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Explaining how this difference of Varna came about it is said, <blockquote>न विशेषोऽस्तिवर्णानां सर्वे ब्राह्ममिदं जगत् । ब्रह्मणा पूर्वसृष्टं हि कर्मभिर्वर्णतां गतम् ॥ १० ॥<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>''na viśeṣo'stivarṇānāṁ sarve brāhmamidaṁ jagat । brahmaṇā pūrvasr̥ṣṭaṁ hi karmabhirvarṇatāṁ gatam ॥ 10 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: O sage, in the beginning, there was no difference among the varnas. Having originated from Lord Brahma, the entire universe was Brahmana. Later, due to the the various karmas (activities), they were differentiated on the basis of Varnas.

Explaining how this difference of Varna came about it is said, <blockquote>न विशेषोऽस्तिवर्णानां सर्वे ब्राह्ममिदं जगत् । ब्रह्मणा पूर्वसृष्टं हि कर्मभिर्वर्णतां गतम् ॥ १० ॥<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>''na viśeṣo'stivarṇānāṁ sarve brāhmamidaṁ jagat । brahmaṇā pūrvasr̥ṣṭaṁ hi karmabhirvarṇatāṁ gatam ॥ 10 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: O sage, in the beginning, there was no difference among the varnas. Having originated from Lord Brahma, the entire universe was Brahmana. Later, due to the the various karmas (activities), they were differentiated on the basis of Varnas.

It is further said that,<blockquote>कामभोगप्रियास्तीक्ष्णाः क्रोधनाः प्रियसाहसाः । त्यक्त्वस्वधर्मारक्ताङ्गास्ते द्विजाः क्षत्रतां गताः ॥ ११ ॥<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>''kāmabhogapriyāstīkṣṇāḥ krodhanāḥ priyasāhasāḥ । tyaktvasvadharmāraktāṅgāste dvijāḥ kṣatratāṁ gatāḥ ॥ 11 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning : Those who, having foresaken the duties appropriate for a brahmana, favoured material enjoyment, had sharp nature, anger and were known for their valarous deeds; and whose body became red due to this very reason, (those brahmanas) attained the Varna of a kshatriya.<blockquote>गोभ्यो वृत्तिं समास्थाय पीताः कृष्युपजीविनः । स्वधर्मान् नानुतिष्ठन्ति ते द्विजा वैश्यतां गताः ॥ १२ ॥<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>''gobhyo vr̥ttiṁ samāsthāya pītāḥ kr̥ṣyupajīvinaḥ । svadharmān nānutiṣṭhanti te dvijā vaiśyatāṁ gatāḥ ॥ 12 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Those who accepted cattle rearing and farming as the means of livelihood due to which their colour turned yellow and who abandoned the duties of a brahmana attained the Varna of Vaishya.<blockquote>हिंसानृतप्रिया लुब्धाः सर्वकर्मोपजीविनः । कृष्णाः शौचपरिभ्रष्टास्ते द्विजाः शूद्रतां गताः ॥ १३ ॥<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>''hiṁsānr̥tapriyā lubdhāḥ sarvakarmopajīvinaḥ । kr̥ṣṇāḥ śaucaparibhraṣṭāste dvijāḥ śūdratāṁ gatāḥ ॥ 13 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Those who deviated from cleanliness and good behaviour and favoured violence and untruth, and took up livelihood involving actions that are not praiseworthy due to greed and thereby had their bodies turn black, (those brahmanas) attained the Shudra Varna.<blockquote>इत्येतैः कर्मभिर्व्यस्ता द्विजा वर्णान्तरं गताः । धर्मो यज्ञक्रिया तेषां न नित्यं न प्रतिषिध्यते ॥ १४ ॥<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>''ityetaiḥ karmabhirvyastā dvijā varṇāntaraṁ gatāḥ । dharmo yajñakriyā teṣāṁ na nityaṁ na pratiṣidhyate ॥ 14 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning : This is how due to the karmas (activities) those brahmanas got separated from their  brahmanatva and attained the various Varnas. However, they have not been denied adherence to dharma and performance of Yajnas in day to day life.

It is further said that,<blockquote>कामभोगप्रियास्तीक्ष्णाः क्रोधनाः प्रियसाहसाः । त्यक्त्वस्वधर्मारक्ताङ्गास्ते द्विजाः क्षत्रतां गताः ॥ ११ ॥<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>''kāmabhogapriyāstīkṣṇāḥ krodhanāḥ priyasāhasāḥ । tyaktvasvadharmāraktāṅgāste dvijāḥ kṣatratāṁ gatāḥ ॥ 11 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning : Those who, having foresaken the duties appropriate for a brahmana, favoured material enjoyment, had sharp nature, anger and were known for their valorous deeds; and whose body became red due to this very reason, (those brahmanas) attained the Varna of a kshatriya.<blockquote>गोभ्यो वृत्तिं समास्थाय पीताः कृष्युपजीविनः । स्वधर्मान् नानुतिष्ठन्ति ते द्विजा वैश्यतां गताः ॥ १२ ॥<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>''gobhyo vr̥ttiṁ samāsthāya pītāḥ kr̥ṣyupajīvinaḥ । svadharmān nānutiṣṭhanti te dvijā vaiśyatāṁ gatāḥ ॥ 12 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Those who accepted cattle rearing and farming as the means of livelihood due to which their colour turned yellow and who abandoned the duties of a brahmana attained the Varna of Vaishya.<blockquote>हिंसानृतप्रिया लुब्धाः सर्वकर्मोपजीविनः । कृष्णाः शौचपरिभ्रष्टास्ते द्विजाः शूद्रतां गताः ॥ १३ ॥<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>''hiṁsānr̥tapriyā lubdhāḥ sarvakarmopajīvinaḥ । kr̥ṣṇāḥ śaucaparibhraṣṭāste dvijāḥ śūdratāṁ gatāḥ ॥ 13 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning: Those who deviated from cleanliness and good behaviour and favoured violence and untruth, and took up livelihood involving actions that are not praiseworthy due to greed and thereby had their bodies turn black, (those brahmanas) attained the Shudra Varna.<blockquote>इत्येतैः कर्मभिर्व्यस्ता द्विजा वर्णान्तरं गताः । धर्मो यज्ञक्रिया तेषां न नित्यं न प्रतिषिध्यते ॥ १४ ॥<ref name=":3" /></blockquote><blockquote>''ityetaiḥ karmabhirvyastā dvijā varṇāntaraṁ gatāḥ । dharmo yajñakriyā teṣāṁ na nityaṁ na pratiṣidhyate ॥ 14 ॥''</blockquote>Meaning : This is how due to the karmas (activities) those brahmanas got separated from their  brahmanatva and attained the various Varnas. However, they have not been denied adherence to dharma and performance of Yajnas in day to day life.

=== 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 varna-s 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 guṇa-s 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>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 ===