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Thus, it is important to distinguish the conceptual framework of varna from different social groupings like kula, jati, and caste present in the society. And it is also vital to recognize that any practical social model constructed with varna as a basis will have to evolve means to address these social stratifications.<ref name=":2" />
Thus, it is important to distinguish the conceptual framework of varna from different social groupings like kula, jati, and caste present in the society. And it is also vital to recognize that any practical social model constructed with varna as a basis will have to evolve means to address these social stratifications.<ref name=":2" />
== पुरुषार्थः वर्णधर्मश्च ॥ Purushartha and Varna Dharma ==
Sanatana dharma conceives a four-fold goal of human life called “purusharthas”: dharma, artha, kama and moksha. This framework of life wherein each human being has an obligation to pursue the four-fold goals in his or her life is a unique and very important contribution of Sanatana Dharma. Since, human life is considered very unique due to them having free-will and the ability to make choices, the dharma traditions have conceived four purusharthas to provide a guidance for the exertion of this free-will in a righteous and meritorious way.
While artha and Kama refer to pursuing worldly pleasures and prosperity, respectively, moksha refers to pursuing spiritual emancipation in the form of ultimate liberation from the cycle of birth and death. Dharma, on the other hand, is the connecting principle, which on the one hand facilitates an individual to attain artha and kama, all the while taking one closer and closer to moksha as well. Because, “Achieving moksha becomes possible only when a life pursuing desires (kama) and wealth (artha) has been led consistently within the framework of dharma. Dharma thus plays a very crucial role in not only ensuring a good life here and now, but also in enabling one to attain the state of supreme good or liberation, from which there is no lapsing back to karma and rebirth.”
Purusharthas are very vital for people to lead their lives to the fullest. An individual will only find self-fulfillment and contentment, when he is able to understand his inner potential and work towards realizing them on the ground, all the while also fulfilling his other basic needs, on the one hand and slowly moving towards spiritual emancipation, on the other. Thus, performance of svadharma or righteous duties constitute the key to attaining overall wellbeing by an individual.
Dharma traditions enunciate these righteous duties as having two aspects. The first is the
# सामान्यधर्मः ॥ Samanyadharma : This deals with the ethical principles like truth, non-injury, non-stealing, etc., which are common duties of all beings.
# विशेषधर्मः ॥ Vishesha dharma : These are special duties, which are unique to every individual depending on the kala (time), desha (place), varṇa and ashrama. Among these different elements of vishesha dharma, it is the varṇa dharma along with ashrama dharma that caters to different stages in a person’s life, which can be considered as the most defining principles of svadharma or righteous duties with respect to an individual, since they alone cater to the unique temperaments, potential competencies, and inner calling of an individual.
Notably, the varṇa model places knowledge, particularly spiritual knowledge (adhyatma vidya) and transcendent knowledge (atma vidya) at the top, like the head of a human being and a whole conceptual framework has been conceived such that all other mundane activities be it politics, commerce, or labor, are perceived as actions that facilitate individuals to eventually reach the ultimate goal of jnana and moksha. In fact, a clear correlation between varṇa–ashrama, on the one hand, and purusharthas on the other hand can be established. Though, the four purusharthas are equally applicable to all human beings irrespective of their varṇa, there is also a clear correlation between the svabhava of a person and the puruṣartha he is most likely to consider as central to his life.
For.example,
* Shudras i.e. those with Shudra svabhava are simple minded who have a mundane and worldly outlook. Thus, their primary concern is often limited to their everyday life, family, children, and happiness. In other words, their primary goal is ‘kama or fulfillment of worldly desires of themselves and their families. It is for this reason, Shudra varṇa is also considered to have only one ashrama (stage in life) of grhastha (householder), wherein they can satisfy their worldly desires.
* Similarly, vaishya varṇa is associated with the purushartha of ‘artha’ (gathering of wealth), because their svabhava drives them to pursue wealth and prosperity.
* kshatriya is associated with dharma, because their foremost duty is the protection of dharma and the welfare of citizens, and not pursuance of personal desires or wealth
* brahmanas are associated with moksha, because it is the ultimate calling of the brahmana and they are by svabhava spiritual in outlook.
In fact, Vajrasuchika Upaniṣad (Verse 10) says, a true brahmana is one who has established himself in Brahman i.e. Attained moksha.<ref name=":2" /> <blockquote>यः कश्चिदात्मानमद्वितीयं जातिगुणक्रियाहीनं षडूर्मिषड्भावेत्यादिसर्वदोषरहितं सत्यज्ञानानन्दानन्तस्वरूपं स्वयं निर्विकल्पमशेषकल्पाधारशेषभूतान्तर्यामित्वेन वर्तमानमन्तर्यहिश्चाकाशवदनुस्यूतमखण्डानन्द-स्वभावमप्रमेयमनुभवैकवेद्यमपरोक्षतया भासमानं करतलमलकवत्साक्षादपरोक्षीकृत्य कृतार्थतया कामरागादिदोषरहितः शमदमादिसम्पन्नो भावमात्सर्यतृष्णाशामोहादिरहितो दम्भाहङ्कारदिभिरसंस्पृष्टचेता वर्तत एवमुक्तलक्षणो यः स एव ब्राह्मणेति श्रुतिस्मृतीतिहास-पुराणानामभिप्रायः । अन्यथा हि ब्राह्मणत्वसिद्धिर्नास्त्येव ।<ref>[https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%9C%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%9A%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A5%81%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A8%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B7%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D Vajrasuchika Upanishad]</ref></blockquote><blockquote>yaḥ kaścidātmānamadvitīyaṁ jātiguṇakriyāhīnaṁ ṣaḍūrmiṣaḍbhāvetyādisarvadoṣarahitaṁ satyajñānānandānantasvarūpaṁ svayaṁ nirvikalpamaśeṣakalpādhāraśeṣabhūtāntaryāmitvena vartamānamantaryahiścākāśavadanusyūtamakhaṇḍānanda-svabhāvamaprameyamanubhavaikavedyamaparokṣatayā bhāsamānaṁ karatalamalakavatsākṣādaparokṣīkr̥tya kr̥tārthatayā kāmarāgādidoṣarahitaḥ śamadamādisampanno bhāvamātsaryatr̥ṣṇāśāmohādirahito dambhāhaṅkāradibhirasaṁspr̥ṣṭacetā vartata evamuktalakṣaṇo yaḥ sa eva brāhmaṇeti śrutismr̥tītihāsa-purāṇānāmabhiprāyaḥ । anyathā hi brāhmaṇatvasiddhirnāstyeva ।</blockquote>Noting the correlation between varṇa and ashrama, Vaikhanasa Dharmasutra (1.1), notes that brahmaṇa has eligibility to all the four ashramas, kshatriya to three and vaishyas to two. By implication, Shudras are entitled only to vivaha or grrhastha because all are allowed to marry.
In any case, what is important to note is that it is only in a social order derived from and rooted in the conceptual framework of varṇa that individuals would be able to freely pursue their inner-calling and attain complete well-being. Contrary to this, societies with equality and egalitarianism as the core principles, will invariably end up pressuring some sections to gain competencies in skills towards which they may not have any liking to, while some other sections with calling and competencies for the same skills would be pressurized to renounce them, ending up in power plays, envy and frustrations that we call today as “rat’s race[35]”.
== विषयविस्तारः ॥ Subject Matter ==
== विषयविस्तारः ॥ Subject Matter ==