The Eternal Varna Asrama Dharma - Part 1

[thebigthinkg]

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Background

I had presented a paper during the WAVES 2011 Conference on Varna, Jati and Kula. I plan to elaborate it with lot more explanations as a series of blogs.

This series does not aim to justify the caste system or the practices of caste system. It is rather a sincere, honest and logical effort to understand the Varna Asrama Dharma and its implications on us.

Varna Asrama Dharma in essence is a socio-economic system that is based on natural principles. It is natural state of existence for happy and prosperous living.

Varna Asrama Dharma can be found in nature in all social living beings. Human beings are no exception to it. The aim of this series is to unravel the meaning and essence of Varna Asrama Dharma and use its principle for a happy living of our future.

What is Varna Asrama Dharma..?

Varna-asrama dharma is an eternal Universal Law of Professional Types. It holds good at all times for all societies. Varna means ‘Cloak or Mask we wear or Paint’. Asrama means 'Way of Living'. Dharma means 'An Eternal Law'.

Varna Asrama indicates the cloak /mask/ covering we wear to make a living. It indicates a Professional type. Varna Asrama Dharma means the Eternal Law of Professional types.

In short, according to Varna Asrama Dharma, there are three professional types at all times in all societies. They are Knowledge providers (Brahmanas), Service providers (Kshatriyas) and Goods/Material providers (Vaizyas). These professional types are called Varnas. The three Varnas are based on the three Gunas viz Sattwa, Rajas and Tamas.

A society based on true Varna Asrama Dharma will have only three Varnas (as there are only three Gunas). Sattwa Guna drives the Knowledge Providers (Brahmanas), Rajas drives the Service Providers (Kshatriyas), Tamasa Guna drives the Goods/Material providers (Vaizyas).

But in most societies we see a fourth professional type called Laborers. These Laborers are the Zudras. Typically laborers are those who are valued and used as bio-mass rather than any active contribution to society. They can be mechanized, replaced, automated and made redundant easily.

Can anyone identify JUST ONE modern profession that cannot be mapped to Knowledge Provider, Service Provider, Material/Good provider or Laborer..?
A perfect Varna Asrama Dharma society will have no or little Zudras/laborers as they are formed not based on any Guna. A Profession based on a Guna can be acquired, improved and excelled. The Zudra or Laborer profession is neither acquired nor improved. It is in most cases thrusted upon people. None chooses to be a bio-mass. They are forced into being bio-mass of others. Thus Zudras also extend to Cheap Labor, Slave Labor apart from all types of modern Laborers who are given jobs at will and thrown out at will.

It is because a society that has too much Zudras or Laborers cannot sustain economically for long and is bound to suffer. Any society in which a significant population suffers cannot sustain long term. Though it is the Zudras who would suffer, they would ultimately bring down the whole society due to their suffering.

A prosperous society is a society in which Zudras/Laborers are very low in numbers or not present at all. This is the basic principle of Varna Asrama Dharma.

Etymological analysis of Varna
Varna essential indicates an external covering or cloak. It is related to the external appearance or ‘depiction’. It gets extended to color, paint etc in this way.

Varna is an ‘external’ cloak worn by human beings to serve the society. It is an external cloak and can be changed over based on the needs of the society. It is a way by which a human being serve the society and make a living.

Thus Varna in economic terms could be mapped to a ‘professional type’.

Etymological analysis of Varna Asrama Dharma

Dharma means that is firmly established, eternal or unchanged. Dharma is often used in vedic and upanishadic literature to indicate the well established, eternal Laws under which the Universe operates and evolves. Everything else in the Universe is subjected to change except the laws of the Universe, which are eternal for the life of the Universe.
Hence they are the Dharma of the Universe.

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi rightly interprets dharma in this way. Dharma "is that invincible power of nature which upholds existence. It maintains evolution and forms the very basis of cosmic life. It supports all that is helpful for evolution and discourages all that is opposed to it. Dharma is that which promotes worldly prosperity and spiritual freedom”

Asrama means a place of staying, extended to a way of living in a particular stage/phase of life.

Varna Asrama Dharma thus indicates the Law of Professions and Phases of Life.

- To be Continued

-TBT

 

[S.Narasimhan]

Any society for its mere existence cannot do away with labourers who are essential for the very functioning of the society. For example, an engineer can only give a blue print, but its execution in all the minute details can be done only by those who are familiar and conversant with the details. Therefore any society depends mostly on labourers for its upkeep. PurushasUkta states 'padbhyAm SUdro ajAyata'. A society cannot stand without its feet. Hence though fourth varna is considered as the lowest one, it is the most essential one. In fact all the four varnas are the limbs of a society. No limb can be dispensed with or disparaged.

 

[Dinesh Chandrasekaran]

Its a very good explanation

 

[thebigthinkg]

Any society for its mere existence cannot do away with labourers who are essential for the very functioning of the society. For example, an engineer can only give a blue print, but its execution in all the minute details can be done only by those who are familiar and conversant with the details. Therefore any society depends mostly on labourers for its upkeep. PurushasUkta states 'padbhyAm SUdro ajAyata'. A society cannot stand without its feet. Hence though fourth varna is considered as the lowest one, it is the most essential one. In fact all the four varnas are the limbs of a society. No limb can be dispensed with or disparaged.

Actually it depends. If we look carefully in the definitions and actual happenings in the past, there is a thin line of differentiation between Zudras and Kshatriyas. Kshatriya castes have become zudras in the past and zudras have bcom Kshatriyas.

Between Service Providers and Laborers there is a thin differentiation. When Labor becomes costly, well rewarded and respected it becomes Service. When service becomes cheaper, abundant and low priced it becomes labor.

For eg. look at modern day SW professionals in Service Industries. They are essentially high-end of labor, could be called service providers (Kshatriyas), but are also actually zudras (laborers).

So when I say little or nil Zudras (laborers) what I mean is soceity in which labor becomes respected and treated as service providers (Kshatriyas) is a society that would be stable, peaceful and sustainable.

-TBT

 

[thebigthinkg]

Its a very good explanation

Thanks. Well I hope to prove that is what it actually means..

-TBT

 

[renuka]

Actually it depends. If we look carefully in the definitions and actual happenings in the past, there is a thin line of differentiation between Zudras and Kshatriyas. Kshatriya castes have become zudras in the past and zudras have bcom Kshatriyas.

Between Service Providers and Laborers there is a thin differentiation. When Labor becomes costly, well rewarded and respected it becomes Service. When service becomes cheaper, abundant and low priced it becomes labor.

For eg. look at modern day SW professionals in Service Industries. They are essentially high-end of labor, could be called service providers (Kshatriyas), but are also actually zudras (laborers).

So when I say little or nil Zudras (laborers) what I mean is soceity in which labor becomes respected and treated as service providers (Kshatriyas) is a society that would be stable, peaceful and sustainable.

-TBT

Dear Sir,

By definition Sudra is a situation where one works for another person and not really self employed.
Those who are self employed are Vaishyas.

Kshatriyas collect taxes from subjects.

Going by that definition most people are are employees and very few are self employed.
So present day scenario is mainly Sudra and Vaisya cos there are hardly any Kings in the true sense.

 

[thebigthinkg]

Dear Sir,

By definition Sudra is a situation where one works for another person and not really self employed.
Those who are self employed are Vaishyas.

Kshatriyas collect taxes from subjects.

Going by that definition most people are are employees and very few are self employed.
So present day scenario is mainly Sudra and Vaisya cos there are hardly any Kings in the true sense.

First that is not my understanding of Varnas or that is not what I have espoused here. To me Brahamanas are Knowledge Providers, Kshatriyas are Service Providers, Vaizyas are material providres. Zudras are laborers.

It is from this view-point u need to read the above explanation.

From a society where Knwoledge providers (Brahamans) are predominant we have become a society (world-wide) where zudras (laborers) are predominant (world-wide).

Our economic policies also drive people away from entreprenuerial pursuits to employment pursuits. Such a society will not be sustainable.

-TBT

 

[sarang]

Though individuals from any jati were respected for their scholarship, qualification, wisdom and deportment, there are instances when a whole jati or groups of jatis migrated to different varnas. There are instances when kallar jati shifted to kshatriya varna from shudra varna. Social mobility was possible and happened as a collective. Of course, all this before the pre-british, pre-mugal days. Perhaps we must unlearn what we have been told by the british and psecs, and relearn the true facts from people like dharmapal and others.

Recently in the caste census in pune district of maharashtra, less than 25000 people have refused to reveal their caste - a drop in the ocean of cast identity.