Rationale of Varna System in Hindu Society – Ramakant Tiwari : वर्णाश्रम का औचित्य

In varying degrees and orders, these three Guna-s form the basis of the entire cosmic Maya. These Guna-s are eternal, can be subdued through Sadhana but impossible to be destroyed completely. Those who succeed in transcending these Guna-s, are liberated to salvation. Those unable to migrate beyond the realm of Guna-s, create more and more of Samskara-s for themselves through Sakama Karma i.e. motivated actions. These Samskara-s lead to either more Samskara-s through Sakama Karma or offer themselves to be dissolved through Sadhana of Nishkama Karma i.e. Karmayoga, relying on the predominance of Guna of the moment. In the grandiose cosmic scheme, Guna-s may only be transcended by all the cosmic travellers towards the ultimate liberation through redemption.

All human activities may be broadly speaking, classified into four classes –

(1) Role and actions pertaining to teaching, training or preceptorship to bring about advancement through evolution of all human beings.

(2) Guarding the society from natural catastrophes and human onslaughts.

(3) Generation of food and wealth for the well-being and prosperity of all.

(4) Carrying out all the manual tasks related to all the aforesaid activities.

Apparently, there is no action that falls out of the ambit of the aforesaid classification. People possessing appropriate attributes are selected to accomplish aforesaid activities in an orderly manner.

The attribute essential to accomplish preceptorship is Sattva. They are profoundly Sattvik by disposition, necessary for effective preceptorship and ordained as “Brahmin“. Attributes of the second rung are primarily Raja yet they do possess a certain degree of Sattva out of their Sakama Sattvik activities, are ordained as “Ksatriya“. Attributes of the third order are predominantly Tamasik yet blended with some Raja too; those are known as “Vaishya“. Lastly, the fourth rung of the order ordained as “Shudra“, represents purely Tamasik dispositions. Entire classification is done with the sole intent of creating a well-organised, integrated and developed society. Since all are trained appropriately to serve all others, entire exercise is ordained to be all-inclusive and renunciatory in characteristics. These are “Varna-s” i.e. based on vocations and not castes. Caste is a British concept and term which does not exist in the Indian society.

The sage who authored the cosmic plan of evolutionary advancement for human society is known as “Manu” by designation of the “Caturyuga”. Human evolution is impossible to move forward if there is disorder all around. As the social order and harmony alone assure distinct possibility of spiritual evolution, it also underscores essentiality and inevitability of the institution of class-division. The division based on Karma and the underlying Guna-s always existed, shall ever exist irrevocably, irrespective of the meanderings whatsoever in any direction.

Samskara-s have an intrinsic affinity for the likes of themselves i.e. Sattvik Samskara holds affinity for the Sattvik constituents of the cosmos as also a subtle aversion for the other two, Rajasik and Tamasik ones. Immediate implication of this phenomenon is that a person possessing an abundance of Sattva is most likely to be born in a Sattvik clan. If he holds even a single Rajasik or Tamasik Samskara heavier than the entire battery of his Sattvik Samskara-s, he is not likely to be born in a Sattvik clan. Rather, he shall be born in a Rajasik or Tamasik clan as the case may be, to redeem the ripe Samskara first, that is heavier in content. Later on, he pursues and practises Sattvik dispositions, instead of what he inherits from his clan in the form of surroundings, predilections or propensities. Thus, it is amply established, a Brahmin is a Brahmin not because he is born to a Brahmin clan but owing to the enormity of his Sattvik Karma performed in his previous incarnations. Birth in a Brahmin clan is caused by the Sattvik Karma alone, owing to it’s content as well as intent, to redeem itself amidst conducive environment. Hence, it is not entirely misplaced to declare and regard an offspring of a Brahmin, a Brahmin. So is true and valid for the other three rungs i. e. Ksatriya, Vaishya and Shudra.

It is now explicitly proven that the Varna Classification authored by Manu, is entrenched in utter and bare cosmic realities of Guna-s, Karma-s and the cycles of birth, death and certainly not in the distortions or debilities caused by the external social factors, whatsoever. Swami Ravidas, born as a Shudra owing to a certain Karma during his previous human-incarnation, was virtually a Brahmin of the highest order. He was a realised saint as his spiritual Samskara-s blossomed owing to his Tapa of previous embodiments. It is an illustrative case of a Shudra being an epitome of Manusmrti, leading the life of a Brahmin without disowning his Tamasik vocation as a cobbler. Similar is the case of one Shri B.D.Pande, ex-Prime Minister of Trinidad & Tobago, West Indies, who discovered his roots to a Yadav clan of eastern UP. Shri Pande descended from a backward caste Yadav, who was ordained to perform priestcraft and preceptorship for the herd of farm labourers, shipped to the West Indies by the colonial masters and adopted the Brahmin surname “Pande”, centuries ago.

Hindu Varna System is an offshoot of the three-fold Guna-s of Prakrti which in turn occurs to be the active albeit unconscious constituent of the Supreme Existence. Varna System can be liquidated only after three Guna-s are irreversibly liquidated, which amounts to nothing short of questioning the very existence of the Supreme, Absolute, Universal Existence !!! Guna-s at best, can only be transcended, only to be then known as the Realised One. Guna-s are just impossible to be liquidated altogether. Now as a matter of an axiom howsoever unpleasant, Varna System is impossible to be dissolved. Varna being a cosmic reality, the cosmic constituent shall ever exist, as ever. Hence, a Shudra is a Shudra solely because he has been Tamoguna-Pradhana i.e. Tama being excessive and not because he is born as a Shudra though he may be born as a Shudra. The state of being Tamoguna-Pradhana is the cause while being born as a Shudra is the effect. Being Shudra is the proceed of the Tamasik Karma performed by the Shudra himself and not because of some wily Savarna Brahmin or a hoary Manu !!. Indeed, every Tamoguna-Pradhana is born as a Shudra barring a few exceptions that are rare. He must perform his ordained Karma in the spirit of renunciation so as to enable him liberate himself from the incarceration of his Tama-Guna. That is his Svadharma and that alone shall render him purified and advanced spiritually. Svadharma of a Brahmin is to impart wisdom and strive for the Absolute in the spirit of sacrifice and that alone enables him to migrate forward cosmically. Same is valid with the other two Varna-s i.e. Ksatriya and Vaishya with respect to their respective Svadharma-s.

It shall be quite pertinent to mention Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar who declared in one of his writings that the Varna system was NOT created by Brahmins…that Brahmins are NOT to be blamed for the continuance of the Varna system…that for the educational backwardness of Dalits, Dalits themselves are squarely responsible as they had not been respectful to the Brahmins under the influence of divisive / destructive forces in society. The great son of Bharatvarsha, Dr. Ambedkar has been profusely quoted by Late Swami Ranganathananda, former Head of the RK Mission in his works.

Prevailing view in some quarters that unless Savarna-s work as Shudra-s and also otherwise, social equity cannot be attained. It is impossible to develop an egalitarian society or assure social equity by compelling Brahamin-s to work as Shudra-s or Shudra-s as Brahmin-s. These occupations are Guna based, in turn Samskara vs. Karma based i.e. renditions of previous births which are in finality, inviolable. Historically speaking, there have been many so-called enlightened Souls who asserted and propagated the view, yet came a cropper. In the process, they rather intentionally or unintentionally aggravated the class / caste divisions rather than eradicating these. No Government worth it’s salt has ever supported the Varna system by law. There has never been any grant of funds or relief from the PM’s National Relief Fund to any body or NGO that worked for the promotion of the Varna system !!! Varna system has always been a favourite target of assault and ridicule, yet it thrived. No force could even dent it, leave alone obliterating it forever.

Reservation for the politically defined “Dalits” to ensure their rehabilitation to the mystical egalitarianism is a grave fallacy that is diabolical in concept and outrageous in practice. Any attempt to disrupt the cosmic order through political engineering is frought with highly regressive consequences. Destiny improves not through the surgical transplantation of so-called egalitarianism through reservations but through the continuous and resolute pursuit of Karmayoga. Scores of Brahmin-s of today have been Shudra-s in their previous lives. They evolved only through the cosmic mechanism of Karmayoga alone. For that matter, reservation for “poor Savarna-s” being advocated by some unscrupulous politicians is even more damaging and reprehensible. Poverty / Backwardness are the direct consequences of violation of a certain cosmic principle i.e. the Principle of Universality while reservation is certainly not the appropriate response. The right answer lies again, in the grand institution of Karmayoga alone that is sacrosanct and nowhere else.

Hindu society today needs a drastic surgery of sorts by a hard-headed reformer cum visionary. Indeed, we need Swami Vivekananda again. Goal of the social reformer need not be the abolition of Varna-s. What is required as a reform measure of paramount import is assuring fair and equitable opportunities and social security for the backwards, to enable them attain their potential alongwith their self-esteem while allowing the Varna-s to co-exist as ever and after. That’s precisely what social reformers meant in their movements.

Dignity and respect for labour of all types must be developed in society, on the lines of the western societies. Manual work of the lowest order must be held in high esteem as an act of and for the Supreme Entity. Organisations like RK Mission can play a decisive role in this regard, through well-organised campaigns etc. Savarna-s must be called upon to volunteer themselves for the meanest of jobs to change the prevailing mindset all around.

Reservation must be abolished completely as it violates the fundamental cosmic principle of equality above all. Reservation kills self-respect. Uplifting of the downtrodden without dignity and self-respect can never be the motto of any enlightened social reformer, least of all Swami-s like Vivekananda. In the Indian Army, a Shudra soldier marches ahead with his head in high esteem, alongside Savarna soldiers. If it can be attained in the army without reservation, why not in other organisations and disciplines of education and endeavour ? A dedicated tax may be levied upon non-Dalits, white-collar wage earners to ensure free learning opportunities to the so-called Dalits, so as to enable them compete freely with dignity and honour. Administration of the tax must be completely transparent, preferably under Public-Private Partnership model. Well-to-do families may be called upon to mentor, say a couple of so-called Dalit children per family in order to demolish the psycho-barriers and forge greater cohesiveness among various strata of society. Inter-caste marriages must NOT be encouraged as these go against the cardinal principle of Karma as well as propitiation of Pitr-s / manes. At the same time, these must NOT be banned too. Hindu society must ignore the new found zeal for the inter-caste marriages to let it survive / die on it’s own.

Several more non-reservation / affirmative means may be evolved to uplift the oppressed and downtrodden. These must not disrupt or complicate further the order of Varna-s, which is more relevant now than ever before. Ultimately, wisdom lies in transcending the immutable and imperishable Varna-s by working them out and not by confronting them head on, which shall only fritter away our precious efforts and resources into oblivion.