What is "viprata"

Vipratā ( Sanskrit: विप्रता), which word generally means – the rank and condition of a Brahmin and is derived from the word, Vipra ( Sanskrit: विप्र) which means – excited, enthusiastic or inspired, seer, domestic priest or Brahmin, learned, wise, poet or a learned theologian or theologist, is a contentious term because by implication it excludes all other ranks from access to and study of the Vedas. Those who do not receive the sacred thread ( Shudras and women) cannot study the Vedas. The Neo-vedantists, who strove to present Hinduism as a "homogenized ideal of Hinduism" and the Arya-samajists rejected this contention.

In the context of Hindu philosophy, this term occurs very significantly in the Second śloka (verse) of Sri Shankara’s Vivekachudamani which śloka reads as follows:-

जन्तूनां नरजन्म दुर्लभमतः पुंस्त्वं ततो विप्रता तस्माद्वैदिक-धर्ममार्गपरता विद्वत्त्वमस्मात्परम् | आत्मानात्मविवेचनं स्वनुभवो ब्रह्मात्मना संस्थितिः मुक्तिर्नो शतकोटिजन्मसु कृतैः पुण्यैर्विना लभ्यते || "For all things subject to birth, birth in a human body is rare; even rarer to obtain are strength of body and mind; rarer still is purity; more difficult than these is the desire to live a spiritual life; rarest of all is to have an understanding of the scriptures, - as for discrimination between the Self and the not-self, direct Self-realization, continuous union with the Absolute, final and complete liberation are not to be obtained without meritorious deeds done in hundred billion well lived lives."

The purport of this statement is that all three twice-born castes are qualified to study the Vedas but attaining the status of viprata - that of being a Brāhmana, is very rare. Whereas a Kshatriya engages himself mostly in ruling over his kingdom and a Vaishya, in trade etc; the person of a Brāhmana, because it is not intended for enjoying sense-pleasures, must be subjected to strict disciplines in preparation of enjoying eternal joy in store after death, the ultimate vaiśnavam padam which is the dharma only of Brāhmaņas. Through a Sanskrit inscription, written in late Brahmi script, found on the Talagunda Stone-pillar in Shimoga district dated 455-470 A.D; it became known that a Kadamba king named Śāntivarman had saved the Brahmanahood in the Kaliyuga. In his commentary on the Aitareya Upanishad (Sloka III.ii.3), Shankara states that the Atman is expanded only in human beings who are therefore endowed with intelligence; who see what is known, give expression to what is known and know what is to come; they know the visible and the invisible and perceive the immortal through the mortal. Thus, according to Shankara, the individual self is conscious living entity that makes the individual body eligible for action and knowledge. Accordingly, the term Viprata, here, refers to the inwardly inspired or awakened body and mind; it does not refer to persons born in the families of Brahmins as has been erroneously interpreted by the orthodox interpreters.

Śrī Candraśekhara Bhāratī of Śringeri in his commentary explains that the phrase - तस्माद्वैदिक-धर्ममार्गपरता in the afore-cited verse refers to him who is inclined to the path of dharma prescribed in the Vedas; and he alone who is an āstika, the one who believes in the existence of the atman apart from the body, is qualified to study the Vedānta Śāstra. And, this means that mere viprata (birth as a brahmin) by itself will not help to attain what is to be attained, and vide Jaimini Dharma, which is super-sensuous and the very foundation of universe, is what is commanded by the Vedas. The phrase आत्मानात्मविवेचनं refers to the discrimination between the Atman and whatever is not the Atman, that is, to the Anatman, which reflection produces firm conviction of the truth of the śrutis supported by reasoning.

Dig Darśani of Sanātana Gosvami tells us that Viprata i.e. the status of the twice-born, can be gained by being properly initiated. In this context,Kāne states that:-

"गुरू शिष्य को दीक्षित करता है | दीक्षा संस्कार हो जाने पर जाति संबंधी अंतर मिट जाता है, जब शूद्र एवं विप्र दीक्षित हो जाते हैं तो शूद्रता एवं विप्रता कि समाप्ति हो जाती है |"

a person becomes a Dikshita with the aid a Guru, after which gain there remains no difference of caste, then Śudratā and Vipratā, both, cease to exist.