The Religions Book

98

Vaishyas are members of the
merchant class, formed from
Purusha’s thighs. Shudra is the
class of the common working
people, hewn from Purusha’s
feet. Because they all come
from the single human reality,
Purusha, they are interdependent
and all have an essential part to
play in the ordering of society.
Their roles reflect their dharma
—their divine duty.
Members of the first three
varnas are said to be twice-born
in a sacred thread ritual, the
upanayana, which marks the
person’s acceptance of responsibility
as a Hindu. The ritual is generally
performed when, or soon after, a
child turns eight, and has the effect
of establishing his or her social
position. Below the four varnas
are those who find themselves
completely outside the class
system; formerly called outcasts
they are now generally referred to
as Dalits, meaning “the oppressed.”

Class distinctions

The four varnas are sometimes

referred to as castes, but that is not

strictly accurate. The Indian caste

system is based on an equally

ancient way of classifying people,

broadly in terms of their occupation.

There are a very large number

of such classes, or jati, each with a

corresponding social status. The

two different approaches seem to

have become entangled as Hindu

society developed in the later Vedic

period (from around 1000 BCE), and

the crucial differences between

them became blurred.

Under the varna system the

different social classes are all

essential to to the right ordering of

the world; since everyone comes

from a single primal human figure,

Purusha, everyone depends upon

one another. Only the Brahmins

were portrayed as a superior class

—understandably, given that in the

Vedic literature they are the ones

empowered and authorized by

A RATIONAL WORLD

tradition to, literally, maintain the

sense of order in the universe. By

contrast, the caste system was

discriminatory, emphasizing

separation as being necessary in

order to avoid “pollution”: higher-

caste people began to fear that

they would be contaminated by

contact with a low-status person.

The caste system encouraged

social fracturing, with rules

forbidding people of different castes

to mix together and especially to

marry. This divisiveness was

recognized in the Constitution

of India, drawn up in 1948,

which prohibited discrimination

against lower castes, although

popular prejudice has taken

longer to eliminate.

Personal versus social

In the 6th century BCE, wandering

teachers within India, such as

Buddha and Mahavira, became

critical of the formal and class-

bound nature of Vedic worship.

They welcomed followers from any

class, and all were treated equally.

These teachers argued for an

emphasis on personal insight

rather than inherited privilege.

They also rejected the authority of

the Vedas, and were therefore

All living entities have

different characteristics

and duties that distinguish

them from one another.

Bhavishya Purana

According to Hindu tradition,
the four varnas, or classes, were
formed from the various body
parts of Purusha, the primal man.

Kshatriyas

(warriors)

Vaishyas

(merchants)

Shudras

(workers)

Brahmins

(priests)