RIGVEDIC VARNA: ANCIENT SOCIAL CONCEPT

Oleg Perzashkevich,
Ph. D., Ass. Prof. of Ancient & Medieval Department,
Faculty of History, Belarusian State University,
6 Krasnoarmeyskaya st., Minsk,
220030, Belarus

ABSTRACT

The central category of varNa concept was, probably, «an outwardly visible
indication», and it was not necessarily colour. The closest to that centre and most
«central» in Rigveda itself was «the definite quality». However, the maximal
productive values for the founders of Rigveda were much more remote from the
centre of the varNa category, but quite objective from the point of view of vedic
associative - logic consciousness. Here they are:
a) receptacle (centre) or sphere of development of definite quality;
b) complex of the characteristics (parameters);
c) mythological (cosmological) orb of activity of someone or something;
d) appearance (combination of visible qualities);
e) stream (clot, wave) of something;
f) integrated (regulated) sphere of space;
g) definite group (class) of people;
h) sphere or group (class) of bearers of definite qualities;
i) definite sphere of human activity.
In Rigveda varNa was productive enough subject and played a considerable
role in cosmological constructions of the founders of the source. Here we are
interested in the social aspect of varNa, i. е. in positions g) – i). Here are the social
classifications of the Rigvedic varNa:
1) the ones, who profess definite religion including honouring of the particular
gods and performance of conforming rites;
2) the ones, who conduct:
a) military operations against their opponents for acquisition of property and
territory;
b) struggle against their opponents using special rites.
Obviously, the basis of social content of Rigvedic varNa was the combination
of religious - ceremonial indications and military - ceremonial oppositions. No any
race or any determination by birth were of any significance.

Keywords: varNa, social classification, Rigvedic period

Index Words: varNa, Rigvedic period

When we speak about the structure of ancient Aryan societies (whatever you
mean by Aryans), to which the Rigvedic society undoubtedly refers, the study of this
problem by and large results in consideration of a varNa phenomenon. Those
OLEG PERZASHKEVICH
WAVES 2006 Proceedings, July 8-10,
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 OLEG PERZASHKEVICH

researches have been attracting attention of scholars for at least over 150 years
already. By this time a wide set of different theories was created, simulating or
describing the given phenomenon.
The most famous among them is the direct identification of varNa and caste
[for example, 1], that now, due to a lot of special researches done [like 2], is
considered incorrect. The most significant of the approaches, that have not lost their
scientific importance, we consider:
1. "The theory of varNa ", formulated in detail by P. V. Kane. It leads to
consideration of the man as a member of the Aryan society and establishes the
appropriate rights, functions and privileges, the responsibility and duties for the
member of the given society [3]. However Kane's detailed analysis of this problem is
based on the entire complex of ancient Indian written monuments, so, it reflects not
so much Rigvedic, but much later historical situation;
2. The first attempt of the encyclopaedic description of varNa, made by L.
Renou. He has also proposed the idea of understanding varNa in some passages of
Rigveda as the term - qualifier and structurizator of Rigvedic cosmos with wide set of
abstract enough meanings, among which the "colour" is least probable for the time of
Rigveda itself, and the "caste" is of absolute improbability. Renou also directed an
admissibility of consideration of the "hidden" interconnections inside the mentioned
historical source [4];
3. The development of the Renou's ideas by J. Gonda's step-by-step analysis
of passages inside the particular source. Its main subject is not to use any other
sources before ending the internal connection discoveries [5].
Regarding an actual social meaning of varNa in Rigveda, its consideration as
a term designating one of three social classes of Rigvedic or even Indo-Iranian
society and its correlation to the patterns of cosmos of ancient Indians, proceeds,
usually, not from the actually text of the monument but from more general linguistic
[6] or rather comparative-mythological construction results [7].
The same qualitative oversight (the priority of the global concept above the
data of Rigveda itself), has, we regard, the consideration of varNa as ancient Indian
variant of global cultural processes, have taken place at a definite stage of
development of any society, as offers A. Hocart [8].
The results of the mentioned researches, regarding all their indisputable
importance, we see as obviously inadequate: they concern the problem or indirectly,
or from the point of view of the pattern created mostly from outside of the Rigveda
itself.
As the present paper has the consideration of varNa as the Rigvedic cultural
concept, and first of all in its historical-social aspect in correlation with other Rigvedic
realities, including "the hidden ones”, we have to proceed only from the very
monument.
So, the linguistic analyses [9] shows, that the central category of varNa
concept was, probably, «an outwardly visible indication», and it was not necessarily
colour (for instance RV I 113,2; 140, 1; IV 5, 13; 51,9; IX 65,8; 71, 2 altogether). The
closest to that centre and most «central» in Rigveda itself was «the definite quality».
However, the maximal productive values for the founders of Rigveda may have been
much more remoted from the centre of the varNa category, but quite objective from
the point of view of Vedic associative - logic consciousness. Here they are:
a) receptacle (centre) or sphere of development of definite quality (RV I
143,7);
b) complex of the characteristics (parameters) (RV IV 51,9);

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 RIGVEDIC VARNA: ANCIENT SOCIAL CONCEPT

c) mythological (cosmological) orb of activity of someone or something (RV I

73,7);
d) appearance (combination of visible qualities) (RV IX 65, 8; 104,4);
e) stream (clot, wave) of something (RV X 3,3);
f) integrated (regulated) sphere of cosmos (RV I 113,2; IX 71,2);
g) definite group (class) of people (RV I 104, 2; II 3,5; 12,4; III 34,9; VIII 3,3);
h) sphere or group (class) of bearers of definite qualities (RV I 140,1; II 34, 13;
III 34,5; IV 5, 13; VII 77,2; X 17,2; 124,7);
i) definite sphere of human activity (RV I 179,6).
So, in Rigveda varNa was productive enough subject and played a
considerable role in cosmological constructions of the founders of the source. Here
we are interested in the social aspect of varNa, i. е. in positions g) – i). As
traditionally (because of RV I 104,2; II 12,4; III 34,9) the “human” aspect of varNa
correlates to Arya – dAsa/dasyu opposition, we pays most attention to this subject.
The main idea of this work was to show if there is any determination or domination of
bio-racial or in-born qualities in Rigvedic social varNa classification.
However, we should note, that the above results testify, that there was no any
real separation of social sphere out of the cosmic worldview of Rigveda composers.
It means, that human position is totally dependent from the global processes. There
are initial cosmic varNas, as we have seen, but people considered that the gods
place them to that varNa classification. And they mentioned that there were some
definite things to be done to get placed inside the desired varNa. Let us look at the
list of indications, the composers considered as the clues to get the definite varNa.
Here are dasyu qualities:
WORD meaning rv mandala
v Rj i n a - curved, false III
abrahma- without brahman IV
m Ay Av a n t - conjuring IV
ZuSna- exhauster IV
kuyava- malicious IV
adhama- worst IV
Zatru- foe IV
apraZasta- infamous IV
a v ra t a - riteless VI, IX
a p RNa n t - innourishing V
anAs- noseless V
mRdhravAc- of nasty speech V
arandhaya- insubordinating VI
akratu- powerless VII
grathina- confuser VII
aZraddha- faithless VII
avRdha- unjoyful VII

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 OLEG PERZASHKEVICH

para- further, alien VII

ayajNa- sacrificeless VII
ayajyu- sacrificeless VII
adhara- non-upholding I
a v ra t a - riteless I
a n Ab h u - non-ally I
a p a v ra t a - riteless I
a d e va y u - godless VIII
anyavrata- of wrong rites VIII
a y a j v An a - sacrificeless VIII
sanaka- former I
akarma- inactive X
amantu- thoughtless X
a m An u Za - unhuman X
amitra- unfriendly X
Here are dAsa qualities:
WORD meaning rv mandala
ahi- dragon I
k u ya v Ac a - loudspeaker I
vRtra- foe I
v y aNs a - of wide shoulders IV
apraZasta- infamous IV
Zambara- miser IV, VI
varcin- shiny, dirty IV, VI
na-muci- irreleaser VI
ahiZuva- growing like a snake VIII
a mi t r a - non-friend X
a r Za s An a - wishing to hurt II
k RSNa y o n i - of dark womb II
pura- fortress II
mRdha- fighter; dead V
m Ay A- sorcery VII
v RSa Zi p r a - of bullcheeks VII
vadha- death weapon VIII
pipru- greedy X
m Ayi n - sorcerer X
a s u n va n t - non-pressing V
s u t u k A- strongly driven on VI
nAhuSA- belongs to Nahusha VI
mi t h a t i - arguing VI
s p Rd h a - competitor VI
amitra- non-friend VI
v Rt r A- foes VI

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 RIGVEDIC VARNA: ANCIENT SOCIAL CONCEPT

Zatru- enemies VI
abhiyuj- attacking VI
m SLh u S- shedding dark VII
pura- fortress I
ojas- power, might VIII
vasu- wealthy VIII
p Rt a n Ay u - attacking Х

Here are Arya qualities:

WORD meaning rv mandala
manuSa- man II
y a j a m An a - sacrificer II
manu- man V
yuja- ally V
y a j NAy a l o k a - place for sacrifice VII
varya- selected VIII
sasni prabhRtA- bringing sacrifices X
gavyantas martial VII
p Rt h u p a r Za va s of wide ribs VII
sunvant- pressing V
a n Ag A- non-snake-like VII
g Rt s a - dexterous, wise VII
jana- man VIII
vipra- wise man VIII

Regarding the above and the interconnections on those text passages we

should put ahead the following social classifications of the Rigvedic varNa:
1) the ones, who profess definite religion including honouring of the particular
gods and performance of conforming rites;
2) the ones, who conduct:
a) military operations against their opponents for acquisition of property and
territory;
b) struggle against their opponents using special rites.
Obviously, the basis of social content of Rigvedic varNa was the combination
of religious - ceremonial indications and military - ceremonial oppositions. No any
race or any determination by birth were of any significance. People believed that
they had the possibility to choose their location in cosmos and tried to get the
desired position by their spiritual, mental and physical activity.

REFERENCES

[1] Vaidya L. R. The Standard Sanskrit-English Dictionary. - Bombay,

1889, p. 642-643; Macdonell A. A., Keith A. B. Vedic Index of Names and Subjects, I
- II. - Delhi, 1958, v. 2, p. 247–271.
[2] Hocart A. Caste. A Comparative Study. - N.Y., 1968, pp. 27-34;
Кальянов В. И. Об этимологическом толковании терминов varNa- и jAti- //
История и культура Древней Индии. - М.: Издательство восточной литературы,
1963, с. 162-176.

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[3] Kane P. V. History of Dharmašāstra, I - V. - Poona, 1930 - 1962, v. 2,

pp. 25-104.
[4] Renou L. Études sur le Vocabulaire du RGVEDA. - Pondichery, 1958,
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Vocabulaire desinstitutions indo-européennes. I-II. Les Editions de Minuit, 1970.)
[7] Дюмезиль Ж. Верховные боги индоевропейцев. - М.: Наука, 1986,
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dans les épopées des peuples indo-européennes. Paris, 1968.)
[8] Hocart A. Caste, p. 27-69.
[9] Mayrhofer M. Kurzgefasstes Etymologisches Woerterbuch des
Altindischen. Bd. 1 - 4. - Heidelberg, 1956-1980, Bd. 3, p. 154; Елизаренкова Т. Я.
Язык и стиль ведийских риши. - М.: Наука, 1993, c. 33-83.