Caste and Varnas are not at all related in any way:
1. Definition of Caste? When it came?
Exact definition of Caste is not yet clear. Caste is not an Indian word, so it didn’t originated in India. It came to India along with western foreign invaders. Great scholars have failed to explain the definition of Indian caste system. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is derived from the Portuguese casta, meaning "race, lineage, breed" and, originally, "pure or unmixed (stock or breed)". So caste are related with breed/blood relation and not with community or work. If breed/blood got mixed (By marriages/sex/blood or body fluid transfusion), then you will not able to decide the exact caste of an individual. So you cannot have constant or unmixed caste system.
2. Definition of Varnas. How these are classified? How it works?
Varna is ancient classification of any entity in Hinduism, based on anybody’s deeds in past. There are four Varnas in which everybody falls.
Brahmin: The entity which have vidya/knowledge to contribute/donate it to the society.
Kshatriya: The entity which have great strength (Especially to save mass/kingdom/country men) to contribute /donate it to the society.
Vaishya: The entity which have Dravya/money to contribute /donate it to the society.
Shudra: The entity which have nothing or Sram/labor to contribute /donate it to the society.
By birth everybody born Shudra, One acquires different Varnas based on his/her deeds.
Some great misconceptions about Caste and Varna.
1. Most people think Caste and Varnas are hieratically related.
Wrong. Caste and Varnas are not at all related to each other. By the definition of Varnas and Caste in previous slides it clear that caste is not Indian word, it is pre-modern foreign originated and is based on breed/blood relation. But Varnas are properly defined in Vedas and any entity acquires Varnas based on their deeds in past.
2. Most people think Caste and Varnas are mapped to each other.
Wrong. Caste and Varnas are not mapped to each other. Some wrong elements of society created this mapping during pre-modern times. And this is also clear from Caste and Varnas definition.
3. Most people think caste system is coming from ancient times.
Wrong. Caste system is pre-modern human created classification. If you look at the names of all the characters of Mahabharata and Ramayana or any Hindus epic, all of them have only one word names. It means there were no caste in those times. As caste came with western foreign invaders, Indian names also started having multiple names.
4. Most people think that Varnas are based on their jobs/work or what they are doing currently.
Wrong. As per the definition of Varnas, it is based on what is your deeds in past and not what you are doing at present. Means it is based on in which area you have contributed to society till date mostly. So current work or job is nothing to do with Varnas.
5. Most people think only humans can acquire Varnas.
Wrong. Any creature in the universe can acquire any Varna, even non-living things can acquire Varnas. If you will go in deep, all words what we speak and all emotions what we show/reflect has specific Varna.
6. Most people think that in ancient times marriages use to happen in same Varna.
Wrong. We have many examples in which bride and groom belongs to different Varnas. You can find thousands of examples in Hindus scripture.
7. Most people think that no one can acquire/change from one Varnas to another.
Wrong. By birth everybody born Shudra, One acquires different Varnas based on his/her deeds in past. Anyone can acquire oneself from one Varna to another. We have multiple examples from oldest Hinduism scripture Vedas, who acquired their Varnas from one to another.
Few examples of acquiring one Varnas to another:
Brahmin -> Shudra
Shudra -> Brahmin
Kshatriya -> Vaishya
Vaishya -> Kshatriya
Vaishya -> Brahmin
Brahmin -> Vaishya
Kshatriya -> Brahmin
Brahmin -> Kshatriya
Shudra -> Kshatriya
Some belongs to all 4 categories.
1. Aitareya Rishi was son of a Daasa (Shudra) or criminal but became a Brahmin of highest order and wrote Aitareya Brahman and Aitareyopanishad. Aitareya Brahman is considered critical to understand Rigveda.
2. Ailush Rishi was son of a Daasi (Shudra), gambler and of low character. However he researched on Rigveda and made several discoveries. Not only was he invited by Rishis but also made an Acharya (Brahmin). (Aitareya Brahman 2.19)
3. Satyakaam Jaabaal was son of a prostitute (Shudra) but became a Brahmin.
4. Prishadh was son of King (Kshatriya) Daksha but became a Shudra. Further he did Tapasya to achieve salvation after repenting. (Vishnu Puran 4.1.14)
5. Nabhag, son of King (Kshatriya) Nedishtha became Vaishya. Many of his sons again became Kshatriya. (Vishnu Puran 4.1.13)
6. Dhrist was son of Nabhag (Vaishya) but became Brahmin and his son became Kshatriya (Vishnu Puran 4.2.2)
7. Further in his generation, some became Brahmin again (Vishnu Puran 9.2.23)
8. As per Bhagvat, Agniveshya became Brahmin though born to a king (Kshatriya).
9. Rathotar born in Kshatriya family became a Brahmin as per Vishnu Puran and Bhagvat.
10. Haarit became Brahmin though born to Kshatriya (Vishnu Puran 4.3.5)
11. Shaunak became Brahmin though born in Kshatriya family. (Vishnu Puran 4.8.1). In fact, as per Vayu Puran, Vishnu Puran and Harivansh Puran, sons of Shaunak Rishi belonged to all four Varnas.
Similar examples exist of Gritsamad, Veethavya and Vritsamati.
12. Matanga was son of Shudra but became a Brahmin.
13. Trishanku was a king (Kshatriya) but became a Shudra
14. Sons of Vishwamitra became Shudra. Vishwamitra himself was a Kshatriya who later became a Brahmin.
15. Vidur was son of a servant (Shudra) but became a Brahmin and minister of Hastinapur Empire.
16. Maharshi Veda Vyasa was Shudra and became Brahmin.
Many more others examples you can find in all the Vedas.
1. Definition of Caste? When it came?
Exact definition of Caste is not yet clear. Caste is not an Indian word, so it didn’t originated in India. It came to India along with western foreign invaders. Great scholars have failed to explain the definition of Indian caste system. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it is derived from the Portuguese casta, meaning "race, lineage, breed" and, originally, "pure or unmixed (stock or breed)". So caste are related with breed/blood relation and not with community or work. If breed/blood got mixed (By marriages/sex/blood or body fluid transfusion), then you will not able to decide the exact caste of an individual. So you cannot have constant or unmixed caste system.
2. Definition of Varnas. How these are classified? How it works?
Varna is ancient classification of any entity in Hinduism, based on anybody’s deeds in past. There are four Varnas in which everybody falls.
Brahmin: The entity which have vidya/knowledge to contribute/donate it to the society.
Kshatriya: The entity which have great strength (Especially to save mass/kingdom/country men) to contribute /donate it to the society.
Vaishya: The entity which have Dravya/money to contribute /donate it to the society.
Shudra: The entity which have nothing or Sram/labor to contribute /donate it to the society.
By birth everybody born Shudra, One acquires different Varnas based on his/her deeds.
Some great misconceptions about Caste and Varna.
1. Most people think Caste and Varnas are hieratically related.
Wrong. Caste and Varnas are not at all related to each other. By the definition of Varnas and Caste in previous slides it clear that caste is not Indian word, it is pre-modern foreign originated and is based on breed/blood relation. But Varnas are properly defined in Vedas and any entity acquires Varnas based on their deeds in past.
2. Most people think Caste and Varnas are mapped to each other.
Wrong. Caste and Varnas are not mapped to each other. Some wrong elements of society created this mapping during pre-modern times. And this is also clear from Caste and Varnas definition.
3. Most people think caste system is coming from ancient times.
Wrong. Caste system is pre-modern human created classification. If you look at the names of all the characters of Mahabharata and Ramayana or any Hindus epic, all of them have only one word names. It means there were no caste in those times. As caste came with western foreign invaders, Indian names also started having multiple names.
4. Most people think that Varnas are based on their jobs/work or what they are doing currently.
Wrong. As per the definition of Varnas, it is based on what is your deeds in past and not what you are doing at present. Means it is based on in which area you have contributed to society till date mostly. So current work or job is nothing to do with Varnas.
5. Most people think only humans can acquire Varnas.
Wrong. Any creature in the universe can acquire any Varna, even non-living things can acquire Varnas. If you will go in deep, all words what we speak and all emotions what we show/reflect has specific Varna.
6. Most people think that in ancient times marriages use to happen in same Varna.
Wrong. We have many examples in which bride and groom belongs to different Varnas. You can find thousands of examples in Hindus scripture.
7. Most people think that no one can acquire/change from one Varnas to another.
Wrong. By birth everybody born Shudra, One acquires different Varnas based on his/her deeds in past. Anyone can acquire oneself from one Varna to another. We have multiple examples from oldest Hinduism scripture Vedas, who acquired their Varnas from one to another.
Few examples of acquiring one Varnas to another:
Brahmin -> Shudra
Shudra -> Brahmin
Kshatriya -> Vaishya
Vaishya -> Kshatriya
Vaishya -> Brahmin
Brahmin -> Vaishya
Kshatriya -> Brahmin
Brahmin -> Kshatriya
Shudra -> Kshatriya
Some belongs to all 4 categories.
1. Aitareya Rishi was son of a Daasa (Shudra) or criminal but became a Brahmin of highest order and wrote Aitareya Brahman and Aitareyopanishad. Aitareya Brahman is considered critical to understand Rigveda.
2. Ailush Rishi was son of a Daasi (Shudra), gambler and of low character. However he researched on Rigveda and made several discoveries. Not only was he invited by Rishis but also made an Acharya (Brahmin). (Aitareya Brahman 2.19)
3. Satyakaam Jaabaal was son of a prostitute (Shudra) but became a Brahmin.
4. Prishadh was son of King (Kshatriya) Daksha but became a Shudra. Further he did Tapasya to achieve salvation after repenting. (Vishnu Puran 4.1.14)
5. Nabhag, son of King (Kshatriya) Nedishtha became Vaishya. Many of his sons again became Kshatriya. (Vishnu Puran 4.1.13)
6. Dhrist was son of Nabhag (Vaishya) but became Brahmin and his son became Kshatriya (Vishnu Puran 4.2.2)
7. Further in his generation, some became Brahmin again (Vishnu Puran 9.2.23)
8. As per Bhagvat, Agniveshya became Brahmin though born to a king (Kshatriya).
9. Rathotar born in Kshatriya family became a Brahmin as per Vishnu Puran and Bhagvat.
10. Haarit became Brahmin though born to Kshatriya (Vishnu Puran 4.3.5)
11. Shaunak became Brahmin though born in Kshatriya family. (Vishnu Puran 4.8.1). In fact, as per Vayu Puran, Vishnu Puran and Harivansh Puran, sons of Shaunak Rishi belonged to all four Varnas.
Similar examples exist of Gritsamad, Veethavya and Vritsamati.
12. Matanga was son of Shudra but became a Brahmin.
13. Trishanku was a king (Kshatriya) but became a Shudra
14. Sons of Vishwamitra became Shudra. Vishwamitra himself was a Kshatriya who later became a Brahmin.
15. Vidur was son of a servant (Shudra) but became a Brahmin and minister of Hastinapur Empire.
16. Maharshi Veda Vyasa was Shudra and became Brahmin.
Many more others examples you can find in all the Vedas.
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