With due respect, On what account were the Kuru lineage after Dhritrashtra and Pandu considered Kshatriya varna in Mahabharata when Dhritrashtra and Pandu themselves were born from a brahmin sage vedvyas ?
-
Where did you read that kurus from Dhritrashtra and Pandu were sons of Vyasa? Do you mean why Dhritrashtra and Pandu were Kashtriyas when they were sons of Vyasa? – YDS Jan 18 '20 at 06:36
-
@YDS please find the reference below :https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/book/mahabharata/d/doc118371.html – user19357 Jan 18 '20 at 07:21
-
@user19357 - The reference clearly reads Dhritrashtra and Pandu begotten by Vyasa – Artist Formerly Known As CSD Jan 18 '20 at 10:30
-
@Carmensandiego namaste ! I have tried to rephrase the question and its now under review. I was trying to ask that since dhritrashtra and pandu were born from a brahmin seer then how they and their respective lineages were considered Kshatriyas instead ? – user19357 Jan 18 '20 at 10:59
1 Answers
From the the link of this section of Adi Parva of Mahabharata which OP provided in comments:
In a former millennium, Parashurama, killed Kartavirya Arjuna in battle for the sin of slaying his father. Not only did he kill the followers of Kartavirya Arjuna, but he destroyed the entire kshatriya race twenty-one times. When the earth was devoid of great warriors, the queens approached the great rishis and procreated children by them and thus the kshatriya race was revived. Therefore, a purified brahmana should be invited with an offer of wealth, and let him raise children by the wives of Vicitravirya.
So, it's clear that kshatriya race was procreated by rishis/brahmins long back also.
This was due to a practice known as Niyoga.
There are 12 kinds of sons and son born using the Niyoga practice known as kṣetraja son:
यस्तल्पजः प्रमीतस्य क्लीबस्य व्याधितस्य वा ।
स्वधर्मेण नियुक्तायां स पुत्रः क्षेत्रजः स्मृतः ॥ १६७ ॥
If a son is born of the wife of a man, either dead or impotent or diseased, by one who has been duly ‘authorised,’—that son is declared to be ‘kṣetraja’ ‘soil-born.’ ~Manu Smriti 9.167
From above references, it's clear that even though Dhritrashtra and Pandu were biological sons of Vyasa but still they would be considered kṣetraja sons of Vicitravirya due to Niyoga practice and would be considered kshatriyas ultimately.