Vajrasuci of Asvaghosa and The Concept of Varna-Jati Through the Ages

About the Book Vajrasuci of Asvaghosa is a small but unique text, which not only criticises Varna-Jati system of Indian society and claims of social distinctions on the ground of birth, but also highlights the historical significance of an eternal age long debate of Indian social philosophy: specially the problem of social inequality.

This volume includes the text of Vajrasucī, Vajrasuchikopnişad and Dhammapada (definition of Brahmana only) with English translation and text of Laghutanka (a reply to Vajrasūcī written in 1837 AD by Soobaji Bapoo an orthodox scholar) and quotation from Mahabharata and Puranas (about condemnation of the Jati-system).

In Introduction a detailed note is presented on Varna-Jati system from the Vedic age to modern era as it is depicted in the literature of those ages which highlights the essence of the thoughts of 2500 years opposing the caste institution right from Buddha to Gandhi. This includes a brief note on such divisions which prevailed in other societies of the world.

About the Author Ramesh Chandra Bharadwaja 21-3 1958 (Professor and Head of the Department of Sanskrit, University of Delhi) is a scholar of Indology, who has been trained in both the systems of Sanskrit learning, traditional and modern.

He received Shastri & Acharya Navyavyākaraṇa Sanskrit Vidyapith, New Delhi and M.A., M.Phil. and Ph. D. from the University of Delhi.

He has been a Visiting Research Fellow for more than one and a half years in the Department of Indian Philosophy, University of TOKYO, JAPAN.

He has authored, edited, translated and published more than thirty books ranging from Indology to Gandhian studies and Tribal literature.

His publications include (Hindi) 'Pramaṇamimamsako Sarvajnatma Munika Yogadāna', 'Karma-Mimamsa ko Parthasarathi Miśra Ka Yogadāna' and (English) Rajavyavahāraośa of Raghunatha Pandit.

**Contents and Sample Pages**