VARNA Explained: The Misunderstood and Misused Term of ‘Caste’ System
Varna has been Misunderstood : No Caste System in Hinduism
(CHAKRA) Varna is one of the most misunderstood and misused concepts in Hinduism, and as a result it has a lot of stigma attached to it. “Caste System” is a very poor, if not an incorrect translation for varNa-vyavasthA. This article aims to explain varNa in detail. Most of what is said here is based on the teachings of Swami Paramarthananda Saraswati ji, a traditional teacher of Advaita Vedanta. While this write-up has a lot of Sanskrit terminology, I have given translations for all the words introduced for the first time. Though lengthy and somewhat technical, rest assured your patience will pay off, as some of the subtlest concepts related to the vedic society have been explored here.
Nothing works well without an infrastructure. Whether it is the educational system or the transportation system, we need it for the smooth functioning of society. The infrastructure given in the vedAs is the varNa-dharma, which is a sociological scheme for the growth of society as a whole, focusing both on material as well as spiritual goals. This fourfold division is known as varNa vibhAga; division of varNas. The vibhAga is done based on three criteria.
The first is an individual’s guNa vibhAga; division based on his mental attribute/aptitude. The second is karma vibhAga; division based on his profession, and the last is the jAti vibhAga; division based on his parentage.
In guNa vibhAga, people are classified into guNa brAhmana, guNa kshatriya, guNa vaishyA and guNa shudrA
To understand subsequent topics better, it is imperative to give a short explanation of what ‘guNa’ is. A loose translation of the word guNa would be quality/attribute. Everything that is objectifiable in this universe is endowed with three guNas; they are sattva, rajas, and tamas. It is not possible to accurately define the guNas, however we will still make an attempt to understand them intuitively.
Sattva guNa:
This includes knowledge, intelligence, purity, wisdom, peace, stillness, serenity, quietude, solitude, spirituality, chastity, divinity and so on.
Rajas guNa:
This includes activity, motivation, strength, vigor, motion, desire, energy, fire, change, transformation, passion, restlessness and so on.
Tamas guNa
This is a lack-luster state that deals with lethargy, indolence, laziness, inertia, dullness, and etc.
Returning back to our classification of personalities based on guNas (guNa vibhAga)
1) A brAhmana has a predominance of sattva, with lesser amount of rajas, and least amount of tamas. He is known as a sattva pradhAna personality.
2) A kshatriya has a predominance of rajas, with lesser amount of sattva, and least amount of tamas. He is known as a shuddha rajas pradhAna personality.
3) A vaishyA has a predominance of rajas, with lesser amount of tamas, and least amount of sattva. He is known as an ashuddha rajas pradhAna personality
4) A shudrA has a predominance of tamas, with lesser amount of rajas and least amount of sattva. He is known as a tamah pradhAna personality.
Based on these guNas we will now give a short explanation of their personalities.
1) guNa brAhmana: loves spiritual pursuits, withdrawal, contemplation, knowledge. The pursuits of the other goals are only incidental, that come as a part and parcel of human life. SanyAs appeals to such a mind, renunciation is welcome. While solitude is a dreadful thing for most, such a spiritual person rejoices in it.
2) guNa Kshatriya: dynamic personality; Outgoing, active and highly motivated in a selfless way. He has a selflessly motivated mind that works in the direction of exercising his power in service of others.
3) guNa vaishyA: selfishly dynamic personality; business oriented, for service of oneself and for one’s own family.
4) guNa shudrA: no motivation either for materialistic or spiritual goals. Passive and lethargic, his main goal in life is mere survival, with neither the inclination towards knowledge like the brAhmanas, desire for social service like a kshatriya, nor desire for self gain like the vaishyA. This sort of personality is most animalistic of all, known as guNa shudrA
Thus we see that the predominance of certain guNas endow an individual with different types of personalities.
In an ideal situation, a person is most fit to perform a job which corresponds well with his personality. This gives rise to a division based on one’s occupation, called karma vibhAga.
1) A karma brAhmana is assigned the task of learning and teaching scriptures. Not only is this work extensive, but also very intensive. Someone needs to teach vedas, and it is a highly responsible task, where not only does one need to learn the scriptures very well, but a detailed knowledge of sanskritam, treatises on logic, and other related works are needed too. Such a teacher must also be able to express the knowledge of scriptures effectively, and be up to date in order to be able to communicate it to a generation of modern minds- old wisdom in a new package.
2) A karma kshatriya is responsible for preservation of law and order, public service etc. Jobs dealing with governance fall into this category. Ministers, police officers, legislators are a few positions that a karma kshatriya holds. Though this is far from the case today, in an ideal situation, the job of a kshatriya is to selflessly serve people.
3) A karma vaishyA is responsible for business oriented work; commercial activity such as trade, farming, banking, shop-keeping etc. A vaishyA contributes to the economic growth of the society.
4) A karma shudrA performs all forms of unskilled or semi skilled labour. He is neither adept with the scriptures; like a brAhmana, nor qualified enough to protect the society; like a kshatriya, nor does he possess business acumen like a vaishyA.
There is a lot of stigma attached to the term shudrA, but taking a look at society objectively, we come across some people who are academically interested, some who are endowed with strength and possess a disposition to serve others, some who have a capacity to handle business, and then we have some who are some aren’t gifted in either one of these. Based on each individual’s qualification, they are thus classified.
The third and final division is based on one’s ancestry; jAti vibhAga
1) jAti brAhmana, born in a brAhmana family
2) jAti kshatriya, born in a kshatriya family
3) jAti vaishyA, born to a vaishyA
4) jAti shudrA, born to a shudrA
Birth does not give anyone superiority or inferiority. This is called the caste system, which has been plaguing society, and wrongly tarnished the Vedas in the eyes of those who are not familiar with the proper classification.
Based on scriptural reference, some argue that shudrAs are born from the feet of brahmA ji, and hence they are discriminated against. This too is a fallacy, because after all, it is the feet that we first reach out to touch and seek blessings from. The correct way of understanding the symbolism is as follows:
brAhmanas are depicted as born from the head of brahmA ji, symbolizing that they are the teachers and preservers of knowledge, as knowledge is stored in the head.
kshatriyas are depicted as born from the chest of brahmA ji, because the chest is a symbol of virility, thus symbolizing their strength and their status as protectors of society.
vaishyas are said to be born from the stomach of brahmA ji, because it is through their very economic activity that society can feed itself, and also due to the fact that farmers, who are producers of food, are vaishyAs.
Lastly, shudrAs are said to be born from the feet of brahmA ji, because the feet represent labour. It is the feet that take us around from place to place, and shudrAs represent this section of society. There is nothing unholy about feet; after all, it is the feet that one reaches out to touch first.
If such symbologies are misinterpreted they can prove to be detrimental to one’s attitude towards the vedic religion.
Scriptures abound with examples where the focus is on one’s personality, and not birth. Prahlad, son of a rAkshasa went to become one of the most revered individuals in our culture. Even sage vAlmiki, author of the epic poem rAmAyana, was considered occupationally a forest bandit, but later through his own change in character, became one of the most venerated sages, as did the son of a fisherwoman; sage vyAsa, who was respected for his merits as a teacher of brahma vidyA, and compiler of the vedAs.
In conclusion, only with the proper understanding of varNa will we be able to appreciate it fully, failing which we will be victims of the pseudo secular attitude afflicting our nation, which carries an over westernized approach to classify this wonderful system as something barbaric. Caste based discrimination has absolutely no room in our varNa vyavasthA. I request all readers to share their awareness about this.
Lastly, we can only take pride in our culture by first adhering to it and then teaching through example, so please uphold the vedic rites enjoined to your varNa in specific. This will not only keep you steeped in the vedic lifestyle, giving you spiritual benefits, but also aid in the posterity of our tradition, which in itself is a great dharma.
Thank you,
Prashant P
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This article is interesting, except for one major point that has been recklessly overlooked. The purpose of all these 4 varnas is to serve a greater good, the good of the community or society, which Hinduism calls Dharma (not to be confused with the Dharma of Buddhism). This ideal is very practical – an individual is only as good as the society that he/she belongs to. If each of us contribute something good to a society, be it philosophical, ritualistic, legislative, or in the form of labor, it benefits society and benefits all of us. Since each community and individual has something to contribute, all are equal.
Most of the people in India have forgotten Dharma’s role, and this has led to caste politics and rampant corruption.
Thank you, Prashant, for the explanation of how vedic society classified an individual based on gunA, karmA and jAti. I can see how the purpose of such a system facilitates the fulfilling of one’s individual dharma – and also efficaciously benefit society.
Do you know “who” may have conducted this classification? Was it the ruling class? When a young man came of age, who may have dictated what his profession can be?
So from what you state, one for example was not limited to the occupation of his shudrA jAti, if he had an aptitude for learning or teaching the vedAs?
hariH om Raghavan ji,
I dont think the point has been overlooked at all, rather it was evident in the roles enjoined to each varNa.
Education; handled by brAhmins, governance; by kshatriyas, business; by vaishyAs, labour/service; by shudrAs.
In a broad spectrum, this covers it all. Each of these roles is essential for the smooth functioning of society, and hence all 4 varNas are indispensable.
I also did touch upon the need for society to grow as a whole. From this article, i quote:
“Nothing works well without an infrastructure. Whether it is the educational system or the transportation system, we need it for the smooth functioning of society. The infrastructure given in the vedAs is the varNa-dharma, which is a sociological scheme for the growth of society as a whole, focusing both on material as well as spiritual goals. ”
The varNa is a sociological scheme, the Asrama is an individualistic scheme. Both of these put together form the varNAshramA dharma, which forms the basis of a hindu lifestyle.
Prashant ji,
Thank you so much for clarifying this. I also had similar questions that Shilpa ji raised. I would be interested in reading your response.
Hey Shilpa didi, Raghavan ji,
Thanks for the kind words !
Today, due to globalisation which resulted from better transportation systems and communication, jobs are no longer confined to our neighbourhoods. In those days, it was not unlikely for most people to never have traveled outside of their village. The population would grow at a more or less constant pace, and the proportions of all varNas would also grow in tandem with one another, and hence it was important for the family traditions- including occupation- to be passed down.
As every member of society understood the importance of this division of labour, no one really showed discontent with their work, as everyone realized they were an integral part of the system, and as such no one had the desire to disturb the fine balance. There were just enough farmers, soldiers, blacksmiths and teachers to keep things flowing smoothly.
This lack of resistance, coupled with a heightened sense of dharma, and technological constraints governing transportation and communication made it very viable for the occupational roles within a family to remain constant, and removed the need for excessive governing, except in solitary cases, though for the most part no one had issues with their work
Coming to your first question, a young man coming of age would have his profession dictated by tradition, not any authority
The second one, if a shudrA was inclined to learn and teach the vedAs he could do so after taking sanyAsa, but that is only after he has performed his worldly duties. No individual from any varNa may take sanyAsa except through explicit permission of family. Once a person takes sanyAsa he is no longer part of the varNa vyavasthA- the only purpose of a sanyAsi is to gain jnAnam, and if need be, teach it.
There is also a caveat, depending on the tradition one follows, sometimes only brAhmins were allowed to take sanyAsa, for good reason, because having spent their entire life in vedic learning, they would be the best gatekeepers of the tradition, so from that perspective it is valid.
From another perspective, there have always been occasions where some teachers allowed all varNas to be initiated into sanyAsa… for example in mAhAbhArata, all the pAndavAs took to sanyAsa despite being non brahmins.
Another case would be our own jagadguru Adi shankarAchArya. He, for example only initiated brAhmins into his fold, because his purpose was the preservation and propagation of vedatAnta across the length and breadth of India, and he choose the ones who were formally educated in the tradition from a young age. Then in another incidence, he himself went and touched a chANdalA’s (untouchable’s) feet, because that chANdalA had gained AtmA jnAnam. You may look up the beautiful work, maneeshA panchakam, which he immediately composed after this incident.
These are different perspectives I can give, the point is our tradition has always evolved.
So really, there isn’t an absolutely clear answer here, it depends a lot on what tradition you fall into, who your teacher is and what times you live in.
Thank you for for an excellent presentation. Kindly allow me to submit the following from RigVeda on this subject.
RV9.112 Nurturing of Talents
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Refrain line is:????????????? ??? ???? Natural Talents may flower; ????????? ????????? ?? ????? ??.
Different temperaments;
?????? ?? ? ?? ???? ?? ??????? ??????? ?
????? ?????? ???? ????? ??????? ??????????????????????????? ??? ???? ?? 9.112.1
Humans manifest different traits.
1. Work with Physical Objects; One has an inclination to be skilled with physical objects and techniques.
2. Work with living Objects; One wants to become a healer, a doctor to bring comfort by cure to others.
3. Work on Minds; One wants to be a learned person interested in bringing bounties of wisdom to others.
The motivating force in humans manifests in various forms, and needs to be nurtured accordingly. Natural Talents may flower
?????? ????? ????? ??????? ?? ???. ??? ???????? – ??????? ?? ?????? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ????? ??; ?? ??? ?????- ???? ?? ?? ????????? ?? ????????? ?? ????? ???? ????? ??; ?? ???? ????? ?? ??????? ?? ?? ???? ??? ??????? ?? ?????????? ?? ??? ?????? ??????? ???????? ????? ????? ??.
?? ?? ?????? ?? ????????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ????? ??????. ????????? ????????? ?? ????? ??.
Set up Different Avenues of Education
?????????????: ???????: ????????? ?
???????? ????????????????????????????????????????????? ??? ???? ?? 9.112.2
1. Different herbs, products from other living beings like feathers of a bird and such materials have medicinal properties; Set up avenues to study and teach about them.
2. Technologies can provide opportunities to generate wealth by intelligent working with minerals etc.; set up institutions for nurturing these talents.
1. ????? ????? ??? ???????, ????? ????? ????????? ?? ?????? ?? ???? ??????? ??????? ???? ???. ?? ?? ????????? ???????? ?? ???? ??????? ???.
2. ???? ???????? ??????? ?? ????? ???? ?????? ????????? ????? ???? ??. ?? ?????? ?? ????????? ???????? ?? ???? ?????? ????.
Different Vocations
??????? ??? ???????????????? ??? ?
????????????????? ?? ?? ?????????????????? ??? ???? ?? 9.112.3
I am a musician, my family (father& Son) are medical practioners healing diseases, my mother grinds corn to make our food. We all perform our duties to make our contribution to sustain the society, like a cow sustains us all.
??? ???????? ???, ???? ???? ????? ???, ???? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??. ?? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?? ?? ?? ????? ???? ???????? ?????? ???? ???.
Different predilections- ????? ????? ????
????? ????? ???? ??? ???????????????: ?
???? ?????????? ???? ???????????? ?????????????????? ??? ???? ?? 9.112.4
A routine worker like a horse drawing a laden cart with good
master is contended. Another person wants to spend time among friends making merry. Yet another one has high libido and seeks female company. But natural talents must be developed to find opportunities for community development.
?????? ??????? ?? ???? ?? ?????? ?? ????????? ?????? ?? ???? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???? ??? ???????? ??. ???? ??????? ????? ????? ??? ??? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??? ???? ??. ???? ??????? ???? ????? ?? ?? ?????? ??? ?? ???? ???? ???? ??.
????? ????? ?????????? ?? ????? ????? ????????? ???? ???. ????? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ?????? ?? ??? ?? ?? ????????? ?? ????? ???? ?????.
Nice post. I used to be checking continuously this weblog and I’m impressed! Extremely helpful information particularly the remaining section
I deal with such information a lot. I used to be seeking this particular info for a very lengthy time. Thank you and best of luck.
hariH Om, Naemi ji
Thank you, glad you enjoyed it- have a great rest of the week!
hariH Om
The sanatanis have to review their policy and practices on the Varnaas. No doubt the saatvic, rajasic and tamasic set of traits by themselves are well defined qualities; But every creature should have choice to develop the proportions of choice in its personality; In terms of its life’s needs , depending on the free desire/ aspiration the person should have the freedom to specialize in any quality or combination. Once the person displays the quality that should be recognized There should be NO geneticised compulsion by society or some rules of manual.. No doubt the qualities and their proportion get inexorably and by and large related to genes due to exercising in the cell mechanics and biology subject strictly to truly practicing the same in life’s problems and related solution processes But there cannot be any compulsion on any one or thing to stick to the same proportion.; In this context , the social practices require amendment In the age of sciences ,in the age of free knowledge based living with the bytes, one cannot say that genealogy only can be used to automatically fix or assume the proportion of the qualities. While the Gunas and their proportion as related to the vocation can be specified, as one would do in an HRD exercise, the formulae should become applicable to all creatures, now that all have free access/opportunities to knowledge and acquisition of skills. This will NOT alter the unique and progressive Hindu philosophy of relations and structure of man and spirit as propounded by the mahavaakyas while nudging the persons to continuously seek truth while conducting one’s life in-service to the divinity in each fellow creature Chara and Achara, and without losing grip on our well established relationship between man and spirit and the mission of purusharthas, level of detail of which, should be open for selection. This will make the Sanatana dharma, this life and the quest for truth to be evergreen , and help all to move closer to the cherished goals instead of the present Santaana dharma which at best can increase GDP and leave the soul in the ditch.