Varna essentially means Color, Complexion, Appearance, Description etc. of people based on their Gunas or Qualities.
Varna is popularly known by the word “Caste” which is derived from the Portuguese word “Casta”, meaning “race” or” lineage”. We will use the word Varna, as the word “Caste” is a foreign import. Our ANCIENT ancestors made these categories based on each person’s Gunas (mental temperament – Sattva, Rajas & Tamas) < click here for my previous blog on this subject) and allocation of work was made accordingly.
This Varna system comprises of four categories of people:
1) Brahmana or Brahmin – Priestly class:
Those who possess a predominantly Sattvik nature, a little of Rajas and very little of Tamas belong to this category. Serenity, Self-control, Self-discipline, Austerity, Uprightness, Forgiveness, Knowledge & Sense control – these are the qualities of Brahmana.
A Brahmana (involved in priestly work) is one who should have all above qualities to lead a spiritual life and be a symbol of divinity. He should be sublime in thought, expression & manner. A spiritual man is fixed in his mind that he is Atman and his body & senses are attuned to this divine feeling. Intrusion of worldly people in his life do not affect him, nor does he think of retaliating or resisting. A simple living with a bare earthly possession distinguishes him from others. He loves all beings and is trustworthy to people.
A Brahmana should be known for his patience, purity, learning, truthfulness & self-sacrifice. As Brahmanas with these qualities increase in number, the moral & spiritual standards of society go up.
2) Kshatriya- Warrior class:
Those who possess a predominantly Rajasik nature, less of Sattva & Tamas belong to this category. Heroism, Vigor, firmness, resourcefulness, not fleeing from battle, generosity, & lordliness are his qualities and such a man is an embodiment of Dharma.
The literal meaning of Kshatriya is one who always saves others from injury & hurt. In this noble endeavor his body may be injured or he may die. A Kshatriya is ready to give up his body for a cause but compromising with Adharma is unacceptable to him. An example is that of Bhishma, whose body was hurt to the core, but his mind remained fixed to the ideal. A Kshatriya is the protector of Dharma & Society. By self-discipline & self-dedication he rises to perform his divine duty. By the above definition, one can consider the entire rank & file of our Defense forces to be all Kshatriyas!
3) Vaishya – Trader Class:
Those who possess still lesser Sattvik & Rajasik nature but more of Tamas belong to this category. Agriculture, Animal Husbandry, Trade, Commerce & Business are the duties of Vaishya.
Wealth & material resources are required for sustaining life. Lakshmi is the Goddess of wealth and she is symbolized as the consort of Lord Vishnu the Preserver of this Universe, since maintenance requires wealth. Life at physical level is impossible without material resources. A Vaishya creates & distributes material wealth of the society to maintain bodily sustenance & prosperity. As the tapping the resources of nature developed well, industry has also grown to great proportions. Anyone who serves society such as craftsmen, artisans, factory workers, technicians, even modern day Doctors & Lawyers are also to be treated as Vaishyas (as their Dharma is to serve society).
4) Shudra –Worker or Labor Class:
Those who possess predominantly Tamasik nature with a little of Rajas & very little of Sattva belong to this category. The labor class lacking all the above skills was given manual work.
The Shudra is he who can only render physical work and is incapable of sustaining his life by any other means. He whose life is centered in the body and who has no other higher outlook in life is a Shudra.
Conclusion:
A MAN’S WORTH IS IN HIS MIND AND NOT IN HIS BODY! Mind has a Color according to “Guna”. As man evolves, Guna & Mind which are interrelated gets refined. The color of the man goes upward from Shudra to Brahmana passing through Vaishya & Kashtriya varnas.
Just as there are lower & higher classes in a school, the existence of all four Varnas in a society is natural. The plan of Nature is that beings of low Varna evolve into a higher Varna. The Gunas are constantly shifting, always changing in intensity. Though there is difference in the attainments of the four Varnas, there is no differentiation among their respective Dharma. The Dharma of the one is as sacred and conducive to enlightenment as that of the other. The mark of Dharma is Achara meaning “good conduct”.
In the Human body, the brain does the Brahmana dharma, the heart does the Kshatriya dharma, stomach does the Vaishya dharma & the hands & feet does the Shudra Dharma. The Dharmas of all these limbs are of equal importance and a necessity. The same is the case with society too.
A man’s classification of himself into one of these four Varnas is based on birth and parentage and is merely a tradition or convention, hardly ever tallying with his achievements. For example, in a family of four brothers, all four Varnas may be evident. The real classification is based on the degree of moral & spiritual perfection!
How the Varna or Caste system become RIGID over a period of time?
Before we delve into this we need to understand how our “Temple Ecosystem” worked during ancient times. A temple was not just a place of worship. Attached to the temple were centers of Learning (Vedic Pathashala), Art & Culture, Trade & Community Living.
There were vast cultivable lands including Gaushalas that generated income for sustaining these temples. This provided livelihood for people living around the temple complex. The Sculptors were well versed in Shilpa Shastra , Arts & Crafts & knew about our Main Scriptures, Cosmology, Itihasa & Puranas etc. really well. Temples were built & rebuilt on ancient energy fields that gave pure vibrations and reverberated with positive energy. For a Hindu, his whole world revolved around this temple ecosystem.
When the Mughals arrived in India 1000 years ago, they ensured two things:
- They struck at the heart of the Hindu Psyche with destruction, desecration and systematic loot of our temples. This was the beginning of the end for Hindus who could not go to their own temples to pray and be a part of their culture that was deep rooted in them. It was the Brahmins who traditionally been associated with knowledge and education and in maintaining the temple ecosystem. Brahmins along-with the others who were part of this ecosystem were either killed or had to run away and save their lives. From then on, for a Brahmin, it became a matter of survival. The others (non-brahmins) already had some skill that they could to use to survive.
- Brahmins were previously patronized and well looked after by the local Kings & other Princely States. They rarely had to depend only on the local populace for their sustenance. But the invasions changed this situation. Brahmins began to prescribe “Rituals” for every social & individual event, from birth to death and also invented numerous new rituals. They needed to survive through the donations (Dakshina) received through these rituals. Thus the Brahmin Varna became rigid. Subsequently, the other Varnas did the same!
- Destruction of our Temples of Learning: When the temples were destroyed, the centers of learning associated with the temples also vanished. Together with these centers, the world renowned centers of learning like Nalanda & Takshashila, Vikramshila, Vallabhi and Odantapuri were completely destroyed by the Mughals. A few were also destroyed by Hindu Kings, as they often went to war against one another. One of which is the Kanthalloor Shala (University)was called as “Nalanda of South India”.
Kanthalloor University had taught 64 disciplines including Mathematics, Chemistry, Martial Arts, Astrology, Astronomy and Ayurveda, according to research scholars and historians who are conducting studies of Thiruvananthapuram and its history. Unfortunately, this was destroyed by the Cholas during their invasion of South Kerala. Heavy Jizya tax of 50% was imposed on Hindus. Islamic education & teachings became the new norm! In some schools, Persian was the medium of instruction. We went from being the World’s Education Capital to the depths of Illiteracy. Thus, Sanatana Dharma went into a deep decline.
India had earlier evolved Varna Dharma to a perfection. Total degradation set in with all the remaining Varnas developing rigidity. People stuck to their own Varnas! Chapter 14 of the Bhagavad Gita explains the distinct natures of these three Gunas beautifully. Gunas bind people to the external world! The solution lies in educating people with knowledge of the three basic temperaments or Gunas. Then asking them to focus on the Supreme Self or Brahman that lies beyond these Gunas.
Mahabharata happened during the end of Dvapara Yuga and this Yuga that spanned 864,000 earth years. This Yuga finally ended after the departure of Lord Krishna to his abode Vaikuntha and Kali Yuga began, which is the current Yuga we live in. The Varna system lost its rigidity after this major event with the intermingling of Varnas.
But then during the last 2000 to 2500 years, the caste system again became rigid as Indians started marrying within their own Varna or Castes! As per Indian Geneticists, this is not a healthy trend as it will eventually lead to Genetic disorders. Inter- Varna marriages and Inter – State marriages are the only solution!
Refrence: Snippets from “The Bhagavad Gita” by Swami Chidbhavananda
A must watch Video on “Reality of Indian Castes” (<click here)