Varnashramadharma
The concept of The duties a Hindu has depending on the caste they are in and the stage of life they are at. connects the community a Hindu was born into with the stage of life they are at and the duties (The duties a Hindu should follow in life.) required of them.
Varna (or caste)
A The anglicised term for varna; originally a Hindu social order of higher and lower class. Also followed by some Sikhs. is a group within Hindu society. There are four main traditional castes and thousands of subgroups, called jat or jati, within these. The group a Hindu is born into can decide what jobs they may get and what their duties are in life. Some aspects of this concept are controversial because they raise human rights issues about fairness and equality in Hindu societies today.
The The oldest and most sacred Hindu scripture. describes the whole of society as if it were a human body:
- The teachers and priests are like the head.
- The warriors and leaders are like the upper body.
- The merchants, traders and farmers are like the strong legs.
- The manual workers and labourers are like the feet.
This might be interpreted as showing that all humans depend on each other in one body. However, it has sometimes been used to justify unequal treatment or to deny the rights of the ‘lower castes’.
| Caste | People included in this caste | Particular duties of these people in society |
| Brahmins | Teachers and priests | As teachers and priests, these people are holy and closer than others to achieving moksha. They have the duty of teaching people about Hindu scripture and dharma, interpreting the ancient texts for everyone. They lead worship. |
| Kshatriyas | Warriors and leaders | As warrior and leaders, these groups fight to defend people and maintain order in society for the benefit of all. |
| Vaishyas | Merchants, traders and farmers | These groups own land and businesses, engage in trade, and run farms and food production. This caste includes many trades. |
| Shudras | Manual workers, labourers | This group includes labourers of all kinds who build, work the land and tackle physical jobs. |
| Dalits | Excluded from the ‘caste system’, the people who are today called Dalits traditionally tackled the dirtiest tasks of society | Dalit work traditionally included dealing with sewage, leather and corpses, and doing other tasks considered too dirty for other people. |
| Caste | Brahmins |
|---|---|
| People included in this caste | Teachers and priests |
| Particular duties of these people in society | As teachers and priests, these people are holy and closer than others to achieving moksha. They have the duty of teaching people about Hindu scripture and dharma, interpreting the ancient texts for everyone. They lead worship. |
| Caste | Kshatriyas |
|---|---|
| People included in this caste | Warriors and leaders |
| Particular duties of these people in society | As warrior and leaders, these groups fight to defend people and maintain order in society for the benefit of all. |
| Caste | Vaishyas |
|---|---|
| People included in this caste | Merchants, traders and farmers |
| Particular duties of these people in society | These groups own land and businesses, engage in trade, and run farms and food production. This caste includes many trades. |
| Caste | Shudras |
|---|---|
| People included in this caste | Manual workers, labourers |
| Particular duties of these people in society | This group includes labourers of all kinds who build, work the land and tackle physical jobs. |
| Caste | Dalits |
|---|---|
| People included in this caste | Excluded from the ‘caste system’, the people who are today called Dalits traditionally tackled the dirtiest tasks of society |
| Particular duties of these people in society | Dalit work traditionally included dealing with sewage, leather and corpses, and doing other tasks considered too dirty for other people. |
Dalits
The Term for members of the social group previously referred to as 'untouchable' in India. are a large group in Hindu society, making up over 15% of India’s population. The word ‘Dalit’ means ‘the broken’ or ‘the oppressed’. It is a name that Dalits choose for themselves. It replaces older, very negative terms such as ‘untouchables’ and ‘outcastes’. The Dalits are excluded from the caste system, and they have experienced persecution.
It is illegal in India to discriminate against anyone in employment, but caste groupings can still keep society unequal and unfair in some ways.
Ashramas – the four stages of life
The duties of life don’t just depend on the community (or caste) a Hindu is born into. They also depend on the person’s stage of life, or Life stages described in scripture as 1 - student; 2 - householder and parent; 3 - retirement and grandparent; 4 - sannyasin: a life of complete renunciation (most Hindus don't get to, or attempt stage 4).. Hindus recognise four stages of life:
- The first stage is learning, being a pupil or student.
- The second stage is as a householder and parent.
- The third stage is retirement from work, which gives opportunities for other pursuits, including spiritual life.
- The fourth stage is where some people give up all the things of this world for spiritual purposes. This stage is not for everyone – a person living in the fourth ashrama is called a In Hinduism, a person who has entered the fourth life stage, leaving behind family, friends and all material possessions and devoting their life to attaining moksha (freedom from rebirth)..
