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  1. Westerners who are not Dvijas and are probably not Hindus have done yeoman service in translating Vedas and other scripture into English.

  2. The prohibition against writing down scripture has universally broken down and everything is available everybody, Hindus (regardless of caste) and Non-Hindus at the click of a button sitting at home, whether bathed and in ritually clean status or not.

Does scripture talk about the ill-effects, if any, from such universal dissemination of scripture?

S K
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  • Do scriptures talk about ill effects? They might. Will there actually be any ill effects? I doubt. –  Feb 11 '19 at 07:01
  • By scripture, do you mean Vedas or Smritis? I think you mean Vedas, because Smritis can be disseminated to non-Dvijas. – Ikshvaku Feb 11 '19 at 16:06
  • if the answer is yes for vedas and no for others, put that in the answer. – S K Feb 11 '19 at 16:08

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According to Atri Smriti, if a Sudra recites the Vedas, then that brings about the destruction of the whole kingdom.

By following his own religion even a S'udra enjoys the celestial region. Another's religion should be renounced like the most beautiful wife of another person. (18)

The S'udra, who engages in the recitation [of the Gayatri] and the offering of oblations to the Sacred Fire, should be killed by the king ; for by that he becomes the destroyer of the kingdom as the water is of fire. (19)

Acceptance of gifts, giving instructions [in the Vedas] selling an article which should not be sold, and officiating as a priest at a sacrifice the doing of these four, [is described] in the Smritis as outcasting the Kshatriya and the Vaisya. (20)

Although translator added "of the Gayatri" in the brackets but I think it is talking about reciting the Vedas.

Rickross
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  • "Although translator added 'of the Gayatri'" - who is the translator? I think we should credit the translator or leave a link to the translation. – Say No To Censorship Feb 13 '19 at 18:15
  • Translator is Manmatha Nath Dutta .. I hd discussed this with u only previously that whether giving online links is mandatory or we can simply post the verses alongwith giving the scriptures's names .. you said it is not mandatory, and gave examples of how Tezz and Pradip G write their answers .. If giving translator's names is mandatory then that is problematic for me because I do not even know who translated the Manu/Parashara Smriti verses I use in my answer @sv. – Rickross Feb 14 '19 at 05:59
  • Yes, remember that discussion. Links cannot be provided if you are quoting from a physical book. But if you don't specify the author/translator, it may lead to copyright issues? – Say No To Censorship Feb 14 '19 at 14:42
  • @sv. Not only whn I quote from hard copies I can not provide online links on many occasions even whn I am using a PDF .. so far I rarely have mentioned who the translator is in my answers – Rickross Feb 15 '19 at 17:08
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Will there be ill-effects from universally disseminating scripture to non-Dvijas?

By "scripture" I assume you mean Vedas. If so, it can lead to national disasters, but Smritis can be disseminated to everyone including non-Dvijas.

In the Ramayana, a Shudra was doing Vedic tapasya, which caused the death of a Brahmana's son. So, Rama being the king, had to protect Dharma and punish Adharma, and so he executed the Shudra. The Shudra was re-born as a Brahmana.

However, non-Dvijas are permitted, and encouraged, to do Agamic/Tantric/Smarta tapasya. For example, Sri Vaishnava non-Dvijas chant a particular mantra from the Pancharatra Agamas.

Ikshvaku
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    Should countries where Hinduism is practiced give capital punishment in today's age to all the undeserving who have learnt scripture, like Rama did? How about websites that give universal access to the Vedas etc.? Should their owners get capital punishment too? – S K Feb 10 '19 at 18:28
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    @SK No, we cannot give capital punishment to anyone since we don't have that authority. Only a Kshatriya king who has received all his sacraments, and learned the Vedas, and installed as king through vedic rites, has the authority to enforce dharma. – Ikshvaku Feb 10 '19 at 18:29
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    Since when doing tapasya became Adharma? Tapasya leads to national disasters? You need to back up your sweeping statements with sources. – Pinakin Feb 11 '19 at 05:45
  • @ChinmaySarupria Please read the section of Shambuka in the Ramayana. – Ikshvaku Feb 11 '19 at 15:53
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    You are supposed to post the verses here. You are making claims like it can lead to national disasters, you need to back it up. Answers on this site must be backed up with sources. – Pinakin Feb 11 '19 at 15:54
  • @ChinmaySarupria I don't have a copy of that section of the Ramayana with me now. – Ikshvaku Feb 11 '19 at 15:57
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    ". If so, it can lead to national disasters" Can you quote source for this statement? I'm adding banner and will remove it once you add the source. – The Destroyer Feb 12 '19 at 13:18
  • @Ikshvaku shambuka was killed because he was aspiring to enter heaven with his mortal body not because he was doing tapasya. – Ajay Varma Feb 12 '19 at 15:48
  • @AjayVarma That is not a reason to kill him. Vishvamitra tried to get Trishanku to enter heaven with a mortal body and no one killed him. – Ikshvaku Feb 12 '19 at 15:49
  • @Ikshvaku in shambuka's case, he was trying to become a god and conquer the heavens whereas trishanku simply wanted to enter it with his mortal body – Ajay Varma Feb 12 '19 at 16:32
  • @AjayVarma Can you link the section of the Ramayana that talks about that? – Ikshvaku Feb 12 '19 at 16:33
  • here and here on wikipedia – Ajay Varma Feb 12 '19 at 16:45
  • @AjayVarma "but the Shudras were not permitted to undertake it during that time" – Ikshvaku Feb 12 '19 at 16:55
  • @Ikshvaku "O king, one Sudra, under the influence of vicious understanding has begun devout penances within thy kingdom. And for that reason this boy hath met with death." I don't know how accurate the translation is but the whole reason the boy died is because the sudra ascetic is doing tapasya with ill intentions. – Ajay Varma Feb 12 '19 at 17:15
  • @AjayVarma Not for any ill intentions, but because it's a huge sin for Shudras to do any form of Vaidika tapas in Treta Yuga. There is nothing unfair about this system. It's because Shudra's are not prepared for that type of tapas. – Ikshvaku Feb 12 '19 at 17:49
  • @Ikshvaku Then what about matanga who was born chandala, did tapasya but never killed by indra? More about him here. Any one can sit under a tree and meditate, that doesn't equal tapasya. – Ajay Varma Feb 12 '19 at 18:24
  • @AjayVarma Anyone can do tantric/agamic tapasya. – Ikshvaku Feb 12 '19 at 19:38
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    You can add this answer instead of wikipedia link. https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/28087/5212 – Sarvabhouma Feb 13 '19 at 07:12
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Scriptures does not necessarily mean the vedas.There is no bar in teaching Ramayana, Mahabharata or the Smrities or Puranas which are also scriptures.

One reason of writing the Puranas is the very fact that "stri-sudra-dwijavandhunaam trayi na srutigochara" ie The Vedas can not be heard by the women, sudras and fallen tri-varnas.

So except Srutis, all are expected to be able to learn other scriptures.

Sri Sitaramdas Omkarnathji points out that these scriptures should be read under supervision of a guru (ie not to be read on own),as that is our tradition.(Ref: M-kar Baba, Sitaramdas Omkarnath, Mahamilan Math, page 2).

Without proper knowledge of Sanskrit and our tradition and culture, teaching or Learning of the above books are like teaching or learning English poetries and dramas without knowing english.

"Their true meanings can not be understood otherwise.(Ibid page 2).

So neither bad nor good effects will be the result.It will just be a wastage of time of all involved.

As Sitaramdas Omkarnathji points out:

Without proper tapasya, one can not understand the real meaning of the Sastras.(Omkarnath Rachanavali, Sitaramdas Omkarnath,Vol.7,page 1).Max Muller and Ramesh Dutta etc who have traslated the Vedas have seen only the skeleton of the Vedas and eaten the bones of the Vedas.(Ibid, page 97-8).