Varna (Hinduism)

Social classes in Brahminical books

Part of a series on

Hinduism

* Hindus
* Mythology

Origins

Historical

* History
* Indus Valley Civilisation
* Vedic religion
* Dravidian folk religion
* Śramaṇa
* Tribal religions in India

Traditional

* Itihasa-Purana
* Epic-Puranic royal genealogies
* Epic-Puranic chronology

Sampradaya (traditions)

Major Sampradaya (traditions)

* Vaishnavism
* Pancharatra
* Shaivism
* Kapalika
* Pashupata
* Pratyabhijña
* Shaktism
* Smartism

Other Sampradaya (traditions)

Deities

Absolute Reality / Unifying Force

* Brahman

Trimurti

* Brahma
* Vishnu
* Shiva

Tridevi

* Saraswati
* Lakshmi
* Parvati

Other major Devas / Devis

Vedic Deities:

* Tridasha
* Adityas
* Rudras
* Vasus
* Ashvins
* Mahadevi
* Other Vedic Deities

Post-Vedic:

* Avatar
* Dashavatara
* Durga
* Navadurga
* Mahavidya
* Kartikeya
* Ganesha
* Hanuman
* Radha
* Shakti
* Sita

Devatas

* Vishvakarma
* Kubera

Concepts

Worldview

* Cosmology
* Mythology

Ontology

* Tattvas
* Subtle elements
* Panchikarana
* Gross elements
* Guṇas
* Purusha
* Prakṛti

Supreme reality

* Brahman
* Nirguna
* Saguna
* Om
* Saccidānanda

God

* Ishvara
* Devas / Devi
* Devatas
* God in Hinduism
* God and gender

Puruṣārtha (meaning of life)

* Dharma
* Artha
* Kama
* Moksha

Āśrama (stages of life)

* Brahmacharya
* Gṛhastha
* Vānaprastha
* Sannyasa

Three paths to liberation

* Bhakti yoga
* Jnana yoga
* Karma yoga

Liberation

Mokṣa-related topics:

* Paramātman
* Maya
* Karma
* Saṃsāra

Mind

* Ātman (self)
* Anātman (non-self)
* Sūkṣma śarīra (subtle body)
* Antaḥkaraṇa (mental organs)

* Prajña (wisdom)
* Ānanda (happiness)
* Viveka (discernment)
* Vairagya (dispassion)
* Sama (equanimity)
* Dama (temperance)
* Uparati (self-settledness)
* Titiksha (forbearance)
* Shraddha (faith)
* Samadhana (concentration)
* Arishadvargas (six enemies)
* Ahamkara (attachment)

Ethics

* Niti śastra
* Yamas
* Niyama
* Ahimsa
* Achourya
* Aparigraha
* Brahmacharya
* Satya
* Damah
* Dayā
* Akrodha
* Arjava
* Santosha
* Tapas
* Svādhyāya
* Shaucha
* Mitahara
* Dāna
* Sources of dharma

Epistemology

* Pratyakṣa (perception)
* Anumāṇa (inference)
* Upamāṇa (comparison, analogy)
* Arthāpatti (postulation, presumption)
* Anupalabdi (non-perception, negation)
* Śabda (word, testimony)

Practices

Worship, sacrifice, and charity

* Puja
* Ārtī
* Prarthana
* Śrauta
* Temple
* Murti
* Bhakti
* Japa
* Bhajana
* Kīrtana
* Yajna
* Homa
* Tarpana
* Vrata
* Prāyaścitta
* Tirtha
* Yatra
* Tirthadana
* Matha
* Nritta-Nritya
* Dāna
* Sevā
* Yoga
* Exorcism

Meditation

* Tapas
* Dhyana
* Samādhāna
* Nididhyāsana

Yoga

* Sadhu
* Yogi
* Yogini
* Asana
* Sādhanā
* Hatha yoga
* Jnana yoga
* Bhakti yoga
* Karma yoga
* Rāja yoga
* Kundalini yoga

Arts

* Bharatanatyam
* Kathak
* Kathakali
* Kuchipudi
* Manipuri
* Mohiniyattam
* Odissi
* Sattriya
* Bhagavata Mela
* Yakshagana
* Dandiya Raas
* Carnatic music
* Pandav Lila
* Kalaripayattu
* Silambam
* Adimurai

Rites of passage

* Garbhadhana
* Pumsavana
* Pumsavana Simantonayana
* Simantonnayana
* Jatakarma
* Nāmakaraṇa
* Nishkramana
* Annaprashana
* Chudakarana
* Karnavedha
* Vidyāraṃbhaṃ
* Upanayana
* Keshanta
* Ritushuddhi
* Samavartanam
* Vivaha
* Antyesti

Festivals

* Diwali
* Holi
* Maha Shivaratri
* Navaratri
* Durga Puja
* Ramlila
* Vijayadashami-Dussehra
* Raksha Bandhan
* Ganesh Chaturthi
* Vasant Panchami
* Rama Navami
* Janmashtami
* Onam
* Makar Sankranti
* Kumbh Mela
* Pongal
* Ugadi
* Vaisakhi
* Bihu
* Puthandu
* Vishu
* Ratha Yatra

Philosophical schools

Six Astika schools

* Samkhya
* Yoga
* Nyaya
* Vaisheshika
* Mīmāṃsā
* Vedanta
* Advaita
* Dvaita
* Vishishtadvaita
* Achintya Bheda Abheda
* Shuddhadvaita
* Svabhavika Bhedabheda
* Akshar Purushottam Darshan

Other schools

* Ājīvika
* Buddhism
* Jainism
* Charvaka

Gurus, Rishi, philosophers

Ancient

* Saptarshi
* Vashistha
* Kashyapa
* Atri
* Jamadagni
* Gotama
* Vishvamitra
* Bharadwaja
* Agastya
* Angiras
* Aruni
* Ashtavakra
* Jaimini
* Kanada
* Kapila
* Patanjali
* Pāṇini
* Prashastapada
* Raikva
* Satyakama Jabala
* Valmiki
* Vyasa
* Yajnavalkya

Medieval

* Abhinavagupta
* Adi Shankara
* Akka Mahadevi
* Allama Prabhu
* Alvars
* Basava
* Chaitanya
* Ramdas Kathiababa
* Chakradhara
* Chāngadeva
* Dadu Dayal
* Eknath
* Gangesha Upadhyaya
* Gaudapada
* Gorakshanatha
* Haridasa Thakur
* Harivansh
* Jagannatha Dasa
* Jayanta Bhatta
* Jayatīrtha
* Jiva Goswami
* Jñāneśvar
* Kabir
* Kanaka Dasa
* Kumārila Bhaṭṭa
* Madhusūdana
* Madhva
* Matsyendranatha
* Morya Gosavi
* Mukundarāja
* Namadeva
* Narahari Tirtha
* Narasimha Saraswati
* Nayanars
* Nimbarkacharya
* Srinivasacharya
* Prabhākara
* Purandara Dasa
* Raghavendra Swami
* Raghunatha Siromani
* Raghuttama Tirtha
* Ram Charan
* Ramananda
* Ramanuja
* Ramprasad Sen
* Ravidas
* Rupa Goswami
* Samarth Ramdas
* Sankardev
* Satyanatha Tirtha
* Siddheshwar
* Sripada Srivallabha
* Sripadaraja
* Surdas
* Swaminarayan
* Śyāma Śastri
* Tukaram
* Tulsidas
* Tyagaraja
* Vācaspati Miśra
* Vadiraja Tirtha
* Vallabha
* Valluvar
* Vedanta Desika
* Vidyaranya
* Vyasaraja

Modern

* Aurobindo
* Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati
* Bhaktivinoda Thakur
* Chandrashekarendra Saraswati
* Chinmayananda
* Dayananda Saraswati
* Jaggi Vasudev
* Krishnananda Saraswati
* Mahavatar Babaji
* Mahesh Yogi
* Narayana Guru
* Nigamananda
* Nisargadatta Maharaj
* Prabhupada
* Radhakrishnan
* R. D. Ranade
* Ramakrishna
* Rama Tirtha
* Ramana Maharshi
* Ravi Shankar
* Ramdas
* Samarth
* Sathya Sai Baba
* Shirdi Sai Baba
* Shraddhanand
* Satyadhyana Tirtha
* Siddharameshwar Maharaj
* Sivananda
* Trailanga
* U. G. Krishnamurti
* Upasni Maharaj
* Vethathiri Maharishi
* Vivekananda
* Yogananda

Texts

Sources and classification of scripture

* Śruti
* Smṛti
* Ācāra
* Ātmatuṣṭi

Scriptures

* Timeline of Hindu texts

Vedas

* Rigveda
* Yajurveda
* Samaveda
* Atharvaveda

Divisions

* Samhita
* Brahmana
* Aranyaka
* Upanishads

Upanishads

Principal Upanishads

Rigveda:

* Aitareya
* Kaushitaki

Yajurveda:

* Brihadaranyaka
* Isha
* Taittiriya
* Katha
* Shvetashvatara
* Maitri

Samaveda:

* Chandogya
* Kena

Atharvaveda:

* Mundaka
* Mandukya
* Prashna

Vedangas

* Shiksha
* Chandas
* Vyākaraṇa
* Nirukta
* Kalpa
* Jyotisha

Other scriptures

* Bhagavad Gita
* Agamas (Hinduism)

Itihasas

* Ramayana
* Mahabharata

Puranas

* Vishnu Purana
* Bhagavata Purana
* Devi Bhagavata Purana
* Naradiya Purana
* Vāmana Purana
* Matsya Purana
* Garuda Purana
* Brahma Purana
* Brahmanda Purana
* Brahma Vaivarta Purana
* Bhavishya Purana
* Padma Purana
* Agni Purana
* Shiva Purana
* Linga Purana
* Kūrma Purana
* Skanda Purana
* Varaha Purana
* Markandeya Purana

Upavedas

* Ayurveda
* Dhanurveda
* Gandharvaveda
* Sthapatyaveda

Shastras, sutras, and samhitas

* Dharma Shastra
* Artha Śastra
* Shilpa Shastras
* Kama Sutra
* Brahma Sutras
* Samkhya Sutras
* Mimamsa Sutras
* Nyāya Sūtras
* Vaiśeṣika Sūtra
* Yoga Sutras
* Pramana Sutras
* Charaka Samhita
* Sushruta Samhita
* Natya Shastra
* Panchatantra
* Naalayira Divya Prabandham
* Tirumurai
* Ramcharitmanas
* Yoga Vasistha
* Swara yoga
* Panchadasi

Stotras, stutis and Bhashya

* Kanakadhara Stotra
* Shiva Stuti
* Vayu Stuti

Tamil literature

* Tirumurai
* Naalayira Divya Prabandham
* Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai
* Tiruppukal
* Kural
* Kamba Ramayanam/Ramavataram
* Five Great Epics
* Eighteen Greater Texts
* Eighteen Lesser Texts
* Athichudi
* Iraiyanar Akapporul
* Abirami Antati
* Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam
* Vinayagar Agaval

Other texts

Hindu culture & society

Society

* Varna
* Brahmin
* Kshatriya
* Kayastha
* Vaishya
* Shudra
* Dalit
* Jāti
* Gotra
* Dvija
* Dasa

Hindu art

* Hindu art
* Hindu iconography
* Shilpa Shastras
* Rasa (aesthetics)
* Indian aesthetics
* Yantra

Hindu architecture

* Hindu architecture
* Hindu temple architecture
* Vastu shastra
* Talamana

Hindu music

* Hindu music
* Shruti (music)
* Svara
* Alankāra
* Tala (music)
* Raga
* Rasa (aesthetics)
* Sangita
* Vadya
* Natya Shastra

Food & diet customs

* Ahimsa
* Diet in Hinduism
* Sattvic diet
* Mitahara
* Jhatka
* Vrata

Time keeping practices

* Hindu units of time
* Hindu calendar
* Panchangam
* Vikram Samvat
* Shaka era

Hindu pilgrimage

* Pilgrimage sites

Other society-related topics

* Discrimination
* Persecution
* Nationalism
* Hindutva
* Organisations
* Reform movements

Other topics

Hinduism by country

* Greater India
* Balinese Hinduism
* Caribbean Shaktism
* Template:Hindu scriptures and texts

Hinduism & other religions

* Hinduism and Jainism / and Buddhism / and Sikhism / and Judaism / and Christianity / and Islam

Other related links (templates)

* Hindu scriptures & texts
* Hindu philosphy
* Sampradayas (traditions)
* Shaivism
* Vaishnavism
* Shaktism

* Glossary
* Outline

* Hinduism portal

* v
* t
* e

Varna (Sanskrit: वर्ण, romanized: varṇa, Hindi pronunciation: ['ʋəɾɳə]), in the context of Hinduism,[1] refers to a social class within a hierarchical traditional Hindu society.[2][3] The ideology of varna is epitomized in texts like Manusmriti,[1][4][5] which describes and ranks four varnas, and prescribes their occupations, requirements and duties, or Dharma.[1][6]

* Brahmins: Vedic scholars, priests or teachers.
* Kshatriyas: Rulers, administrators or warriors.
* Vaishyas: Agriculturalists, farmers or merchants.[7]
* Shudras: Artisans, labourers or servants.

This quadruple division is a form of social stratification, quite different from the more nuanced system of Jātis, which correspond to the term "caste".[8]

The varna system is discussed in Hindu texts, and understood as idealised human callings.[9][10] The concept is generally traced back to the Purusha Sukta verse of the Rigveda. In the post-Vedic period, the varna division is described in the Mahabharata, Puranas and in the Dharmashastra literatures.[11]

The commentary on the Varna system in the Manusmriti is often cited.[12] Counter to these textual classifications, many Hindu texts and doctrines question and disagree with the Varna system of social classification.[13]

In India, communities that belong to one of the four varnas or classes are called savarna Hindus. The Dalits and tribals who do not belong to any varna were called avarna.[14][15][16]

## Etymology and origins

[edit]

The term varna appears in the Rigveda, where it means "colour, outward appearance, exterior, form, figure or shape".[4] The term means "color, tint, dye or pigment" in the Mahabharata.[4] Varna contextually means "colour, race, tribe, species, kind, sort, nature, character, quality, property" of an object or people in some Vedic and medieval texts.[4] Varna refers to four social classes in the Manusmriti.[4][5]

## The Vedas

[edit]

The earliest application to the formal division into four social classes (without using the term varna) appears in the late Rigvedic Purusha Sukta (RV 10.90.11–12), where the Brahman, Rajanya (instead of Kshatriya), Vaishya and Shudra classes are described as forming the mouth, arms, thighs and feet at the sacrifice of the primordial Purusha, respectively:[17]

> 11\. When they divided Purusa how many portions did they make?
>  What do they call his mouth, his arms? What do they call his thighs and feet?
>  12\. The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rajanya made.
>  His thighs became the Vaishya, from his feet the Shudra was produced.[17]

### Scholarly interpretation

[edit]

Some modern indologists believe the Purusha Sukta to be a later addition, possibly as a charter myth.[18] Stephanie Jamison and Joel Brereton, a professor of Sanskrit and Religious studies, state, "there is no evidence in the Rigveda for an elaborate, much-subdivided and overarching caste system", and "the varna system seems to be embryonic in the Rigveda and, both then and later, a social ideal rather than a social reality".[18]

Ram Sharan Sharma, in his book Śūdras in Ancient India (1990), states :

> "the Rig Vedic society was neither organized on the basis of social division of labour nor on that of differences in wealth ... [it] was primarily organised on the basis of kin, tribe and lineage."[19]

## The Upanishads

[edit]

The Chandogya Upanishad indicates that a person's varna is determined on the basis of their actions in their previous life.[20][21][22]

> Among them, those who did good work in this world [in their past life] attain a good birth accordingly. They are born as a brāhmin, a kṣatriya, or a vaiśya. But those who did bad work in this world [in their past life] attain a bad birth accordingly, being born as a dog, a pig, or as a casteless person.

— Chandogya Upanishad

The Vajrasuchi Upanishad, however, states that the status of brahman is not based on birth, knowledge, or karma, but on the direct realisation of one's own Atman (inner self, soul).[23]

> "Who indeed then is a Brahmana? He who has directly realized his Atman is without a second, devoid of class and actions[…] that exists penetrating all things that pervade everything. [He who] is devoid of the faults of thirst after worldly objects and passions… Whose mind is untouched by [pride and egoism], he only is the Brahmana. Such is the opinion of the Vedas, the smritis, the Itihasa and the Puranas. Otherwise one cannot obtain the status of a Brahmana."

— Vajrasuchi Upanishad

## The Epics

[edit]

### Mahabharata

[edit]

The Mahabharata, estimated to have been completed by about the 4th century CE, discusses the Varna system in section 12.181.[11]

The Epic offers two models on Varna. The first model describes Varna as colour-coded system, through a sage named Bhrigu, "Brahmins Varna was white, Kshtriyas was red, Vaishyas was yellow, and the Shudras' black".[11] This description is questioned by another prominent sage Bharadwaja who says that colours are seen among all the Varnas, that desire, anger, fear, greed, grief, anxiety, hunger and toil prevails over all human beings, that bile and blood flow from all human bodies, so what distinguishes the Varnas, he asks? The Mahabharata then declares, according to Alf Hiltebeitel, a professor of religion, "There is no distinction of Varnas. This whole universe is Brahman. It was created formerly by Brahma, came to be classified by acts."[11]

The Mahabharata thereafter recites a behavioural model for Varna, that those who were inclined to anger, pleasures and boldness attained the Kshatriya Varna; those who were inclined to cattle rearing and living off the plough attained the Vaishyas; those who were fond of violence, covetousness and impurity attained the Shudras. The Brahmin class is modelled in the epic, as the archetype default state of man dedicated to truth, austerity and pure conduct.[24] Indeed, it goes on to assert that all men are children of Brahmins, which does not make sense, unless understood this way.In the Mahabharata and pre-medieval era Hindu texts, according to Hiltebeitel, "it is important to recognize, in theory, Varna is nongenealogical. The four Varnas are not lineages, but categories."[25]

#### Bhagavad Gita

[edit]

The Bhagavad Gita describes the professions, duties and qualities of members of different varnas.

> There is no entity on earth, or again in heaven among the Devas, that is devoid of these three Gunas, born of Prakriti.

> Of Brâhmanas and Kshatriyas and Vaishyas, as also of Sudras, O scorcher of foes, the duties are distributed according to the Gunas born of their own nature.

> The control of the mind and the senses, austerity, purity, forbearance, and also uprightness, knowledge, realisation, belief in a hereafter– these are the duties of the Brâhmanas, born of (their own) nature.

> Prowess, boldness, fortitude, dexterity, and also not flying from battle, generosity and sovereignty are the duties of the Kshatriyas, born of (their own) nature.

> Agriculture, cattle-rearing and trade are the duties of the Vaishyas, born of (their own) nature; and action consisting of service is the duty of the Sudras, born of (their own) nature.

— Bhagavad Gita, chapter 18[26]

### Puranas

[edit]

The Brahma Purana states that acting against both varna and ashrama (stage), which together guide one's dharma, leads to hell.[27] The Brahmanda Purana calls associations between low and high varnas signs of the Kali Yuga, the age of immorality and decline.[28]

## The Dharmasastras

[edit]

See also: Caste system in India

The varna system is extensively discussed in the Dharma-shastras.[29] The Varna system in Dharma-shastras divides society into four varnas (Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishya and Shudras). Those who fall out of this system because of their grievous sins are ostracised as outcastes (untouchables) and considered outside the varna system.[30][31] Barbarians and those who are unrighteous or unethical are also considered outcastes.[32]

Recent scholarship suggests that the discussion of varna as well as untouchable outcastes in these texts does not resemble the modern era caste system in India. Patrick Olivelle, a professor of Sanskrit and Indian Religions and credited with modern translations of Vedic literature, Dharma-sutras and Dharma-shastras, states that ancient and medieval Indian texts do not support the ritual pollution, purity-impurity as the basis for varna system.[33] According to Olivelle, purity-impurity is discussed in the Dharma-shastra texts, but only in the context of the individual's moral, ritual and biological pollution (eating certain kinds of food such as meat, urination and defecation).[29] In his review of Dharma-shastras, Olivelle writes, "we see no instance when a term of pure/impure is used with reference to a group of individuals or a varna or caste".[33] The only mention of impurity in the Shastra texts from the 1st millennium is about people who commit grievous sins and thereby fall out of their varna. These, writes Olivelle, are called "fallen people" and impure, declaring that they be ostracised.[34] Olivelle adds that the overwhelming focus in matters relating to purity/impurity in the Dharma-sastra texts concerns "individuals irrespective of their varna affiliation" and all four varnas could attain purity or impurity by the content of their character, ethical intent, actions, innocence or ignorance, stipulations, and ritualistic behaviours.[35]

Olivelle states:

> Dumont is correct in his assessment that the ideology of varna is not based on purity. If it were we should expect to find at least some comment on the relative purity and impurity of the different vamas. What is even more important is that the ideology of purity and impurity that emerges from the Dharma literature is concerned with the individual and not with groups, with purification and not with purity, and lends little support to a theory which makes relative purity the foundation of social stratification.[36]

The first three varnas are described in the Dharmashastras as "twice born" and they are allowed to study the Vedas. Such a restriction of who can study Vedas is not found in the Vedic era literature.[37]

Manusmriti assigns cattle rearing as Vaishya occupation but historical evidence shows that Brahmins, Kshatriyas and Shudras also owned and reared cattle and that cattle-wealth was mainstay of their households. Ramnarayan Rawat, a professor of History and specialising in social exclusion in the Indian subcontinent, states that 19th century British records show that Chamars, listed as untouchables, also owned land and cattle and were active agriculturalists.[38] The emperors of Kosala and the prince of Kasi are other examples.[7]

Tim Ingold, an anthropologist, writes that the Manusmriti is a highly schematic commentary on the varna system, but it too provides "models rather than descriptions".[39] Susan Bayly states that Manusmriti and other scriptures helped elevate Brahmin in the social hierarchy and these were a factor in the making of the varna system, but the ancient texts did not in some way "create the phenomenon of caste" in India.[40]

## Buddhist texts

[edit]

Ancient Buddhist texts mention Varna system in South Asia, but the details suggest that it was non-rigid, flexible, non-hierarchal, and with characteristics devoid of features of a social stratification system.[41]

Digha Nikaya provides a discussion between Gotama Buddha and a Hindu Brahmin named Sonadanda who was very learned in the Vedas.[42][43] Gotama Buddha asks, "By how many qualities do Brahmins recognize another Brahmin? How would one declare truthfully and without falling into falsehood, "I am a Brahmin?"[42] Sonadanda initially lists five qualities as, "he is of pure descent on both the mother's and the father's side, he is well versed in mantras, he is of fair color handsome and pleasing, he is virtuous learned and wise, and he is the first or second to hold the sacrificial ladle".[42][43] Buddha then asks the Brahmin, "If we omit one of these qualities you just listed, could not one be still a true Brahmin?" Sonadanda, one by one, eliminates fair colour and looks, then eliminates Varna in which one was born, and then eliminates the ability to recite mantra and do sacrifices as a requirement of being a Brahmin.[42][43] Sonadanda asserts that just two qualities are necessary to truthfully and without falling into falsehood identify a Brahmin; these two qualities are "being virtuous and being learned and wise".[42][43] Sonadanda adds that it is impossible to reduce the requirement for being a Brahmin any further, because "for wisdom is purified by morality, and morality is clarified by wisdom; where one is, the other is, the moral man has wisdom and the wise man has morality, and the combination of morality and wisdom is called the highest thing in the world".[42] Brian Black and Dean Patton state Sonadanda admits after this, "we [Brahmins] only know this much Gotama; it would be well if Reverend Gotama would explain meaning of the two [morality, wisdom]".[44]

Peter Masefield,[41] a Buddhism scholar and ancient Pali texts translator, states that during the Nikāya texts period of Buddhism (3rd century BC to 5th century AD), Varna as a class system is attested, but the described Varna was not a caste system. The Pali texts enumerate the four Varnas Brahmin, "Kshatriya",Vessa (Vaishya) and Sudda (Shudra).[41] Masefield notes that people in any Varna could in principle perform any profession. The early Buddhist texts, for instance, identify some Brahmins to be farmers and in other professions. The text state that anyone, of any birth, could perform the priestly function,[41] and that the Brahmin took food from anyone, suggesting that strictures of commensality were as yet unknown. The Nikaya texts also imply that endogamy was not mandated in ancient India. Masefield concludes, "if any form of caste system was known during the Nikaya period - and it is doubtful that it was - this was in all probability restricted to certain non-Aryan groups".[41]

## Jain texts

[edit]

Ādi purāṇa, an 8th-century text of Jainism by Jinasena, is the earliest mention of Varna and Jati in Jainism literature.[45] Jinasena does not trace the origin of Varna system to Rigveda or to Purusha Sukta, instead traces varna to the Bharata legend. According to this legend, Bharata performed an "ahimsa-test" (test of non-violence), and those members of his community who refused to harm or hurt any living being were called as the priestly varna in ancient India, and Bharata called them dvija, twice born.[46] Jinasena states that those who are committed to ahimsa are deva-Brāhmaṇas, divine Brahmins.[47]

The text Adi purana also discusses the relationship between varna and jati. According to Padmanabh Jaini, a professor of Indic studies, Jainism and Buddhism, the Adi purana text states "there is only one jati called manusyajati or the human caste, but divisions arise account of their different professions".[48] The varna of Kshatriya arose when Rishabh procured weapons to serve the society and assumed the powers of a king, while Vaishya and Shudra varna arose from different means of livelihood in which they specialised.[49]

## Sikh texts

[edit]

Sikhism is a late 15th-century religion that originated in the Punjab region of the Indian subcontinent. Sikh texts mention Varna as Varan, and Jati as Zat or Zat-biradari. Eleanor Nesbitt, a professor of Religion and specialising in Christian, Hindu and Sikh studies, states that the Varan is described as a class system in 18th- to 20th-century Sikh literature, while Zat reflected the endogamous occupational groups (caste).[50][51]

The Sikh texts authored by the Sikh Gurus and by non-Sikh Bhagats such as the Namdev, Ravidas and Kabir, states Nesbitt, declared the irrelevance of varan or zat of one's birth to one's spiritual destiny. They taught that "all of humanity had a single refuge" and that the divine teaching is for everyone.[50] Sikhism teaches a society without any varan.[52] In practice, states Harjot Oberoi, secondary Sikh texts such as the Khalsa Dharam Sastar in 1914 argued that the entry of certain Sikh castes into major Sikh shrines should be barred.[53] Similarly, in practice and its texts, the Gurus of Sikhism did not condemn or break with the convention of marrying (and marrying off their children) within the jati, and all the Sikh Gurus were Khatri, had Khatri wives and practiced arranged marriages within their zat.[50][54][55] According to Dhavan, the Rahit-namas and other prescriptive Sikh texts from mid-18th century onwards accommodate and affirm the "natal and marriage traditions of different caste groups within the Sikh community".[56]

Ravidassi Sikhs and Ramgarhia Sikhs follow their own textual and festive traditions, gather in their own places of worship.[50][57][58] These are varan-based (caste-based) religious congregations that emerged from Sikhism, states Nesbitt.[59] The Ravidassia group, for example, emphasizes the teachings of Bhagat Ravidas – a poet-saint born in a family whose traditional untouchable occupation related to dead animals and leather.[60][57] They consider the teachings of living Gurus and the texts of Ravidass Dera as sacred and spiritually as important as the historic Sikh Gurus. This is rejected by Khalsa Sikhs. The disagreements have led the Ravidassia Sikhs to launch the Ravidassia religion movement which, amongst other things seeks to replace the Guru Granth Sahib in their Gurdwaras with the texts of Ravidas.[57][61]

## Varna and jāti

[edit]

Main article: Jāti

The terms varna (theoretical classification based on occupation) and jāti (caste) are two distinct concepts. Jāti (community) refers to the thousands of endogamous groups prevalent across the subcontinent. A jati may be divided into exogamous groups based on the same gotras. The classical authors scarcely speak of anything other than the varnas; even Indologists sometimes confuse the two.[62]

## Hierarchical order

[edit]

Hindu texts claim Brahmins are supreme in Varnas hierarchical order, while opposite to Hindu tradition Jain and Buddhist texts assert Kshatriyas hold the highest status.[citation needed] During the Buddha period, Kshatriyas elevated themselves as the first Varna.[63][64] Buddhist literature includes stories reflecting this belief, King Arindama called a priest son a man of low birth (hīnajacca), and the King of Kosala used a screen while speaking to his Brahmin employee to avoid seeing their face. Similarly, the Sakyas laughed at a Brahmin who entered their Mote Hall, pushed him back with a finger, and did not offer him a seat.[64][63]

## See also

[edit]

* Dalit ('untouchables')
* Adi Dravida
* Classical Hindu law
* Four occupations – fourfold Confucian division
* Hindu law
* Hindu reform movements
* Manuvāda
* Trifunctional hypothesis
* Estates of the realm – comparable European concept

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b c Doniger, Wendy (1999). Merriam-Webster's encyclopedia of world religions. Springfield, MA, USA: Merriam-Webster. p. 186. ISBN 978-0-87779-044-0.
2. ^ Tenhunen, Sirpa; Säävälä, Minna (2012). An Introduction to Changing India: Culture, Politics and Development. Anthem Press. p. 34\. ISBN 978-0-85728-805-9. Retrieved 20 August 2022.
3. ^ Johnson, W. J. (1 January 2009). varṇa (' class', lit. ' colour'). doi:10.1093/ACREF/9780198610250.001.0001. ISBN 9780198610250. OL 3219675W. Wikidata Q55879169.(subscription or UK public library membership required)
4. ^ a b c d e Monier-Williams, Monier (2005) [1899]. A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages (Reprinted ed.). Motilal Banarsidass. p. 924\. ISBN 978-81-208-3105-6.
5. ^ a b Malik, Jamal (2005). Religious Pluralism in South Asia and Europe. Oxford UK: Oxford University Press. p. 48\. ISBN 978-0-19-566975-6.
6. ^ Ingold, Tim (1994). Companion Encyclopedia of Anthropology. London New York: Routledge. p. 1026\. ISBN 978-0-415-28604-6.
7. ^ a b Kumar, Arun (2002). Encyclopaedia of Teaching of Agriculture. Anmol Publications. p. 411\. ISBN 978-81-261-1316-3.
8. ^ Juergensmeyer, Mark (2006). The Oxford Handbook of Global Religions. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 54\. ISBN 978-0-19-972761-2.
9. ^ Bayly, Caste, Society and Politics (2001), p. 8
10. ^ Thapar, Romila (2004), Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300, University of California Press, p. 63, ISBN 978-0-520-24225-8
11. ^ a b c d Hiltebeitel, Dharma (2011), pp. 529–531
12. ^ David Lorenzen (2006). Who invented Hinduism: Essays on religion in history. Yoda Press. pp. 147–149\. ISBN 978-81-902272-6-1.
13. ^ Bayly, Caste, Society and Politics (2001), p. 9
14. ^ DR Jatava (2011). The Hindu Sociology. Surabhi Publications. p. 92\. ISBN 9788186599396.
15. ^ Chandra, Bipan (1989. India's Struggle for Independence, 1857-1947, pp. 230-231. Penguin Books India
16. ^ Yājñika, Acyuta and Sheth, Suchitra (2005). The Shaping of Modern Gujarat: Plurality, Hindutva, and Beyond, p. 260. Penguin Books India
17. ^ a b Basham, Arthur Llewellyn (1989). The Origin and Development of Classical Hinduism (Reprinted ed.). Oxford University Press. p. 25\. ISBN 978-0-19-507349-2.
18. ^ a b Jamison, Stephanie; et al. (2014). The Rigveda: The earliest religious poetry of India. Oxford University Press. pp. 57–58\. ISBN 978-0-19-937018-4.
19. ^ Sharma, Śūdras in Ancient India (1990), p. 10
20. ^ Velassery, Sebastian; Patra, Reena (30 June 2018). Caste Identities and The Ideology of Exclusion: A Post-Script on the Humanization of Indian Social Life. BrownWalker Press. p. 28\. ISBN 978-1-62734-703-7.
21. ^ Singh, Upinder (2008). A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century. Pearson Education India. ISBN 978-81-317-1120-0.
22. ^ Feuerstein, Georg (16 August 2022). The Encyclopedia of Yoga and Tantra. Shambhala Publications. p. 285\. ISBN 978-1-61180-185-9.
23. ^ The banyan tree. Vol. 2. New Delhi: Manohar Publishers & Distributors. 2000. p. 442\. ISBN 9788173042775.
24. ^ Hiltebeitel, Dharma (2011), p. 532
25. ^ Hiltebeitel, Dharma (2011), p. 594
26. ^ "Varna versus Caste in Bhagavad Gita". Global Gita. 2 January 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2024.
27. ^ Debroy, Bibek (1 May 2022). Brahma Purana Volume 1. India Penguin Classics. p. 508\. ISBN 978-0143454892.
28. ^ O'Flaherty, Wendy Doniger (1971). "The Origin of Heresy in Hindu Mythology". History of Religions. 10 (4): 315, 322. doi:10.1086/462634. ISSN 0018-2710. JSTOR 1061913. S2CID 170763142.
29. ^ a b Olivelle, Caste and Purity (1998), pp. 189–216
30. ^ Olivelle, Caste and Purity (1998), pp. 199–216
31. ^ Bayly, Susan (2001), Caste, Society and Politics in India from the Eighteenth Century to the Modern Age, Cambridge University Press, pp. 9–11, ISBN 978-0-521-26434-1
32. ^ Olivelle, Caste and Purity (1998), pp. 199–203
33. ^ a b Olivelle, Caste and Purity (2008), pp. 240–241
34. ^ Olivelle, Caste and Purity (2008), p. 240
35. ^ Olivelle, Caste and Purity (2008), pp. 240–245
36. ^ Olivelle, Caste and Purity (2008), p. 210
37. ^ Juergensmeyer, Mark (2006). The Oxford Handbook of Global Religions. Oxford University Press, USA. p. 27\. ISBN 978-0-19-972761-2.
38. ^ Rawat, Ramnarayan (2011). Reconsidering untouchability : Chamars and Dalit history in North India. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. pp. 53–63\. ISBN 978-0-253-22262-6.
39. ^ Ingold, Tim (1994). Companion Encyclopedia of Anthropology. Routledge. p. 1026\. ISBN 978-0-415-28604-6.
40. ^ Bayly, Susan (2001), Caste, Society and Politics in India from the Eighteenth Century to the Modern Age, Cambridge University Press, p. 29, ISBN 978-0-521-26434-1
41. ^ a b c d e Masefield, Peter (2008). Divine Revelation in Pali Buddhism. Routledge. pp. 146–154\. ISBN 978-0-415-46164-1.
42. ^ a b c d e f Walshe, Maurice (1995). The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A translation of the Dīgha Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom Publications. pp. 129–131\. ISBN 978-0-86171-103-1.
43. ^ a b c d T. W. Rhys Davids. DN4: To Sonadanda, Digha Nikaya Verses 13-21, Translated from the Pâli. Oxford University Press.
44. ^ Black, Brian; Patton, Dean Laurie (2015). Dialogue in Early South Asian Religions: Hindu, Buddhist, and Jain traditions. Burlington: Ashgate. pp. 245–246\. ISBN 978-1-4094-4013-0.
45. ^ Jaini, The Jaina Path of Purification (1998), pp. 294, 285–295
46. ^ Jaini, The Jaina Path of Purification (1998), p. 289
47. ^ Jaini, The Jaina Path of Purification (1998), p. 290
48. ^ Jaini, The Jaina Path of Purification (1998), p. 340
49. ^ Jaini, The Jaina Path of Purification (1998), pp. 340–341
50. ^ a b c d Nesbitt, Eleanor (2005). Sikhism – A very short introduction (1st ed.). Oxford New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 116–120\. ISBN 978-0-19-280601-7.
51. ^ Harjot Oberoi (1994). The Construction of Religious Boundaries: Culture, Identity, and Diversity in the Sikh Tradition. University of Chicago Press. pp. 83–84 with footnotes. ISBN 978-0-226-61592-9.
52. ^ H. S. Singha (2000). The Encyclopedia of Sikhism (over 1000 Entries). Hemkunt Press. p. 42\. ISBN 978-81-7010-301-1.
53. ^ Harjot Oberoi (1994). The Construction of Religious Boundaries: Culture, Identity, and Diversity in the Sikh Tradition. University of Chicago Press. pp. 105–108 with footnotes. ISBN 978-0-226-61592-9.
54. ^ W. H. McLeod (2009). The A to Z of Sikhism. Scarecrow Press. p. 42\. ISBN 978-0-8108-6344-6.;
W. H. McLeod (1999). Sikhs and Sikhism. Oxford University Press. pp. 36, 87–88\. ISBN 978-0-19-564745-7.
55. ^ William Owen Cole (1994). Sikhism. NTC. pp. 92–93. ISBN 978-0-8442-3747-3.
56. ^ P Dhavan (2014). Pashaura Singh and Louis E. Fenech (ed.). The Oxford Handbook of Sikh Studies. Oxford University Press. p. 54\. ISBN 978-0-19-100411-7.
57. ^ a b c Ronki Ram (2009). "Ravidass, Dera Sachkhand Ballan and the Question of Dalit Identity in Punjab" (PDF). Journal of Punjab Studies. 16 (1). Panjab University, Chandigarh. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
58. ^ Judge, Paramjit (2014), Mapping Social Exclusion in India: Caste, Religion and Borderlands, Cambridge University Press, pp. 179–182, ISBN 978-1107056091
59. ^ Nesbitt, Eleanor (2016). Sikhism – A very short introduction (2nd ed.). Oxford New York: Oxford University Press. pp. 112–113\. ISBN 978-0198745570.
60. ^ "Ravidas (Indian mystic and poet)". Britannica Online Encyclopedia. 2014.
61. ^ Knut A. Jacobsen; Kristina Myrvold (2011). Sikhs in Europe: Migration, Identities and Representations. Ashgate Publishing, Ltd. pp. 290–291\. ISBN 978-1-4094-2434-5.
62. ^ Dumont, Louis (1980), Homo Hierarchicus: The caste system and its implications, University of Chicago Press, pp. 66–67, ISBN 0-226-16963-4
63. ^ a b Fick, Richard. The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time. Translated by Maitra, Shishirkumar. University of Calcutta. pp. 83–87.
64. ^ a b Bhupendransatha Datta (1 January 1983). Studies in Indian social polity. Internet Archive. Nababharat Publishers. p. 13.

## Bibliography

[edit]

* Bayly, Susan (2001), Caste, Society and Politics in India from the Eighteenth Century to the Modern Age, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-26434-1
* Jaini, Padmanabh (1998). The Jaina Path of Purification. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1578-0.
* Ghurye, Govind Sadashiv (1969) [1932]. Caste and Race in India (Fifth ed.). Popular Prakashan. ISBN 9788171542055. OCLC 1066815345.
* Hiltebeitel, Alf (2011). Dharma: Its early history in law, religion, and narrative. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-539423-8.
* Olivelle, Patrick (1998). "Caste and Purity: A Study in the Language of the Dharma Literature". Contributions to Indian Sociology. 32 (2): 199–203\. doi:10.1177/006996679803200203. S2CID 144201754.
* Olivelle, Patrick (2008). "Caste and Purity". Collected essays. Firenze, Italy: Firenze University Press. ISBN 978-88-8453-729-4.
* Sharma, Ram Sharan (1990). Śūdras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order Down to Circa A.D. 600. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. p. 10\. ISBN 9788120807068.

## Further reading

[edit]

* Ambedkar, B.R. (1946). Who were the Shudras?.
* Danielou, Alain (1976). Les Quatre Sens de la Vie.
* Sri Aurobindo (1970). The Human Cycle, The Ideal of Human Unity, War and Self-Determination. Sri Aurobindo Ashram Trust. ISBN 81-7058-014-5.
* Kane, Pandurang Vaman (1975). History of Dharmasastra: (ancient and medieval, religious and civil law). Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 1962–1975.
* Sarkar, Prabhat Raijan (1967). Human Society-2. Ananda Marga Publications, Anandanagar, West Bengal, India.
* Ghanshyam, Shah (2004). Caste and Democratic Politics in India.
* Welzer, Albrecht (1994). Dwivedi, R.C. (ed.). Credo, Quia Occidentale: A Note on Sanskrit varna and its Misinterpretation in Literature on Mamamsa and Vyakarana". In: Studies in Mamamsa: Dr Mandan Mishra Felicitation Volume. Delhi: Motilal Banarasidass.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)
* Lal, Vinay (2005). Introducing Hinduism. New York: Totem Books. pp. 132–33\. ISBN 978-1-84046-626-3.`{{cite book}}`: CS1 maint: publisher location (link)

* v
* t
* e

Hinduism topics

* Glossary
* Index
* Timeline

Philosophy|

| Concepts|

* Brahman
* Om
* Ishvara
* Atman
* Maya
* Karma
* Saṃsāra

* Puruṣārthas
* Dharma
* Artha
* Kama
* Moksha

* Niti
* Ahimsa
* Asteya
* Aparigraha
* Brahmacharya
* Satya
* Dāna
* Damah
* Dayā
* Akrodha

|

Schools|

* Āstika: Samkhya
* Yoga
* Nyaya
* Vaisheshika
* Mīmāṃsā
* Vedanta
* Svābhāvika Bhedābheda
* Dvaita
* Advaita
* Vishishtadvaita
* Nāstika: Charvaka

Texts|

| Classification|

* Śruti
* Smṛti

|

Vedas|

* Rigveda
* Yajurveda
* Samaveda
* Atharvaveda

Divisions|

* Samhita
* Brahmana
* Aranyaka

Upanishads|

* Aitareya
* Kaushitaki
* Brihadaranyaka
* Isha
* Taittiriya
* Katha
* Maitrayaniya
* Shvetashvatara
* Chandogya
* Kena
* Mundaka
* Mandukya
* Prashna

Upavedas|

* Ayurveda
* Dhanurveda
* Natyaveda
* Sthapatyaveda

Vedanga|

* Shiksha
* Chandas
* Vyākaraṇa
* Nirukta
* Kalpa
* Jyotisha

Other|

* Bhagavad Gita
* Agamas
* Itihasas
* Ramayana
* Mahabharata
* Puranas
* Minor Upanishads
* Arthashastra
* Nitisara
* Dharmaśāstra
* Manusmriti
* Nāradasmṛti
* Yājñavalkya Smṛti
* Sutras
* Stotras
* Subhashita
* Tantras
* Yoga Vasistha
* Yoga Sutras of Patanjali

Sangam literature|

* Tirumurai
* Divya Prabandham
* Tirumurukāṟṟuppaṭai
* Thiruppugal
* Thirukkural
* Kamba Ramayanam
* Five Great Epics
* Eighteen Greater Texts
* Eighteen Lesser Texts
* Athichudi
* Iraiyanar Akapporul
* Abhirami Antati
* Thiruvilaiyadal Puranam
* Vinayagar Agaval
* Vedarthasamgraha

Deities|

| Gods|

* Trimurti
* Brahma
* Vishnu
* Shiva
* Agni
* Dattatreya
* Ganesha
* Hanuman
* Indra
* Kartikeya
* Krishna
* Rama
* Surya
* Varuna
* Vayu
* more

|

Goddesses|

* Tridevi
* Saraswati
* Lakshmi
* Parvati
* Bhumi
* Durga
* Kali
* Mahavidya
* Matrika
* Radha
* Rukmini
* Sati
* Shakti
* Shashthi
* Sita
* more

Practices|

| Worship|

* Temple
* Murti
* Puja
* Bhakti
* Japa
* Bhajan
* Naivedhya
* Yajna
* Homa
* Tapas
* Dhyāna
* Tirthatana

|

Sanskaras|

* Garbhadhana
* Pumsavana
* Simantonayana
* Jatakarma
* Namakarana
* Nishkramana
* Annaprashana
* Chudakarana
* Karnavedha
* Vidyarambha
* Upanayana
* Keshanta
* Ritushuddhi
* Samavartanam
* Vivaha
* Antyeshti

Varnashrama|

* Varna
* Brahmin
* Kshatriya
* Vaishya
* Shudra
* Ashrama
* Brahmacharya
* Grihastha
* Vanaprastha
* Sannyasa

Festivals|

* Diwali
* Holi
* Shivaratri
* Raksha Bandhan
* Navaratri
* Durga Puja
* Ramlila
* Vijayadashami
* Ganesh Chaturthi
* Rama Navami
* Janmashtami
* Onam
* Pongal
* Makar Sankranti
* New Year
* Bihu
* Gudi Padwa
* Pahela Baishakh
* Puthandu
* Vaisakhi
* Vishu
* Ugadi
* Kumbh Mela
* Haridwar
* Nashik
* Prayag
* Ujjain

* Ratha Yatra
* Teej
* Vasant Panchami
* Others

Other|

* Svādhyāya
* Namaste
* Bindi
* Tilaka

Related|

* Hindus
* Etymology
* List
* Denominations
* Law
* Calendar
* Anti-Hindu sentiment
* Criticism
* Hindu gurus and sants
* Hindu studies
* Iconography
* Mythology
* Nationalism
* Hindutva
* Persecution
* Pilgrimage sites
* India
* Relations with other religions
* Baháʼí
* Buddhism
* Islam
* Jainism
* Judaism
* Sikhism
* Theosophy
* Glossary
* Hinduism by country
* Hindu temples
* List
* Architecture

Outline

* Category
* Portal
* WikiProject

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template