Can a Shudra have a characteristic of a Brahmin and vice-versa?

Question

So many people in history were born in a different class, but had attributes of another caste, are there shastra-ic perspective to this?

Answer 1

सर्प उवाच। 3-182-20xब्राह्मणः को भवेद्राजन्वेद्यं किंच युधिष्ठिर। ब्रवीह्यतिमतिं त्वां हि वाक्यैरनिमिनोमि ते ॥ 3-182-20

युधिष्ठिर उवाच। 3-182-21x सत्यं दानं क्षमा शीलमानृशंस्यं तपो घृणा। दृश्यन्ते यत्रनागेन्द्रस ब्राह्मण इति स्मृतः ॥ 3-182-21वेद्यं सर्प परं ब्र्हम निर्दुःखमसुखं च यत्। यत्रगत्वा न शोचन्ति भवतः किं विवक्षितं ॥ 3-182-22

सर्प उवाच। 3-182-23xचातुर्वर्ण्यं प्रमाणं च सत्यं च ब्रह्म चैव हि। आनृशंस्यमहिंसा च घृणा चैव युधिष्ठिर ॥ 3-182-23वेद्यं यच्चात्र निर्दुःखमसुखं च नराधिप। ताभ्यां हीनं पदं चान्यन्न तदस्तीति लक्षये ॥ 3-182-24

युधिष्ठिर उवाच। 3-182-25xशूद्रे तु यद्भवेल्लक्ष्म द्विजे तच्च न विद्यते। न वै शूद्रो भवेच्छूद्रो ब्राह्मणो न च ब्राह्मणः ॥ 3-182-25यत्रैतल्लक्ष्यते सर्प वृत्तं स ब्राह्मणः स्मृतः। तत्रैतन्न वेत्सर्प तं शूद्रमिति निर्दिशेत् ॥ 3-182-26यत्पुनर्भवता प्रोक्तं न वेद्यं विद्यतेति च। ताभ्यां हीनमतोऽन्यत्र पदं नास्तीति चेदपि ॥ 3-182-27एवमेतन्मतं सर्प ताभ्यां हीनं तु विद्यते। यथा शीतोष्णयोर्मध्ये भवेन्नोष्णं न शीतता ॥ 3-182-28एवं वै सुखदुःखाभ्यां हीनमस्ति पदं क्वचित्। एषा मम मतिः सर्प यथा वा मन्यते भवान् ॥ 3-182-29

This is from the Kumbhaghonam Vana parva of Mahabharata chapter 182 about the conversation between Yudhisthira and Aajagara Sarpa (Great Ancestor Nahusha) with a summarized translation by me:

Sarpa: Who is a Braahmana?

Yudhisthira: One with good qualities (truthful, generous, forgiving, undisturbed, kind) and one knowing Brahma(satyam jnaanam anantam) is Braahmana.

Sarpa: Those good qualities and knowledge of Brahma is found in Shudras too.

Yudhisthira: A shudra with good qualities is not Shudra and a Braahmana without good qualities is not Braahmana. The one with these qualities is a Braahmana and the one without is the Shudra.

---

So many people in history were born in a different class, but had attributes of another caste, are there shastra-ic perspective to this?

As for this question, all those people are mixed-Varna individuals. Continued from the same previous conversation:

सर्प उवाच। 3-182-30xयदि ते वृत्ततो राजन्ब्राह्मणः प्रसमीक्षितः। वृथा जातिस्तदायुष्मन्कृतिर्यावन्न विद्यते ॥ 3-182-30

युधिष्ठिर उवाच। 3-182-31x जातिरत्रमहासर्प मनुष्यत्वे महामते। संकरात्सर्ववर्णानां दुष्परीक्ष्येति मे मतिः ॥ 3-182-31 सर्वे सर्वास्वपत्यानि जनयन्ति यदा नराः। वाङ्मैथुनमथो जन्म मरणं च समं नृणाम् ॥ 3-182-32इदमार्षं प्रमाणं च ये यजामह इत्यपि। तस्माच्छीलं प्रधानेष्टं विदुर्ये तत्त्वदर्शिनः ॥ 3-182-33प्राङ्गाभिवर्धनात्पुंसो जातकर्म विधीयते। `तथोपनयनं प्रोक्तं द्विजातीनां यथाक्रमम्'। तत्रास्य माता सावित्री पिता त्वाचार्य उच्यते ॥ 3-182-34वृत्त्या शूद्रसमो ह्येष यावद्वेदेन जायते। तस्मिन्नेवं मतिद्वैधे मनुः स्वायंभुवोऽब्रवीत् ॥ 3-182-35कृतकृत्याः सर्ववर्णा यदि वृत्तं न पश्यति। संकरस्त्वत्र नागेन्द्र बलवान्प्रसमीक्षितः ॥ 3-182-36 यत्रेदानीं महासर्प संस्कृतं वृत्तमिष्यते। तं ब्राह्मणमहं पूर्वमुक्तवान्भुजगोत्तम ॥ 3-182-37

Sarpa: If the qualification of a Brahmana are these qualities, then as long as one doesn’t show these qualities, the (qualification gained by) birth is useless.

Yudhisthira: In my understanding, in humans, it’s very difficult to decide the quality of the birth because of (the current) mixture of different Varnas. All people are creating children from all Varnas. The trajectory of all humans is similar, irrespective of Varnas. All varnas have sex, are born and die in the same manner. Till a child is born according to the Veda (Upanayanam), he is similar to a Shudra. If the proclivity of the Varna doesn’t present itself even after doing the Upanayanam, then the mixture of Varna is really strong. Currently, one with good actions, proclivities and the Brahmana Upanayana should be considered a true Braahmana.

---

If there were mixed Varna people born in end of Dvapara, then it's delusional to think ANYONE currently alive has pure Varna. Everyone is mixed Varna. That's why the qualities of a Brahmana is seen in Shudras or those of Shudras are seen in Brahmanas. No one has pure Varna. This, was naturally not the case in the middle of Dvaapara or before, in a large scale.

You may ask why do people have mixed Varna now and not before)? The proper answer to that requires a whole thesis, and not a few paragraphs, so I will skip it (inter-caste marriage is not the main issue). All that needs to be known is that there's no Shudra and no Brahmana alive currently.

Follow the qualities, if all seem good, then that's the Brahmana, and of course, it's a huge huge bonus if that person has the Upanayaman done and has studied Veda traditionally, in depth by spending 12-36 years under his Aacharya.

Answer 2

In Purana four Varna is mentioned,brahmana vaishya kshatriya and Shudra. According to that there's no caste, who thinks about vedanta and well being of nature (prakruthi) is a Brahmin, who is powerful and protects all is called kshatriya and who grow food grains, and do trading of any product useful to mankind is vaishya. Who works hard is Shudra. Any one can become brahmana or anything by virtue of his/her atma samskar. If any wrong in my words, Sorry

Answer 3

chātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛiṣhṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśhaḥ tasya kartāram api māṁ viddhyakartāram avyayam

BG 4.13: The four categories of occupations were created by Me according to people’s qualities and activities. Although I am the Creator of this system, know Me to be the Non-doer and Eternal.

According to one's work and quality, Varna is decided. and not by birth.

Ex. In a shudra family, A son with Brahmin quality might be born. Such a son should become Brahmin if he wants to.