplies but could also fight with weapons according to their abilities, and sudras also participated, most often as charioteers and order carriers but also as foot soldiers.

In Vedic society everyone is implicitly authorized to defend himself and his family, subordinates and property from such aggressors. Therefore there is no need for jails, lawyers or even judges or police like in the present faulty system that is very prone to judicial mistakes and abuses.

We need to understand that an army soldier or a policeman is not automatically a kshatriya, especially when he is unable or unwilling to take the required initiative to protect the prajas. However, a kshatriya only concerns himself with precisely this task, and is never expected to invade the field of religious beliefs and worship practices, that is exclusively entrusted to brahmanas, who can only offer teachings and never enforce them physically or materially in any way.

A dharma yuddha is a battle conducted according to strict ethical rules of engagement and with the purpose to protect the good, harmless and innocent people from the attack of aggressors and evil doers. According to the Vedic rules for dharmic fight, only active combatants may be attacked in a battle; if the enemy surrenders or is unarmed, unconscious, or unable to fight back, the use of force is condemned as asuric. However, it becomes justified against an enemy that has already broken the ethical rules of combat.

For example, a cunning criminal may pretend to surrender, and then escape and attack again under stealth or deceit: in this case, the kshatriya is authorized to overlook the ordinary rules and deal with the situation as required to protect the prajas. Rules are meant to help and serve us in the performance of our duty, and not the other way around; an honest and wise person can understand how dharma can be better served, as Krishna himself demonstrated several times in the Mahabharata.

Foolish and envious people sometimes claim that Krishna was a clever politician and manipulated the rules to the advantage of his family by resorting to adharma, but if we actually examine the circumstances, the facts and the results we will see that all the persons involved in the action obtained the greatest possible benefit.

A dharma yuddha is always purely defensive, never offensive or imperialistic, colonialistic or exploitative in any other way. The concept of empire in the Vedic tradition has only administrative purposes, aimed at strengthening communication and cooperation between regions through building roads, encouraging trade, creating a common front against outside invaders and aggressors, and providing emergency support to tributary kingdoms in case of need — famine, natural disasters, etc.

The aspiring emperor celebrated the Rajasuya yajna to verify the qualifications of the local kings and rulers; if they accepted his superiority, they would offer some gifts as tribute. He would continue to rule his own prajas as always, but he knew that there was a man greater and more powerful than him, to whom he could turn for help in times of need.

A kshatriya is not a war-mongering brawler eagerly searching for the opportunity to pick a fight or even creating such opportunity by attacking innocent and harmless people who are just engaged in their own honest and harmless business. A kshatriya is called to defend his land kshetra and the creatures of his land prajas from all attacks: this is the dharmic fight. The genuine kshatriyas are capable and active enough to catch a criminal red-handed and either kill him in battle or see him out of the kingdom to be banished forever if he does not accept to reform himself sincerely, atone and repay his victims suitably.

A qualified kshatriya warrior fights and kills the aggressors without being touched by krodha and himsa, because his actions are not dictated by personal motivations. He is not venting his personal problems and frustrations, and he is not seeking any personal advantage in the fight — revenge, elimination of rivals, acquisition of a better status. He is just stopping the aggression and protecting the prajas. Shouting, throwing weapons, or even cutting bodies to pieces are not necessarily a proof of anger or violence, and they should certainly be employed when the circumstances require it for the protection of the good and the innocent.

The only concern of kshatriyas is to protect the prajas and the kingdom from aggressors, from the criminals that try to commit violence against others. Most typical and best known of these groups are the Rajputs, who once formed the many princely houses of Rajasthan former Rajputana and neighboring areas.

Of course, today most Kshatriyas are landowners or follow urban professions. Although they rank high in the varna system, Kshatriyas may and commonly do eat meat though never beef , and many also take alcoholic drinks; both of these characteristics set them apart from the Brahmans. It is perhaps no mere coincidence that Mahavira and Gautama, the founders of Jainism and Buddhism respectively, were of this social category.

It can be argued that their spiritual voyages in the sixth century B. Some centuries later there was a general understanding that Kshatriyas would abstain from wordly pleasures while they fought to protect the polity and the Brahmans' place in it. But in fact—if Rajput history can be taken as a guide—Kshatriya warriors when not actually on the battlefield surrounded themselves with luxurious palaces, multiple wives and concubines, fine horses and falcons, and all the pleasures of eating cooked meats.

See also Rajput. Fox, Richard G. Berkeley: University of California Press. Tod, James London: Oxford University Press. Numerous reprints. Toggle navigation.

Bibliography Fox, Richard G. Also read article about Kshatriya from Wikipedia. User Contributions: 1. At first I didn't know what Kshatriya are. Now I'm a total Greek Geek. Hi my name is Georgia and i just want to say thank-you so much for the info i really needed it i have to do an presontation on kshatrya the caste system i really needed it so i just want to say thanks for all the help YES i do repeat the words lots but u know i really love this website and it has go info So THANKS again : :.

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