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== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==

== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==

[[Varna System (वर्ण व्यवस्था)|Varna Vyavastha]] (वर्णव्यवस्था) is a vision presented by dharma traditions wherein diversity is not only recognized as a fundamental reality of the human society, but is also made the foundation stone of human welfare. Dharma means “that which upholds” and hence, a social order based on the dharma should be such that it leads each individual to well-being and fulfillment, all the while establishing justice and harmony in the society, a notion well summarized in the popular saying <blockquote>लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु । ''lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu ।''</blockquote>Meaning : let all beings in the world attain happiness.<ref name=":2" />

[[Varna System (वर्ण व्यवस्था)|Varna Vyavastha]] (वर्णव्यवस्था) is a vision presented by dharma traditions wherein diversity is not only recognized as a fundamental reality of the human society, but is also made the foundation stone of human welfare. Dharma means “that which upholds” and hence, a social order based on the dharma should be such that it leads each individual to well-being and fulfillment, all the while establishing justice and harmony in the society, a notion well summarized in the popular saying <blockquote>लोकाः समस्ताः सुखिनो भवन्तु । lokāḥ samastāḥ sukhino bhavantu ।</blockquote>Meaning : let all beings in the world attain happiness.<ref name=":2" />

Quoting Dr. Nagaraj Paturi here from the Bharatiya Vidvat Parishad on this topic<ref>Dr. Nagaraj Paturi in [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/bvparishat/KobQl_OIHzM/0MOgWZkHBQAJ Judging Varna based on Guna or Birth (janma)]</ref><blockquote>''Varna system and caste system are two different systems altogether. Our scriptures talked about four Varnas not four castes. "In actuality in our Country there are hundreds of castes if not thousands." itself shows that these two are different concepts.''</blockquote>Traditionally the Varna system is used to refer to the social order of the people and used as a representative word for this concept. However, it is to be noted that the concept of Varna is not restricted to representation to social order of human beings alone but extends to different animate and inanimate entities like plants, devatas, shilas, serpents, gems, musical ragas, Vedas and even Vedas svaras. Thus the varna system is applicable to many entities across the spectrum of creation.

Quoting Dr. Nagaraj Paturi here from the Bharatiya Vidvat Parishad on this topic<ref>Dr. Nagaraj Paturi in [https://groups.google.com/d/msg/bvparishat/KobQl_OIHzM/0MOgWZkHBQAJ Judging Varna based on Guna or Birth (janma)]</ref><blockquote>''Varna system and caste system are two different systems altogether. Our scriptures talked about four Varnas not four castes. "In actuality in our Country there are hundreds of castes if not thousands." itself shows that these two are different concepts.''</blockquote>Traditionally the Varna system is used to refer to the social order of the people and used as a representative word for this concept. However, it is to be noted that the concept of Varna is not restricted to representation to social order of human beings alone but extends to different animate and inanimate entities like plants, devatas, shilas, serpents, gems, musical ragas, Vedas and even Vedas svaras. Thus the varna system is applicable to many entities across the spectrum of creation.

== चातुर्वर्ण्यव्यवस्थायाः विस्तृतिः ॥ Chaturvarnya in other species ==

== चातुर्वर्ण्यव्यवस्थायाः विस्तृतिः ॥ Universality of Chaturvarnyas ==

Social order and rank is known to exist in nature, in species other than the humans, such as ants, wasps, bees, termites and even monkeys. Thus varna vyavastha is not unnatural or man-made. <blockquote>क्षेत्रभेदं प्रवक्ष्यामि शिवेनाख्यातमञ्जसा। ब्राह्मं क्षात्रं च वैश्यीयं शौद्रं चेति यथा क्रमात् ॥१५॥ </blockquote>Plants<blockquote>विप्रादिजातिसम्भूतान् विप्रादिष्वेव योजयेत् । गुणाड्यानपि '''वृक्षादीन्''' प्रातिलोम्यं न चाचरेत् ॥</blockquote>Vedas

Social order and rank is known to exist in nature, in species other than the humans, such as ants, wasps, bees, termites and even monkeys. Thus varna vyavastha is not unnatural or man-made. <blockquote>क्षेत्रभेदं प्रवक्ष्यामि शिवेनाख्यातमञ्जसा। ब्राह्मं क्षात्रं च वैश्यीयं शौद्रं चेति यथा क्रमात् ॥१५॥ </blockquote>'''Plants:''' Palasha is brahmana and durva is Kshatriya<blockquote>...तद्यद्दूर्वा भवत्योषधीनामेवास्मिंस्त-त्क्षत्रं दधात्यथो प्रतिष्ठामेतानि ह वै... (Aita. Brah. 8.37.4)<ref>Aitareya Brahmana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%90%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%87%E0%A4%AF_%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%9E%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%9A%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE_%E0%A5%AE_(%E0%A4%85%E0 Panchika 8])</ref></blockquote>Other places dealing with Vrkshashastra mention that (Rajanighantu) the plants belonging to different varnas should not be crossed with each other.

In the Vedas, the Riks have been associated with Brahmanas, Yajus with Kshatriyas and Saman with Vaishyas according to some scholars. The Taitrriya Brahmana says that Brahman created the three varnas from the three Vedas - Vaishyas from Rigveda, Kshatriyas from Yajurveda, and Brahmanas from Samaveda. <blockquote>ऋग्भ्यो जातं वैश्यं वर्णमाहुः । यजुर्वेदं क्षत्रियस्याहुर्योनिम् । सामवेदो ब्राह्मणानां प्रसूतिः । (Tait. Brah. 3.12.9.2)<ref>Taittriya Brahmana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D_(%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4 Kanda 3 Prapathaka 12])</ref></blockquote>Akshara Vargas

'''Vedas:''' In the Vedas, the Riks have been associated with Brahmanas, Yajus with Kshatriyas and Saman with Vaishyas according to some scholars. The Taitrriya Brahmana says that Brahman created the three varnas from the three Vedas - Vaishyas from Rigveda, Kshatriyas from Yajurveda, and Brahmanas from Samaveda.<blockquote>ऋग्भ्यो जातं वैश्यं वर्णमाहुः । यजुर्वेदं क्षत्रियस्याहुर्योनिम् । सामवेदो ब्राह्मणानां प्रसूतिः । (Tait. Brah. 3.12.9.2)<ref>Taittriya Brahmana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%88%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D_(%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4 Kanda 3 Prapathaka 12])</ref></blockquote>'''Vaidika Devatas:''' Shatapatha Brahmana reveals that Agni and Brhaspati were Brahmanas; Indra, Varuna, Soma, Rudra, Parjanya, and Yama were Kshatriyas; Vasu, Rudra, Aditya, Vaisvedevas and Maruts were Vaishyas (also called Vish) and Pusha was Shudra.<ref>Acharya. Shiva, (2000) Ph. D. Thesis: ''Nation and Nationalism in the Vedic Literature : A Study.'' Gauhati: University of Gauhati ([https://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/handle/10603/67734 Chapter 5 Social Aspects : Varna and Ashrama Vyavastha])</ref><blockquote>ब्रह्म वा इदमग्र आसीत्। एकमेव तदेकं सन्न व्यभवत्तच्छ्रेयो रूपमत्यसृजत क्षत्रं यान्येतानि देवत्रा क्षत्राणीन्द्रो वरुणः सोमो रुद्रः पर्जन्यो यमो मृत्युरीशान इति.. ।(Shat. Brah. 14.4.2.23)</blockquote><blockquote>स विशमसृजत यान्येतानि देवजातानि गणश आख्यायन्ते वसवो रुद्रा आदित्या विश्वे देवा मरुत इति । (Shat. Brah. 14.4.2.24)</blockquote><blockquote>स शौद्रं वर्णमसृजत पूषणमियं वै पूषेयं हीदं सर्वं पुष्यति यदिदं किं च। (Shat. Brah. 14.4.2.25)<ref>Shatapatha Brahmana ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A5%E0%A4%AC%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B9%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D_%E0%A5%A7%E0%A5%AA/%E0%A4%85%E0%A Kanda 14 Adhyaya 4])</ref></blockquote>'''Vaidika Svaras:''' Udaatta, Anudaatta, Svarita svaras of the vaidika mantra pronunciation are classified into varnas and rshis as per Yajnavalkya Shiksha shastra.<blockquote>उदात्तं ब्राह्मणं विद्यान्नीचं क्षत्रियमेव च। ३ वैश्यं तु स्वरितं विद्याद् भारद्वाजमुदात्तकम् । नीचं गौतममित्याहुर्गार्ग्यं च स्वरितं विदुः ।४ (Yajn. Shik. 3-4)<ref>Pt. Ramprasad Tripathi (1989) ''Shiksha Samgraha of Yajnavalkya and others.'' Varanasi: Sampurnanda Samskrit Vishvavidyalaya (Page 1)</ref></blockquote>Know that the udaatta svara is brahmana, and anudatta (neecha) is kshatriya. Vaishya is in svarita. Know that Bharadvaja is (said to be the rshi) for udaatta, Gautama for neecha and Gargya for svarita svaras. 

स्वरास्तु ब्राह्मणा ज्ञेया वर्गाणां प्रथमाश्च ये द्वितीयाश्च तृतीयाश्च चतुर्थाश्चापि भूमिपाः २

'''Varnakshara mala:''' Even the alphabets have been classified under the varna vyavastha. Svara varnas are to be known as brahmana, of the five vargas (Kavarga and other) consonant groups the first four (alpapranas and mahapranas) of each group are to be known as belonging to Kshatriya varna, the panchama akshara of each group along with the Antasta are said to belong to the Vaishya group. Ushmana and Hakara group are said to be of the Shudra varna.  <blockquote>स्वरास्तु ब्राह्मणा ज्ञेया वर्गाणां प्रथमाश्च ये द्वितीयाश्च तृतीयाश्च चतुर्थाश्चापि भूमिपाः २</blockquote><blockquote>वर्गाणां पञ्चमा वैश्या अन्तस्थाश्च तथैव च ऊष्माणश्च हकारश्च शूद्रा एव प्रकीर्तिताः ३ YSmrti?</blockquote>'''Animals:''' Animals have been classified into groups; for example, goat has been supposed to be in the Brahmana varna Shatapatha Brahmana (SB 6.4.4.22), horse is kshatriya (SB 6.4.4.12), donkey is a vaishya and shudra (SB 6.4.4.12) as well.  

 

वर्गाणां पञ्चमा वैश्या अन्तस्थाश्च तथैव च ऊष्माणश्च हकारश्च शूद्रा एव प्रकीर्तिताः ३ YSa

 

Udaatta, Anudaatta, Svarita svaras of the vaidika mantra pronunciation are classified into varnas and rshis as per Yajnavalkya Shiksha shastra.<blockquote>उदात्तं ब्राह्मणं विद्यान्नीचं क्षत्रियमेव च। ३ वैश्यं तु स्वरितं विद्याद् भारद्वाजमुदात्तकम् । नीचं गौतममित्याहुर्गार्ग्यं च स्वरितं विदुः ।४ (Yajn. Shik. 3-4)<ref>Pt. Ramprasad Tripathi (1989) ''Shiksha Samgraha of Yajnavalkya and others.'' Varanasi: Sampurnanda Samskrit Vishvavidyalaya (Page 1)</ref></blockquote>Know that the udaatta svara is brahmana, and anudatta (neecha) is kshatriya. Vaishya is in svarita. Know that Bharadvaja is (said to be the rshi) for udaatta, Gautama for neecha and Gargya for svarita svaras.

== वर्णविचारः ॥ The Concept of Varna ==

== वर्णविचारः ॥ The Concept of Varna ==