Acharya Prashant responds to a question asking why, if the caste system is not part of religion (Dharma), no sage (Rishi-Muni) has ever opposed it. He begins by challenging the questioner's premise, asking, "How do you know they did not oppose it?" He points out that the questioner has likely not made the effort to read what the sages have said and yet possesses the self-confidence to claim they never opposed caste. He suggests it would have been better to ask if the sages had opposed the caste system. Acharya Prashant explains that in numerous Upanishads, the question of "What is caste?" is raised. The sages of the Upanishads clearly state that caste is merely an imagination (kalpana) and an illusion (bhram). Only the Self (Atma) is true; everything else, including the body, is false (mithya). He rhetorically asks if the formless, attributeless Atma can have a caste. Your truth is the Atma; whatever else you consider yourself to be is a mistake. He cites the Niralamba Upanishad, which is currently being discussed in a course, where the question "What is caste?" is answered by stating that caste is a fabrication (prapanch). This is what the Upanishadic sages say. He further clarifies that the matter of caste is social, not spiritual. He questions why a social flaw is being blamed on religion. If society has not followed or has distorted Dharma, it is not the fault of Dharma or the sages. The sages have explicitly stated that talking about caste is foolishness. They did not accept any kind of division, whether based on caste, gender, or economic status. The Upanishads are texts of Self-knowledge (Atmavidya), where nothing but the Atma is true. All other identities—country, age, wealth, education, form, gender, caste, color—are not real. Addressing a related question about why Brahmins who read the Upanishads promoted casteism, Acharya Prashant states that merely reading the Upanishads does not mean one understands them. He questions whether these Brahmins have ever truly read or understood the Upanishads, as they are not simple texts. He notes that the very Brahmins who are supposed to follow the Upanishads are often the ones who oppose him the most when he speaks on the Upanishads, because their lives and beliefs are contrary to Vedanta. He laments that neither the Brahmin class nor the Dalit communities have an interest in the Upanishads. He concludes that anyone who develops an interest in them will advance greatly in life.
