also called the stage of SADHU. The man must wear
animal skins, bark, or rags; leave his hair and
nails uncut; and eat pure food. He may beg food,
if necessary. The final stage is SANNYASI or mendi-
cancy, when he emerges from the forest to wander
alone, seeking alms. The vanaprastha and the san-
nyasi stage were clearly the most ideal course of
conduct and were probably never followed com-
pletely by all BRAHMINS or other upper-CASTE men,
for whom they were primarily intended.
Further reading: Patrick Olivelle, The Asrama System:
The History and Hermeneutics of a Religious Institution
(New York: Oxford University Press, 1993).
varada mudra
The varada (giving boons) mudra (see MUDRAS)
is an important iconic gesture, with the fingers
pointing downward and the palm facing straight
outward from the body. The open palm indicates
that the divinity or personage will bestow bless-
ings upon the person who looks upon him or
her with respect or devotion. Many iconic divini-
ties, particularly those who have more than two
hands, give this gesture with a left hand. This
ancient mudra is found in the iconography of the
Buddhists, Jains (see JAINISM), and Hindus. The
BUDDHAS and the Jain TIRTHANKARAS are frequently
seen using this hand gesture. This, as may any
other mudra, may be used in any Indian dance
when divinities are represented.
Further reading: Eva Rudy Jansen, The Hindu Book of
Imagery: The Gods and Their Symbols (Havelte, Holland:
Binkey Kok, 1995); Margaret Stutley, An Illustrated
Dictionary of Hindu Iconography (Boston: Routledge &
Kegan Paul, 1985).
Varaha Avatar
At the commencement of a new eon, when the
Earth is covered by water in every direction,
Vishnu takes the form of a huge boar (varaha).
The boar dives down to the bottom of the ocean
and takes the Earth to the surface again so that life
can reemerge.Further reading: Nanditha Krishna, The Book of Vishnu
(New Delhi: Viking, 2001); A. K. Ramanujan, Hymns for
the Drowning (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press,
1981); Pandrimalai Swamigal, The Ten Incarnations: Das-
vatara (Bombay: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, 1982).Varanasi See BENARES.
varna
Varna (color) is the Vedic word for social class, in
the class scheme found in Rig Veda X. 90. There
the divine being is said to have offered himself in
sacrifice to create reality. It is said that his mouth
became the BRAHMIN, or priestly class; his arms
became the Rajanya (KSHATRIYA), or warrior class;
his thighs became the Vish (VAISHYA), or mer-
chants, farmers; and his feet became the SHUDRAS,
or the servant class.
The “mouth” of society is symbolically impor-
tant in India because of the power of divine
speech through the SANSKRIT language. The arms
are obviously symbolic of the strong arms of the
warrior. The thighs symbolize the ability to pro-
create and create prosperity for society. Feet have
long been associated with impurity in Indian
tradition, but it is a fact that no body can move
without its feet.
There has been some debate about whether the
use of the word color to denote class reflects an
ancient racist system. At the present day Brahmins
in any part of India tend to have slightly lighter skin
than other classes, while the poorest elements of
society often have much darker skin. When colors
are traditionally assigned to the classes, white is for
the Brahmin, red for the warrior, yellow for the mer-
chants and farmers, and black for the servants.
This verse of the Vedas, which may in fact
have been simply an ideal scheme for an inte-K 478 varada mudra