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When these principles (viz quality and function) are applied to individuals, the inner temperaments of an individual called as svabhava will represent the quality or defining factor of the individual whereas the actions and duties in sync with this inner calling (svabhava) called as svadharma will represent the function of the individual. Explaining the interplay between these hermeneutic principles, R. K. Sharma in his work 'Indian Society, Institutions and Change' notes: “within the person svabhava is the guiding principle. One who acts on svabhava acts spontaneously… Thus, following svabhava results in harmony… And the result is happiness…  Svadharma means one’s duties in society. These duties should not be imposed from outside. In order to be natural, spontaneous and divine the duties must be based on svabhava. Thus, svadharma and svabhava should be identical. Svabhava should decide svadharma.”

When these principles (viz quality and function) are applied to individuals, the inner temperaments of an individual called as svabhava will represent the quality or defining factor of the individual whereas the actions and duties in sync with this inner calling (svabhava) called as svadharma will represent the function of the individual. Explaining the interplay between these hermeneutic principles, R. K. Sharma in his work 'Indian Society, Institutions and Change' notes: “within the person svabhava is the guiding principle. One who acts on svabhava acts spontaneously… Thus, following svabhava results in harmony… And the result is happiness…  Svadharma means one’s duties in society. These duties should not be imposed from outside. In order to be natural, spontaneous and divine the duties must be based on svabhava. Thus, svadharma and svabhava should be identical. Svabhava should decide svadharma.”

Another key principle that can be derived from this account is that the conceptual arrangement of ''varna''s are neither pyramidal, nor hierarchical, as often understood.<ref name=":2" /> Talking of a conflation of Varna with Jati it is said, Varna consists of tags and features that add up to define the traits of an individual according to a pre-defined scheme of classification. While, when individuals become a group, the common trait that defines the group is the jati to which the individuals belong. For eg. The ‘appleness’ of an apple is its varna and when you have a bag of apples and oranges, their jati would be fruit. As per this description of varna, there is nothing to suggest any hierarchy in the relationship between different varnas. An apple is different from an orange, not better or worse, objectively speaking.<ref>Sonalee Hardikar and Ashish Dhar, [http://www.pragyata.com/mag/caste-in-stone-part-2-purusha-and-varna-260 Caste in stone - Part 2 (Purusha and Varna)], www.pragyata.com</ref>

It is interesting to note that the very terminology of varna embeds within itself these two key features. The term varna is derived from the verbal root ‘vr’, which has a number of meanings, prominent among them being: color and choosing. While the color highlights the aspect of svabhava, the choosing highlights the aspect of svadharma.

Just as different limbs of a body perform different function and are vital for the health of the entire organism, different ''varna''-s represent different functions in the society as well as in the cosmos with each being vital to the functioning of the whole. If there is a hierarchy, it is only in terms of understanding the goals of life at the level of individuals and not at social level[10].

Mahabharata (Anushasana Parva, Chapter 143) says, “Neither birth, nor the purificatory rites, nor learning, nor offspring, can be regarded as grounds for conferring upon one the regenerate status. Verily, conduct is the only ground. All brahmanas in this world are brahmanas in consequence of conduct.”<ref name=":2" /><blockquote>न योनिर्नापि संस्कारो न श्रुतं न च संततिः । कारणानि द्विजत्वस्य वृत्तमेव तु कारणम् ॥५०॥<ref name=":4">Ramanarayandatta Shastri Pandey, Mahabharata ([https://archive.org/stream/Mahabharata04SanskritHindiPanditRamnarayanGitaPress/Mahabharata06_Sanskrit-hindi_panditRamnarayan_gitaPress#page/n577/mode/2up Volume 6]), Gorakhpur: Gita Press</ref></blockquote><blockquote>''na yonirnāpi saṁskāro na śrutaṁ na ca saṁtatiḥ । kāraṇāni dvijatvasya vr̥ttameva tu kāraṇam ॥50॥''</blockquote>It further says, “The status of Brahma, O auspicious lady, is equal wherever it exists. Even this is my opinion. He, indeed, is a brahmana in whom the status of Brahma exists,–that condition which is bereft of attributes and which has no stain attached to it.”<ref name=":2" /><blockquote>ब्राह्मः स्वभावः सुश्रोणिः समः सर्वत्र मे मतिः । निर्गुणं निर्मलं ब्रह्म यत्र तिष्ठति स द्विजः ॥५२॥<ref name=":4" /></blockquote><blockquote>''brāhmaḥ svabhāvaḥ suśroṇiḥ samaḥ sarvatra me matiḥ । nirguṇaṁ nirmalaṁ brahma yatra tiṣṭhati sa dvijaḥ ॥52॥''</blockquote>Thus, varna can be understood either as a reference to the svadharma (personal duty/purpose of life) chosen by each individual in his/her life according to his/her svabhava (inherent nature) or more appropriately as a descriptor tag referring to the svabhava that drives people to spontaneously choose particular paths of life as their svadharma. Wherein,  “spontaneous choosing” is a reference to our inclinations to certain activities, certain professions, which come naturally to us. As B.V.V.Shastry in his work Traditional Taxonomy of Varna - Jati and Kula notes, "Varna refers to unique descriptor tags, unique features which can be used for identification of individual entity for a specific identity.”

In any case, the twin features of ''svabhāva'' and ''svadharma'' appear again and again across Hindu texts of different genres.  

Another key principle that can be derived from this account is that the conceptual arrangement of varnas are neither pyramidal, nor hierarchical, as often understood.<ref name=":2" /> Talking of a conflation of Varna with Jati it is said, Varna consists of tags and features that add up to define the traits of an individual according to a pre-defined scheme of classification. While, when individuals become a group, the common trait that defines the group is the jati to which the individuals belong. For eg. The ‘appleness’ of an apple is its varna and when you have a bag of apples and oranges, their jati would be fruit. As per this description of varna, there is nothing to suggest any hierarchy in the relationship between different varnas. An apple is different from an orange, not better or worse, objectively speaking.<ref>Sonalee Hardikar and Ashish Dhar, [http://www.pragyata.com/mag/caste-in-stone-part-2-purusha-and-varna-260 Caste in stone - Part 2 (Purusha and Varna)], www.pragyata.com</ref>

It is interesting to note the very terminology of ''varna'' embeds within itself these two key features. The term ''varna'' is derived from the verbal root ‘''vr’'', which has a number of meanings, prominent among them being: color and choosing. While the color highlights the aspect of ''svabhāva'', the choosing highlights the aspect of ''svadharma''.

Just as different limbs of a body perform different function and are vital for the health of the entire organism, different varnas represent different functions in the society as well as in the cosmos with each being vital to the functioning of the whole. If there is a hierarchy, it is only in terms of understanding the goals of life at the level of individuals and not at social level.<ref name=":2" />

 

Thus, ''varna'' can be understood either as a reference to the ''svadharma'''[12]''''' (personal duty/purpose of life) chosen by each individual in his/her life according to his/her ''svabhāva'' (inherent nature) or more appropriately as a descriptor tag referring to the ''svabhāva'''[13]''''' that drives people to spontaneously choose[14] particular paths of life as their ''svadharma''. As Shastry (2011) notes ''varna'' refers to “unique descriptor tags, unique features which can be used for identification of individual entity for a specific identity[15].”

== conceptual framework of varna ==

== conceptual framework of varna ==