What is the difference between Varna and Jaati/Caste?
What is the difference between Varna and Jaati/Caste?
As far as my limited understanding the British mistook (knowingly/unknowingly) Varna for Jaati and broke the society fabric beyond repair.
Does this word just mean colour?
As far as my limited understanding the British mistook (knowingly/unknowingly) Varna for Jaati and broke the society fabric beyond repair.
Does this word just mean colour?
Yes, some of the Britishers did not know what Gunas are but they knew that they can not rule here unless they divide us, misguide us and destroy this great culture.
ReplyDeleteVarna is clearly not a thing of inequality and those sort of things. In the holy Geeta God himself answers Arjuna from his beatiful words that each person has three gunas and Varna is according to that. There is nowhere written in scriptures that it is according to colour race or money. They are their another fake theory with no base to support another theory.
Sandeep Chatterjee Apastamba Sutra varnas are classified as having superiority (by birth). It is here I am trying to understand the meaning of varna
ReplyDelete......Catvāro varṇā brāhmaṇa kṣatriya vaiśya śūdrāḥ
teṣāṃ pūrvaḥ pūrvo janmataś-śreyān......
Oh I apologize sorry I had not understood your question and was giving my views on a different thing. Yes I agree with the fact that they mistook the meaning of Varna here.
ReplyDeleteI am too interesting to know the meaning.
Sandeep Chatterjee No worries, no need to apologize. I did not frame my question correctly.
ReplyDelete1. This word actually means choice.
ReplyDelete2. This word can be derived from two different Dhaatu "वृण्" & वर्ण् - one means to choose and other means to describe
3. The Kriya padam (Verb) - वृणीते /वर्णयति = chooses /describes
4. Words like "वरः" bride groom (choice), स्वयंवरः (self choice of groom), etc. came from the dhaatu वृण्.
5. Therefore the choice of one's "Varna" rests with that One who chooses to become who-ever. Young boys and Girls choose to be Doctors, Police persons, Pilots, etc. and they become what they choose to be - it is one's own choice.
6. Dronacharya chooses to be a "kshatriya" and therefore no where in Mahabharata he was referred to as "brahmana" (everywhere he was referred to as "dvija") - the essence of this means he was born in "dvija" Jaati - but he didn't choose to be in Brahmana varna.
7. Geeta: In 4.13 = Varma is based on character and activities; In 18.41 = Brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas and shudras are distinguished by the qualities of their own nature in accordance with their material choices.
8. There is no one superior or inferior in birth. The Universe is the work of the Immense Being. The beings created by him were only divided into Varnas according to their aptitude - 188 Chapter, Shanti parva, Mahabharata
9. Since there are no equivalent English words for Brahmana, Dvija, Varna, Jaati, etc. we are all mixing everything with the English word "Caste" - learning Sanskrit and Itihasa through English breeds this kind of confusion !
Krishnamurthi CG appreciate your inputs wrt the meaning of the word. Now it is clear.
ReplyDeleteCan you tell me as to how this is applied with context to Apastamba Dharmasutra
Ap1.1.1.4-5/ catvaro varno brahmana.kshatriya.vaishya.shudrah / tesham purvas- purvas- janmatas- shreyan /