+varNa theory

varNa/ jAti = (social role/ hereditary caste) system.

Naturalness

jAti is a natural and useful adaptation in a mixed population. Such setups have been observed in other cultures and species (ants, bees ..).

Animal observations considered separately.

Theoretical Structure

  • A chAturvarNya universalism. The dharmashAstra-s claimed to explain the origin of EVERY SINGLE population they were aware of - out of admixture and fall of the 4 original varNa-s. According to the early smRti-s there was no fifth (PVK1, PVK2). This is a sort of universally applicable framework. They had various (sometimes peripherally incompatible) theories for their origins, and the ultimate varNa assignment was very very clear. Even the deities had varNa-s [PVK] assigned to them!
  • The 4 main varNa-s were the brAhmaNa-s, kShatriya-s, vaishya-s (ie dvija-s) and shUdras, who were of two major categories - aniravasita and niravasita.
    • Besides these there were tribes who were not following the varNa-system (perhaps because of living in distant lands or in inaccessible places), who were termed as dasyus. They were also termed mlechCha-s if they spoke a very different language.
    • In some later works, niravasita-shUdra-s were called avarNa-s (bRhatsamhitA 89.1b).

Prominent traits in the varNa-s

  • A gradation in several regards
  • Difference in the dominant or prominent occupations.
  • Hereditary nature for the most part.
  • Restrictions on interdining, marriage, occupation.
  • Different expectations in terms of conduct and personality traits (guNa-s)
    • Gita 18.41says: " ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियविशां शूद्राणां च परंतप। कर्माणि प्रविभक्तानि स्वभावप्रभवैर्गुणैः।।" Nilakanthacharya commentary takes close adherance to the shamAdi-sAdhAraNa-dharma as an example of contrast: “तस्माद्यस्मिन्कस्मिंश्चिद्वर्णे शमादयो दृश्यन्ते स शूद्रोऽप्येतैर्लक्षणैर्ब्राह्मण एव ज्ञातव्यः । यत्र च ब्राह्मणेऽपि शूद्रधर्मा दृश्यन्ते स शूद्र एव ।”

Privileges of a brAhmaNa

  • Apolology (ie. defence) of brAhmaNa privilege
    • By P V Kane - insert link.

yuga-decay tolerance

युगे युगे तु ये धर्मास्
तेषु तेषु च ये द्विजाः ॥ ५० ॥
तेषां निन्दा न कर्तव्या
युगरूपा हि ते द्विजाः ।

इति । अस्याक्षरार्थः प्रथमाध्याये वर्णितः ।
अयम् आश्यः –
द्विविधा ह्य् अधर्मप्रवृत्तिः -
युगप्रयुक्ता, प्रमादालस्यादि-प्रयुक्ता च ।

तत्र युग-प्रयुक्तायाः प्रवृत्तेर् अपरिहार्यत्वान्
न तन्निवृत्तये पराशरस्योद्यमः ।
या तु प्रमादालस्यादिप्रयुक्ता प्रवृत्तिः
तत्र सावकाशं धर्मशास्त्रम् ।+++(5)+++

तद् यथा -

  • अध्ययन-विधिस् तावद् अर्थज्ञान-पर्यन्तं साङ्ग-वेद-पाठम् आचष्टे ।
    न च – कलौ युगे तादृशं विप्रं कंचिद् अप्य् उपलभामहे ।
  • तथा ब्रह्म-चारि-प्रकरणे तद्-आश्रमधर्मा अध्ययन-धर्माश् च सहस्रशः स्मर्यन्ते ।
    न च तान् सर्वान् यथावद् [४५२] अनुतिष्ठन् माणवकः को ऽप्य् उपलभ्यते ।

यदा अध्ययनस्यैव ईदृशी गतिः,
तदा कैव कथा साङ्ग-कृत्स्न-वेदार्थानुष्ठानस्य ।

तथा सति शास्त्रीय-मुख्य-ब्राह्मण्योपेतस्य कस्याप्य् अभावात्
क्षत्रिय-वैश्य-जात्योश् च स्व-रूप्रेणैवोच्छिन्नत्वात्
शुश्रूषयितव्यानां द्विजानाम् असंभवे
तच्-छुश्रूषकस्य मुख्यस्य शूद्रस्यात्यन्तानाशङ्कनीयत्वात्
किं चातुर्-वर्ण्यम् उद्दिश्य प्रवृत्तं धर्मशास्त्रं
स्वरूपेणैव लुप्यताम् ?
किं वा मुख्यासंभवे ऽपि
यथा-संभवं चातुर्वर्ण्यम् आश्रित्य
धर्मशास्त्रं प्रवर्तताम्?

इति मीमांसायाम्,
स्व-रूप-लोपाद् वरं
यथा-संभवानुष्ठानम्
इत्य् अभिप्रेत्य
युग-प्रवृत्तां सर्वैर् अप्य् अवर्जनीयाम् अधर्म-प्रवृत्तिम् अदोषत्वेनाभ्युपगम्य
“तेषां निन्दा न कर्तव्या” इत्य् उक्तम् ।

ततः संभाविताध्ययनाद्युपेतानां शक्यायां धर्म-प्रवृत्तौ
प्रमादालस्यादि-रहितानां च परिषत्त्वं कुतो न स्यात्?

Gradation

  • General respectability: We don’t have the slightest problem loving the mahAbhArata written by the rustic smelly son of a fisherwoman (mentioned thusly in the mahAbhArata) about her descendents, with shUdra heroes like vidura the brahmajjnAnI cum super-archer, ekalavya, ghaTotkacha; while simultaneous supporting a more fluid social dynamic.
  • Gradation relative to each other (despite their complementaryness)
  • brAhmaNa >= kShatriya > vaiShya > aniravasita shUdra > niravasita shUdra >= populations outside not following chAturvarNya (dasyu-s).
    • This hierarchy was justified using hypothesized karma from past lives.
      • Eg. bhAgavadgItA calling women, shUdra-s and vaishya-s pApa-yonis.
  • The recommendation by medhAtithi about expanding AryAvarta by a king subjugating the mlechCha-s, and relegating them to the position of chaNDAla-s (niravasita shUdra-s) should make the view of dharmashAstra writers about the place of mlechCha-s in the hierarchy abundantly clear (PVK_IMG). They were considered impure and untouchable (PVK).
  • Consequently, difference in the severity of daNDa (punishments) and , with authorities such as manu and vyAsa prescribing (in nearly all cases) heftier punishments on higher castes.
  • This was motivated not just due to importance of social function, but also because of severe codes of conduct and refinement (tapas and samskAra), as described in the Motivation section.

Mitigations and limitations (barring rare exceptions)

  • On the positive end, one observes rarity of the more severe forms of slavery - unlike slave societies of Greece, Rome, Islamic states, early USA. The dharmashAstra tradition forbids any enforcing service by those bound by dharma (“न च बलात् स्वीकर्तव्यः…” shabara on MS7,6,6, tr).
    • Example - Megasthenese TW1.

Marriage restrictions

  • Restrictions on marriage: endogamy > anuloma exogamy (male of higher caste) > pratiloma exogamy.
  • varNa-s resulting from anuloma unions were considered dvija-s.
  • pratiloma unions (formal or otherwise) were severely discouraged, and their offspring were considered shUdra-s or worse [PVK]. “शूद्र.सधर्माणो वा, अन्यत्र चण्डालेभ्यः ॥” - कौटिल्यः।
    • This applies to suta-s (theoretically illegitimate offspring/ descendents of xatriya males and brAhmaNa females) as well [PVK]. The sUta and mAgadha of purANa-s is entirely different according to (kauTilya ०३.७.२९) पौराणिकस् त्व् अन्यः सूतो मागधश् च, ब्रह्म.क्षत्राद् विशेषः ॥

Role of later traditions

Some people falsely generalize later anti-varNAshrama traditions.

  • Agamika pAncharAtra tradition strongly supports varNAshrama-dharma.
    • See quotes in the “Unrestricted ability to enter intellectual/ spiritual life” section.
  • shaiva-siddhAnta supports varNAshrama-vyavasthA.
    • वर्णाश्रमाचारान् मनसापि न लङ्घयेत्॥ यो यस्मिन्नाश्रमे तिष्ठन् प्राप्तो दीक्षां शिवात्मिकाम्। स तस्मिन्नेव संतिष्ठन् शिवधर्मं च पालयेत् - श्रीमद्भार्गवागमः as quoted by लक्षद्वयाध्यापक-श्रीमदघोरशिवाचार्य … siddhAnta shaiva did not forsake his Ashrama or varNa when he attained dIkSha into the shaiva path and was not a means of “revolting against” or “escaping” the ordinances of the Aryas. … the general followers were encouraged to maintain their existing life-style/profession and varNa-related observances, while accomodating the shaiva observances with that framework. In fact the basic dharma-shAstric injunctions are relating to other nitya issues are reiterated by the shiva-dharma." [MT]
    • See quotes in the “Unrestricted ability to enter intellectual/ spiritual life” section.

Teacher role

  • Generally, religious teaching and interpretive authority rested with brAhmaNa-s. However, in case of exigencies, such instruction could be obtained from another dvija varNa.
  • For other vidyA-s, anyone could teach. As manu said: श्रद्दधानः शुभां विद्याम् आददीतावराद् अपि । अन्त्याद् अपि परं धर्मं स्त्रीरत्नं दुष्कुलाद् अपि ॥ Medhātithi says: “श्रद्दधान आस्तिक्योपगृहीतान्तरात्माभियुक्तो यः शिष्यः स शुभां विद्यां न्यायशास्त्रादि-तर्कविद्याम् ।”.

Subversive theory

Anti-varNa teachings are seen among a few traditions - see subversion page and Ananda addiction page.