Changes

=== गीतायां वर्णः ॥ Varna in the Gita ===

=== गीतायां वर्णः ॥ Varna in the Gita ===

In line with the above context, the Bhagavad Gita also speaks about creation of four varnas based on guna (natural qualities and tendencies) and karma (personal duties) (verse 4.13).<ref name=":2" /> <blockquote>चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः | ''cāturvarṇyaṁ mayā sr̥ṣṭaṁ guṇakarmavibhāgaśaḥ ।'' <ref>Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 4].</ref> </blockquote>and that the duties have been allotted based on the guṇas that arise from svabhava (verse 18.41)<ref name=":2" />.<blockquote>ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परन्तप । कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर्गुणैः ॥१८- ४१॥<ref>Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 18].</ref> </blockquote><blockquote>''brāhmaṇakṣatriyaviśāṁ śūdrāṇāṁ ca parantapa । karmāṇi pravibhaktāni svabhāvaprabhavairguṇaiḥ ॥18- 41॥''</blockquote>

In line with the above context, the Bhagavad Gita also speaks about creation of four varnas based on guna (natural qualities and tendencies) and karma (personal duties) (verse 4.13).<ref name=":2" /> <blockquote>चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टं गुणकर्मविभागशः | ''cāturvarṇyaṁ mayā sr̥ṣṭaṁ guṇakarmavibhāgaśaḥ ।'' <ref name=":5">Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9E%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 4].</ref> </blockquote>and that the duties have been allotted based on the guṇas that arise from svabhava (verse 18.41)<ref name=":2" />.<blockquote>ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परन्तप । कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर्गुणैः ॥१८- ४१॥<ref>Bhagavad Gita, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%97%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BE/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%8B%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%83 Chapter 18].</ref> </blockquote><blockquote>''brāhmaṇakṣatriyaviśāṁ śūdrāṇāṁ ca parantapa । karmāṇi pravibhaktāni svabhāvaprabhavairguṇaiḥ ॥18- 41॥''</blockquote>

=== भागवतपुराणे वर्णः ॥ Varna in Bhagavata Purana ===

=== भागवतपुराणे वर्णः ॥ Varna in Bhagavata Purana ===

and both these factors are in-turn dependent on prarabdha karmas that decide where and in which family a person takes birth into, the life challenges that he or she will be facing in life, etc. It is for this reason, ‘birth’ or ‘janma’ was used as an identifying factor for determining varna. But, here the reference is to the ‘prarabdha karma’and the svabhava one inherits due to prarabdha and not necessarily a reference to being born in a tribe, caste, class, or family.

and both these factors are in-turn dependent on prarabdha karmas that decide where and in which family a person takes birth into, the life challenges that he or she will be facing in life, etc. It is for this reason, ‘birth’ or ‘janma’ was used as an identifying factor for determining varna. But, here the reference is to the ‘prarabdha karma’and the svabhava one inherits due to prarabdha and not necessarily a reference to being born in a tribe, caste, class, or family.

Mahabharata notes that people attain different varnas due to “nature”, i.e. inherent svabhava.<ref name=":2" /> <blockquote>ब्राह्मण्यं देवि दुष्प्रापं निसर्गात् ब्राह्मणः शुभे । क्षत्रियो वैश्यशूद्रौ वा निसर्गादिति मे मतिः ॥६॥<ref name=":4" /></blockquote><blockquote>''brāhmaṇyaṁ devi duṣprāpaṁ nisargāt brāhmaṇaḥ śubhe । kṣatriyo vaiśyaśūdrau vā nisargāditi me matiḥ ॥6॥''</blockquote>After explaining how conduct (svadharma) and quality determines varṇa, it further notes that the distribution of varnas using birth is only for the sake of classification, i.e. birth was used only as easy reference to inner svabhava and hence, it is svabhava and not birth into a family, which is the real criteria for determining varṇa.<ref name=":2" /><blockquote>एते योनिफला देवि स्थानभागनिदर्शकाः । स्वयं च वरदेनोक्ता ब्रह्मणा सृजता प्रजाः ॥५३॥<ref name=":4" /></blockquote><blockquote>''ete yoniphalā devi sthānabhāganidarśakāḥ । svayaṁ ca varadenoktā brahmaṇā sr̥jatā prajāḥ ॥53॥''</blockquote>Though, some like Sri Jnanananda Bharathi believe that birth in a particular family, caste, or community is an index of previous store of actions, which by themselves cannot be seen. Hence, birth in a particular family in itself determines varṇa. However, Mahabharata (Anushasana Parva, Chapter 13) itself notes: “Even a Shudra, O goddess, that has purified his soul by pure deeds and that has subjugated all his senses, deserves to be waited upon and served with reverence as a brahmaṇa. This has been said by the Self-born brahmaṇa himself."<ref name=":2" /> <blockquote>कर्मभिः शुचिभिर्देवि शुद्धात्मा विजितेन्द्रियः । शूद्रोऽपि द्विजवत् सेव्य इति ब्रह्माब्रवीत् स्वयम् ॥४८॥<ref name=":4" /></blockquote><blockquote>''karmabhiḥ śucibhirdevi śuddhātmā vijitendriyaḥ । śūdro'pi dvijavat sevya iti brahmābravīt svayam ॥48॥''</blockquote>It further says in verse 50 that "Neither birth, nor the purificatory rites, nor learning, nor offspring, can be regarded as grounds for conferring upon one the regenerate status. Shudra, if he is established on good conduct, is regarded as possessed of the status of a brahmaṇa."<ref name=":2" /> <blockquote>स्वभावः कर्म च शुभं यत्र शूद्रोऽपि तिष्ठति । विशिष्टः स द्विजातेर्वै विज्ञेय इति मे मतिः ॥४९॥<ref name=":4" /></blockquote><blockquote>''svabhāvaḥ karma ca śubhaṁ yatra śūdro'pi tiṣṭhati । viśiṣṭaḥ sa dvijātervai vijñeya iti me matiḥ ॥49॥''</blockquote>And that, "The status of Brahma, O auspicious lady, is equal wherever it exists.”<ref name=":2" />

Mahabharata notes that people attain different varnas due to “nature”, i.e. inherent svabhava.<ref name=":2" /> <blockquote>ब्राह्मण्यं देवि दुष्प्रापं निसर्गात् ब्राह्मणः शुभे । क्षत्रियो वैश्यशूद्रौ वा निसर्गादिति मे मतिः ॥६॥<ref name=":4" /></blockquote><blockquote>''brāhmaṇyaṁ devi duṣprāpaṁ nisargāt brāhmaṇaḥ śubhe । kṣatriyo vaiśyaśūdrau vā nisargāditi me matiḥ ॥6॥''</blockquote>After explaining how conduct (svadharma) and quality determines varṇa, it further notes that the distribution of varnas using birth is only for the sake of classification, i.e. birth was used only as easy reference to inner svabhava and hence, it is svabhava and not birth into a family, which is the real criteria for determining varṇa.<ref name=":2" /><blockquote>एते योनिफला देवि स्थानभागनिदर्शकाः । स्वयं च वरदेनोक्ता ब्रह्मणा सृजता प्रजाः ॥५३॥<ref name=":4" /></blockquote><blockquote>''ete yoniphalā devi sthānabhāganidarśakāḥ । svayaṁ ca varadenoktā brahmaṇā sr̥jatā prajāḥ ॥53॥''</blockquote>Though, some like Sri Jnanananda Bharathi believe that birth in a particular family, caste, or community is an index of previous store of actions, which by themselves cannot be seen. Hence, birth in a particular family in itself determines varṇa. However, Mahabharata (Anushasana Parva, Chapter 13) itself notes: “Even a Shudra, O goddess, that has purified his soul by pure deeds and that has subjugated all his senses, deserves to be waited upon and served with reverence as a brahmaṇa. This has been said by the Self-born brahmaṇa himself."<ref name=":2" /> <blockquote>कर्मभिः शुचिभिर्देवि शुद्धात्मा विजितेन्द्रियः । शूद्रोऽपि द्विजवत् सेव्य इति ब्रह्माब्रवीत् स्वयम् ॥४८॥<ref name=":4" /></blockquote><blockquote>''karmabhiḥ śucibhirdevi śuddhātmā vijitendriyaḥ । śūdro'pi dvijavat sevya iti brahmābravīt svayam ॥48॥''</blockquote>It further says in verse 50 that "Neither birth, nor the purificatory rites, nor learning, nor offspring, can be regarded as grounds for conferring upon one the regenerate status. Shudra, if he is established on good conduct, is regarded as possessed of the status of a brahmaṇa."<ref name=":2" /> <blockquote>स्वभावः कर्म च शुभं यत्र शूद्रोऽपि तिष्ठति । विशिष्टः स द्विजातेर्वै विज्ञेय इति मे मतिः ॥४९॥<ref name=":4" /></blockquote><blockquote>''svabhāvaḥ karma ca śubhaṁ yatra śūdro'pi tiṣṭhati । viśiṣṭaḥ sa dvijātervai vijñeya iti me matiḥ ॥49॥''</blockquote>And that, "The status of Brahma, O auspicious lady, is equal wherever it exists.”  

Similarly, Bhāgavatapurāṇa (7.11.35) explicitly states that a person’s svabhava must be the driving factor behind assignment of a particular varṇa to him, irrespective of the social class, he is born into. Thus, birth into a family or community can at best serve as a provisional indicator of one’s varṇa, and not as an absolute criteria. This is especially true for kaliyuga, wherein, unlike previous yuga-s, there is very less sync between birth in a family, svabhava, and our livelihood activities. Nevertheless, birth cannot be altogether done away with, since, the svabhava-s inherited from the parents still play an important role in determining svabhava of the children and hence may be provisionally used as one of the determining factors.

Similarly, Bhagavata Purana (7.11.35) explicitly states that a person’s svabhava must be the driving factor behind assignment of a particular varṇa to him, irrespective of the social class, he is born into.<ref name=":2" /> <blockquote>यस्य यल्लक्षणं प्रोक्तं पुंसो वर्णाभिव्यञ्जकम् । यदन्यत्रापि दृश्येत तत्तेनैव विनिर्दिशेत् ॥ ३५ ॥<ref>Bhagavata Purana, Skandha 7, [https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AD%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%97%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%A8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A7%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%AD/%E0%A4%85%E0%A4%A7%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%A7 Adhyaya 11].</ref> </blockquote><blockquote>''yasya yallakṣaṇaṁ proktaṁ puṁso varṇābhivyañjakam । yadanyatrāpi dr̥śyeta tattenaiva vinirdiśet ॥ 35 ॥''</blockquote>Thus, birth into a family or community can at best serve as a provisional indicator of one’s varṇa, and not as an absolute criteria. This is especially true for kaliyuga, wherein, unlike previous yugas, there is very less sync between birth in a family, svabhava, and our livelihood activities. Nevertheless, birth cannot be altogether done away with, since, the svabhava-s inherited from the parents still play an important role in determining svabhava of the children and hence may be provisionally used as one of the determining factors.

=== वर्गीकरणम् ॥ Classification ===

=== वर्गीकरणम् ॥ Classification ===

With guṇa and svabhava as the identifying factor, Hindu dharma texts have created four conceptual categories: brahmaṇa, kshatriya, vaiśya and śūdra. Adi Shankaracharya, while commenting on Bhagavad Gita (4.13 & 18.41) says that brahmaṇa is a designation given to one in whom there is a predominance of sattva; kshatriya is one in whom there is both sattva and rajas, but rajaspredominates; in vaiśya, both rajas and tamas exist, but rajaspredominates; and śūdra is one in whom both rajas and tamas exist, but tamas predominates. These guṇa-s are revealed by the natural temperaments and behavior exhibited by the person.

With guṇa and svabhava as the identifying factor, Hindu dharma texts have created four conceptual categories: brahmana, kshatriya, vaishya and shudra. Adi Shankaracharya, while commenting on Bhagavad Gita (4.13 & 18.41) says that brahmaṇa is a designation given to one in whom there is a predominance of sattva; kshatriya is one in whom there is both sattva and rajas, but rajas predominates; in vaishya, both rajas and tamas exist, but rajas predominates; and shudra is one in whom both rajas and tamas exist, but tamas predominates. These gunas are revealed by the natural temperaments and behavior exhibited by the person.<blockquote>गुणकर्मविभागशः गुणविभागशः कर्मविभागशश्च। गुणाः सत्त्वरजस्तमांसि। तत्र सात्त्विकस्य सत्त्वप्रधानस्य ब्राह्मणस्य शमो दमस्तपः इत्यादीनि कर्माणि सत्त्वोपसर्जनरजः प्रधानस्य क्षत्रियस्य शौर्यतेजः प्रभृतीनि कर्माणि तमोपसर्जनरजः प्रधानस्य वैश्यस्य कृष्यादीनि कर्माणि रजोपसर्जनतमः प्रधानस्य शूद्रस्य शुश्रूषैव कर्म इत्येवं गुणकर्मविभागशः चातुर्वर्ण्यं मया सृष्टम् इत्यर्थः। (भ.गी.४.१३-शाङ्करभाष्यम्)<ref name=":5" /></blockquote><blockquote>''guṇakarmavibhāgaśaḥ guṇavibhāgaśaḥ karmavibhāgaśaśca। guṇāḥ sattvarajastamāṁsi। tatra sāttvikasya sattvapradhānasya brāhmaṇasya śamo damastapaḥ ityādīni karmāṇi sattvopasarjanarajaḥ pradhānasya kṣatriyasya śauryatejaḥ prabhr̥tīni karmāṇi tamopasarjanarajaḥ pradhānasya vaiśyasya kr̥ṣyādīni karmāṇi rajopasarjanatamaḥ pradhānasya śūdrasya śuśrūṣaiva karma ityevaṁ guṇakarmavibhāgaśaḥ cāturvarṇyaṁ mayā sr̥ṣṭam ityarthaḥ।'' </blockquote>Elaborating on this, Bhāgavatapurāṇa (11.17.16-19), lists what temperaments and behavior indicates what varna designation to be assigned to a person. It says: the control of mind and senses, austerity, cleanliness, satisfaction, tolerance, simple straightforwardness, devotion to God, mercy, and truthfulness are the natural qualities of the brahmaṇa-s; dynamic power, bodily strength, determination, heroism, forbearance, generosity, great endeavor, steadiness, devotion to the brahmaṇa-s and leadership are the natural qualities of the kshatriya-s; faith in God and Vedas, dedication to charity, freedom from hypocrisy, service to the brahmaṇa-s and perpetually desiring to accumulate more money are the natural qualities of the vaiśya-s, service without duplicity to others, cows and gods and complete satisfaction with whatever income is obtained in such service, are the natural qualities of śūdra-s.

 

Elaborating on this, Bhāgavatapurāṇa (11.17.16-19), lists what temperaments and behavior indicates what varna designation to be assigned to a person. It says: the control of mind and senses, austerity, cleanliness, satisfaction, tolerance, simple straightforwardness, devotion to God, mercy, and truthfulness are the natural qualities of the brahmaṇa-s; dynamic power, bodily strength, determination, heroism, forbearance, generosity, great endeavor, steadiness, devotion to the brahmaṇa-s and leadership are the natural qualities of the kshatriya-s; faith in God and Vedas, dedication to charity, freedom from hypocrisy, service to the brahmaṇa-s and perpetually desiring to accumulate more money are the natural qualities of the vaiśya-s, service without duplicity to others, cows and gods and complete satisfaction with whatever income is obtained in such service, are the natural qualities of śūdra-s.

Therefore, dharmic texts clearly give a wide framework by which people can be designated and classified according to their inherent temperaments. But, this four-fold classification is essentially a conceptual classification based on four ideal svabhava conditions[21](i.e. having a clear cut svabhava) and may not always reflect a ground situation, especially in kaliyuga in general and at current times in particular, as society is stratified along caste, profession, and political lines and the concept of guṇa and svadharma no longer drives the society.

Therefore, dharmic texts clearly give a wide framework by which people can be designated and classified according to their inherent temperaments. But, this four-fold classification is essentially a conceptual classification based on four ideal svabhava conditions[21](i.e. having a clear cut svabhava) and may not always reflect a ground situation, especially in kaliyuga in general and at current times in particular, as society is stratified along caste, profession, and political lines and the concept of guṇa and svadharma no longer drives the society.