The Varnashram system is the ancient
Hindu social system evolved over thousands of years. It consists of four varnas – brahmanas (priests, teachers, and intellectuals), kshatriyas (police, army, and
administration), vaishyas (farmers,
merchants, and business people), shudras
(artisans and workers) and four ashrams
– student life, household life, retirement, and renunciation.
Varna system has been
the most controversial aspect of Hinduism. While critics of Hinduism can find
no fault with Hindu philosophy and universal humanism, the Varnashram system is
one aspect of Hinduism, which such motivated critics exploit to put it down.
They equate modern caste system with the ancient Varnashram system, and
inequities amongst various castes provide an easy handle to malign Hinduism.
But are the castes same as the Varnas? There are thousands of castes but there
are only four Varnas. The present caste system is not what was prescribed in
the scriptures as the Varnashram system. But, instead of delving into that
distinction, let’s try to understand the Varnasystem.
While times have
changed, the social structures and practices have also changed. When we look
back at our past, we try to judge those societies with modern standards and
with a value system we have imported from alien cultures. In the eyes of a
modernist the Varnashram system is the most hated social system because he
tries to judge the ancient with his own colored glasses of western modernity.
Our perception is mostly governed by what others say about our culture and
religion and not by our own understanding of what it was and the context in
which it operated. In our criticism we tend to focus on parts without trying to
comprehend the whole picture and how the system was designed to address the
challenges of those times.
Therefore, we need to
see things in totality. I have come across the following description of
Varnashram system as given in the Srimad Bhagvatam. I am sharing it with my
readers as I think they will find it interesting and useful in forming a more
informed opinion about the Varnashram system. This will also be useful in
understanding how our society was organised in olden days, why it was organised
that way and whether there are certain aspects of this system which have relevance
even today?
SB 11.17.10: In the beginning, in Satya-yuga, there is only one social class,
called haḿsa, to which all human
beings belong. In that age all people are unalloyed devotees of the Lord from
birth, and thus learned scholars call this first age Kṛta-yuga,
or the age in which all religious duties are perfectly fulfilled.
SB 11.17.11: In Satya-yuga the undivided Veda is expressed by the syllable oḿ, and I am the only object of mental
activities. I become manifest as the four-legged bull of religion, and thus the
inhabitants of Satya-yuga, fixed in austerity and free from
all sins, worship Me as Lord Haḿsa.
SB 11.17.12: O greatly fortunate one,
at the beginning of Tretā-yuga Vedic knowledge appeared from My
heart, which is the abode of the air of life, in three divisions — as Ṛg, Sāma
and Yajur. Then from that knowledge I appeared as threefold sacrifice.
SB 11.17.13: In Tretā-yuga the four social orders were manifested
from the universal form of the Personality of Godhead. The brāhmaṇas appeared
from the Lord's face, the kṣatriyas from the Lord's arms, the vaiśyas from the
Lord's thighs and the śūdras from the legs of that mighty form. Each social
division was recognized by its particular duties and behavior.
SB 11.17.14: The married order of life
appeared from the loins of My universal form, and the celibate students came
from My heart. The forest-dwelling retired order of life appeared from My
chest, and the renounced order of life was situated within the head of My
universal form.
SB 11.17.15:The various occupational
and social divisions of human society appeared according to inferior and
superior natures manifest in the situation of the individual's birth.
SB 11.17.16: Peacefulness,
self-control, austerity, cleanliness, satisfaction, tolerance, simple
straightforwardness, devotion to Me, mercy and truthfulness are the natural
qualities of the brāhmaṇas.
SB 11.17.17: Dynamic power, bodily
strength, determination, heroism, tolerance, generosity, great endeavor, steadiness,
devotion to the brāhmaṇas and leadership are the natural qualities of the
kṣatriyas.
SB 11.17.18: Faith in Vedic
civilization, dedication to charity, freedom from hypocrisy, service to the
brāhmaṇas and perpetually desiring to accumulate more money are the natural
qualities of the vaiśyas.
SB 11.17.19: Service without duplicity
to the brāhmaṇas, cows, demigods and other worshipable personalities, and
complete satisfaction with whatever income is obtained in such service, are the
natural qualities of śūdras.
SB 11.17.20: Dirtiness, dishonesty,
thievery, faithlessness, useless quarrel, lust, anger and hankering constitute
the nature of those in the lowest position outside the varṇāśrama system.
SB 11.17.21: Nonviolence,
truthfulness, honesty, desire for the happiness and welfare of all others and
freedom from lust, anger and greed constitute duties for all members of
society.
SB 11.17.22: The twice-born member of
society achieves second birth through the sequence of purificatory ceremonies
culminating in Gāyatrī initiation.
Being summoned by the spiritual master, he should reside within the guru's āśrama and with a self-controlled mind
carefully study the Vedic literature.
SB 11.17.23: The brahmacārī should regularly dress
with a belt of straw and deerskin garments. He should wear matted hair, carry a
rod and waterpot and be decorated with akṣa
beads and a sacred thread. Carrying pure kuśa
grass in his hand, he should never accept a luxurious or sensuous sitting
place. He should not unnecessarily polish his teeth, nor should he bleach and
iron his clothes.
SB 11.17.24: A brahmacārī should always remain
silent while bathing, eating, attending sacrificial performances, chanting japa or passing stool and urine. He
should not cut his nails and hair, including the armpit and pubic hair.
SB 11.17.25: One observing the vow of
celibate brahmacārī life should
never pass semen. If the semen by chance spills out by itself, the brahmacārī should immediately take
bath in water, control his breath by prāṇāyāma
and chant the Gāyatrī mantra.
SB 11.17.26: Purified and fixed in
consciousness, the brahmacārī
should worship the fire-god, sun, ācārya,
cows, brāhmaṇas, guru, elderly
respectable persons and demigods. He should perform such worship at sunrise and
sunset, without speaking but by silently chanting or murmuring the appropriate
mantras.
SB 11.17.27: One should know the ācārya as Myself and never disrespect
him in any way. One should not envy him, thinking him an ordinary man, for he
is the representative of all the demigods.
SB 11.17.28: In the morning and
evening one should collect foodstuffs and other articles and deliver them to
the spiritual master. Then, being self-controlled, one should accept for
oneself that which is allotted by the ācārya.
SB 11.17.29: While engaged in serving
the spiritual master one should remain as a humble servant, and thus when the guru is walking the servant should humbly
walk behind. When the guru lies down
to sleep, the servant should also lie down nearby, and when the guru has awakened, the servant should sit
near him, massaging his lotus feet and rendering other, similar services. When
the guru is sitting down on his āsana, the servant should stand nearby
with folded hands, awaiting the guru's
order. In this way one should always worship the spiritual master.
SB 11.17.30: Until the student has
completed his Vedic education he should remain engaged in the āśrama of the spiritual master, should
remain completely free of material sense gratification and should not break his
vow of celibacy [brahmacarya].
SB 11.17.31: If the brahmacārī student desires to
ascend to the Maharloka or Brahmaloka planets, then he should completely
surrender his activities to the spiritual master and, observing the powerful
vow of perpetual celibacy, dedicate himself to superior Vedic studies.
SB 11.17.32: Thus enlightened in Vedic
knowledge by service to the spiritual master, freed from all sins and duality,
one should worship Me as the Supersoul, as I appear within fire, the spiritual
master, one's own self and all living entities.
SB 11.17.33: Those who are not married
— sannyāsīs, vānaprasthas and brahmacārīs — should never associate with women
by glancing, touching, conversing, joking or sporting. Neither should they ever
associate with any living entity engaged in sexual activities.
SB 11.17.34-35: My dear Uddhava, general cleanliness, washing
the hands, bathing, performing religious services at sunrise, noon and sunset,
worshiping Me, visiting holy places, chanting japa, avoiding that which is untouchable,
uneatable or not to be discussed, and remembering My existence within all
living entities as the Supersoul — these principles should be followed by all
members of society through regulation of the mind, words and body.
SB 11.17.36: A brāhmaṇa observing the great vow of
celibacy becomes brilliant like fire and by serious austerity burns to ashes
the propensity to perform material activities. Free from the contamination of
material desire, he becomes My devotee.
SB 11.17.37: A brahmacārī who has completed his
Vedic education and desires to enter household life should offer proper
remuneration to the spiritual master, bathe, cut his hair, put on proper
clothes, and so on. Then, taking permission from the guru, he should go back to his home.
SB 11.17.38: A brahmacārī desiring to fulfill his
material desires should live at home with his family, and a householder who is
eager to purify his consciousness should enter the forest, whereas a purified brāhmaṇa should accept the renounced
order of life. One who is not surrendered to Me should move progressively from
one āśrama to another, never acting
otherwise.
SB 11.17.39: One who desires to
establish family life should marry a wife of his own caste, who is beyond reproach and
younger in age. If one desires to accept many wives he must marry them after
the first marriage, and each wife should be of a successively lower caste.
SB 11.17.40: All twice-born men —
brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas and vaiśyas — must perform sacrifice, study the Vedic
literature and give charity. Only the brāhmaṇas, however, accept charity,
teach the Vedic knowledge and perform sacrifice on behalf of others.
SB 11.17.41: A brāhmaṇa who considers that
accepting charity from others will destroy his austerity, spiritual influence
and fame should maintain himself by the other two brahminical occupations,
namely teaching Vedic knowledge and performing sacrifice. If the brāhmaṇa considers that those two
occupations also compromise his spiritual position, then he should collect
rejected grains in agricultural fields and live without any dependence on
others.
SB 11.17.42: The body of a brāhmaṇa is not intended to enjoy
insignificant material sense gratification; rather, by accepting difficult
austerities in his life, a brāhmaṇa
will enjoy unlimited happiness after death.
SB 11.17.43: A brāhmaṇa householder should remain
satisfied in mind by gleaning rejected grains from agricultural fields and
marketplaces. Keeping himself free of personal desire, he should practice
magnanimous religious principles, with consciousness absorbed in Me. In this
way a brāhmaṇa may stay at home
as a householder without very much attachment and thus achieve liberation.
SB 11.17.44: Just as a ship rescues
those who have fallen into the ocean, similarly, I very quickly rescue from all
calamities those persons who uplift brāhmaṇas and devotees suffering in a poverty-stricken
condition.
SB 11.17.45: Just as the chief bull
elephant protects all other elephants in his herd and defends himself as well,
similarly, a fearless king, just like a father, must save all of the citizens
from difficulty and also protect himself.
SB 11.17.46: An earthly king who
protects himself and all citizens by removing all sins from his kingdom will
certainly enjoy with Lord Indra in
airplanes as brilliant as the sun.
SB 11.17.47: If a brāhmaṇa cannot support himself
through his regular duties and is thus suffering, he may adopt the occupation
of a merchant and overcome his destitute condition by buying and selling
material things. If he continues to suffer extreme poverty even as a merchant,
then he may adopt the occupation of a kṣatriya,
taking sword in hand. But he cannot in any circumstances become like a dog,
accepting an ordinary master.
SB 11.17.48: A king or other member of
the royal order who cannot maintain himself by his normal occupation may act as
a vaiśya, may live by hunting or may
act as a brāhmaṇa by teaching
others Vedic knowledge. But he may not under any circumstances adopt the
profession of a śūdra.
SB 11.17.49: A vaiśya, or mercantile man, who cannot
maintain himself may adopt the occupation of a śūdra, snd a śūdra who cannot find a master can
engage in simple activities like making baskets and mats of straw. However, all
members of society who have adopted inferior occupations in emergency
situations must give up those substitute occupations when the difficulties have
passed.
SB 11.17.50: One in the gṛhastha order of life should daily
worship the sages by Vedic study, the forefathers by offering the mantra svadhā, the demigods by chanting svāhā, all living entities by offering
shares of one's meals, and human beings by offering grains and water. Thus
considering the demigods, sages, forefathers, living entities and human beings
to be manifestations of My potency, one should daily perform these five
sacrifices.
SB 11.17.51: A householder should
comfortably maintain his dependents either with money that comes of its own
accord or with that gathered by honest execution of one's duties. According to
one's means, one should perform sacrifices and other religious ceremonies.
SB 11.17.52: A householder taking care
of many dependent family members should not become materially attached to them,
nor should he become mentally unbalanced, considering himself to be the lord.
An intelligent householder should see that all possible future happiness, just
like that which he has already experienced, is temporary.
SB 11.17.53: The association of
children, wife, relatives and friends is just like the brief meeting of
travelers. With each change of body one is separated from all such associates,
just as one loses the objects one possesses in a dream when the dream is over.
SB 11.17.54: Deeply considering the
actual situation, a liberated soul should live at home just like a guest,
without any sense of proprietorship or false ego. In this way he will not be
bound or entangled by domestic affairs.
SB 11.17.55: A householder devotee who
worships Me by execution of his family duties may remain at home, go to a holy
place or, if he has a responsible son, take sannyāsa.
SB 11.17.56: But a householder whose
mind is attached to his home and who is thus disturbed by ardent desires to enjoy
his money and children, who is lusty after women, who is possessed of a miserly
mentality and who unintelligently thinks, "Everything is mine and I am
everything," is certainly bound in illusion.
SB 11.17.57: "O my poor elderly
parents, and my wife with a mere infant in her arms, and my other young
children! Without me they have absolutely no one to protect them and will
suffer unbearably. How can my poor relatives possibly live without me?"
SB 11.17.58: Thus, because of his
foolish mentality, a householder whose heart is overwhelmed by family
attachment is never satisfied. Constantly meditating on his relatives, he dies
and enters into the darkness of ignorance.
Source: http://vedabase.net/sb/11/17/en
