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Current General Studies Magazine: "The Intent of Varna System" January 2015

Current General Studies Magazine (January 2015)

General Studies - I: Art and Culture Based Article (The Intent of Varna System)

The various stratification of Varna system was meant to settle the Hindu life and regulate the society for a united action. Every society in the world has some form of groups that works for the common cause of social progress and general prosperity. In the various spheres of life, cultural, spiritual, religious, economic, political and social, medical, science and technology and even unskilled workers, there are groups united differently to work for the social cause of all the people. In Hinduism, this division is called Varna System. Each Varna has its social purpose, its own code, norms of behaviour and keeps its independent identity. Still each ‘part remains an integral part of the whole. The whole is always present in the part and the part is ever a part of the whole. This is the spirit behind the creation of Varna System. The four Varnas represented the people of wisdom, of action, of compassion and loving feelings and of service to people. It was not intended to be hereditary and connected with birth and therefore free interchange and intermixing was liberally permitted.

It is indeed unfortunate that the Varna System came to be connected with the Caste System. We cannot know how and why and when it so happened. It grew up with a sort of spiritual monopoly of a certain group bent upon its material prosperity. It established the class of Brahman by birth to safeguard their posterity. It is they who created and developed the ideas of inferiority and superiority among the people. This led to discrimination and distinction between various groups of occupations and the degradation of society began and reached so low as’ there came out people such as untouchables and pariahs. ‘ Thus the Varna turned Caste System brought about social degradation and downfall dividing people as low and high and the lowest. The Varna System, so sound and healthy and perfect came to such a pitiable state. It needs a reconstitution at this stage.

India is a developing nation. It has a responsibility to safeguard the rights of people as enshrined in the Constitution, irrespective of considerations of caste, creed, colour or sex. It is the need of the day that the Hindu scriptures be thrown open to all people of caste and sex so that they may have right understanding of their faith. It may lead to the fall of the man-made caste system like a sand hill. When the boundaries of the world are vanishing and there is open mixing of people and ideas, there has to be a ready flow of crossovers among the people as in the past. The watertight compartments only stink. The Hindu society has to be wellknit for the good of the world.

It is a fact that the Buddhists discarded the Vedas to preach against Caste System; Kabir followed the same path of denouncing the Hindu scriptures while opposing the caste system. A proper understanding of scriptures can remove the ignorance and illusion. Gandhi and Aurobindo favoured Varna System though opposed Caste System. Swami Dayananda with authority on Vedas declared that Vedas do not mention about Caste System and opposed caste system tooth and riail while defending’ the sciptures. There is nothing in the scriptures to justify the caste division, only the Varna System exists as an integral part of the whole society. It is not the Caste System at all.

There are people in large majority who realise that the most oppressed people today called as Sudra were really a great adherent of Hinduism. In the Buddhist dominated era, they did not change their religion though the call was their favour. During the terror rule of Islam for-version, they did not convert and suffered from the ruler as well as from their own people who called them by many abusive names such as Sudra,’ Chamar, Bhangi, Harjan, Achuta or untouchables and even today remain racketed in schedule castes and schedule tribes. They had opportunity to convert and be saved from humiliations ire insults but they preferred to stay as Hindus arid suffer as Hindus.