Varna

(“color”) Theoretical system dividing
Indian society into four major groups,
each with a differing occupation and
status: brahmin, kshatriya, vaishya,
and shudra. The highest status was held
by the brahmins, who were priests and
scholars, next came the kshatriyas, who
were kings and soldiers, then the
vaishyas, whose purview was economic
life, and finally the shudras, who were
supposed to serve the others. This picture is articulated as early as the Vedas,
the oldest Hindu religious texts, in particular by a hymn in the Rg Veda (10.90)
known the Purusha Sukta. The Purusha
Sukta describes the creation of the world
and of society as stemming from the
sacrifice of the Primeval Man
(purusha), with the brahmins coming
from his mouth, the kshatriyas from his
shoulders, the vaishyas from his thighs
(a common euphemism for the genitals), and the shudras from his feet.
This four-fold scheme is conceptually
neat, but the real picture was far more
complex. For one thing, none of these
four varnas was as uniform as this
scheme might lead one to suppose:
Each of the varnas had multiple occupationally defined subcommunities
known as jatis, which often competed
for status with one another, even though
they may have been members of the
same varna. The other discrepancy was
that local circumstances had a great
effect on any particular community’s
social status. As one example, the
Vellala community in Tamil Nadu had a
great deal of status and power, even
though they were technically shudras,
because they were a landholding community. On the opposite end, it is not
uncommon for brahmins in northern
740
Varna
Child celebrating Vasant Panchami.
India to earn their living by trading
or other businesses. This four-fold
varna plan does give the general status
picture, but the specifics are much
more detailed.