Vajrasuci (Siddhacarya Ghoshapada) 3

3

(ka) iha bhavatā yadiṣṭaṃ 'sarvavarṇapradhānaṃ brāhmaṇavarṇa' iti, vayamatra
brūmaḥ, ko'yaṃ brāhmaṇo nāma| kiṃ jīvaḥ kiṃ jātiḥ kiṃ śarīraṃ kiṃ jñānaṃ
kimācāraḥ ki karma kiṃ veda iti
(kha) tatra jīvastāvad 3 brāhmaṇo na bhavati| kasmād| vedasya4
prāmāṇyād| uktaṃ hi vede—
(ga) 'oṃ sūryaḥ paśurāsīt5, somaḥ paśurāsīd, indraḥ paśurāsīt|6'
paśavo devāḥ| ādyante7 devapaśavaḥ| śvapākā api devā8 bhavanti
(gha) ato vedaprāmāṇyānmanyāmahe jīvatvād brāhmaṇo na bhavati
bhārataprāmāṇyādapi
uktaṃ hi bhārateḥ
saptavyādhā daśārṇeṣu9 mṛgāḥ kālañjare10 girau
cakravākāḥ śaradvīpe haṃsāḥ sarasi mānase

(a) Here, concerning what you maintain: 'The brāhmaṇa caste is the foremost of all castes,' we ask in this regard: what is this entity called a brāhmaṇa? Is it the soul? Is it birth? Is it the body? Is it knowledge? Is it conduct? Is it action? Is it the Veda?
(b) In that regard, first, the soul is not the brāhmaṇa. Why? Because of the authority of the Veda. For it is stated in the Veda:
(c) 'Oṃ, Sūrya was a sacrificial beast; Soma was a sacrificial beast; Indra was a sacrificial beast.'
The gods are sacrificial beasts. The beast-gods are consumed. Even dog-cookers become gods.
(d) Therefore, from the authority of the Veda, we consider that one is not a brāhmaṇa by virtue of being a soul. And also from the authority of the Mahābhārata.
For it is stated in the Mahābhārata:
Seven hunters in Daśārṇa, deer on Mount Kālañjara,
cakravāka birds in Śaradvīpa, swans on Lake Mānasa—