Varna System

•Atharva (priest) - Brahmanas

•Rathaestha (warrior) -Ksatriyas

•Vastrya-fsuyat (head of the family)-Vaisyas

•Huiti (manual worker) - Sudras

•Clergy
•Nobles
•Commoners
 The Rgvedic Period (1500-1000 B.C.)
•Aryas-
•Dasas-

•The Purusa-sukta-

Mouth, arms, thighs and feet

•The members of the three upper varnas called dvijatis

they could have sacred thread ceremony.
 Duties
• Special duties of a Brahamna were teaching
(pravacana ), conducting sacrifice ( yajna) and receiving
gifts offered spontaneously and respectfully as a source
of his livelihood (pratigraha).
•Special duties of a Ksatriya were protection of all
created beings (sarva-bhuta-raksanam) and righteous
rule ( nyaya -dandatvam).
•Special duties assigned to a vaisya were agriculture (
krsi) and trade ( vanijya).
•Special duties of a Sudra were practice of purity and
supporting the dependents.
 Buddha has classified Brahmanas into five categories:
1. Brahmasama who devoted most of their time to
meditating on Brahman.
2. Devasama whose character was as pure as that of
God.
3. Mariyada who followed all the rules laid down by
the law-givers for Brahamanas.
4. Sambhinna-mariyada who did not observe all the
rules laid down for Brahmanas and
5. Brahma-Chandalas whose conduct was like that of
Chandalas.
 Triguna Theory of Varna Origin

The philosophic speculation of ancient India identified

three gunas – Sattva, rajas, and tamas.
•Sattva consisted of noble thoughts and deeds, goodness
and virtue, truth and wisdom.
•Rajas, on the other hand, was characterised by high-
living and luxury, passion and some indulgence, pride,
and valour.
•Tamas with the attributes of coarseness and dullness.
 The Ashramas
Brahmacharya

Grihastha

Vanprastha

•Sanyasa

Chhandogya Upanisad
 The Brahmacharya
•According to Grhyasutras the son of a Brahmana should
have his upnayana sacrament at the age of eight years,
that of a Ksatriya at the age of eleven years and that of a
Vaisya at the age of twelve years.

•Normally brahmacharya is translated as celibacy. But

its literal meaning is “to move in brahma” or “to move
towards the supreme state of consciousness named as
brahman.”
 The three most important duties of a student were:
1. Study of Vedic lore
2. Service of the teacher
3. Practice of brahmacharya
Practice of Brahmacharya involves at least three steps:
• Learning how to allow the energies like Agni or
Divine Will to manifest in our body.
• Continuously striving to increase in his/her
capacities to hold these energies step by step.
• Expelling the obstructions in our bodies for the
manifestation of these energies.
Veda states that nothing can be really taught from
outside. Each one of us is born with some specific
talents which are in latent form. For each one, there is
a self-law (svadha) which upholds the human being
and his/her specific talents.

The master is the first form; the disciple is the latter

form; knowledge (vidya) is the linking; the operation of
the link is exposition (pravachana).
 Samavartana: Student took a bath as a symbol of his
being free from the obligations which he was
expected to fulfil as a student. So he was called a
snataka.

The Dharmasutras mentions two categories of students

viz.
1. Naisthika-who remained unmarried throughout
their lives.
2. Upakurvana-entered the stage of house-holder after
finishing their education.
Vidya-vrata-snataka- if he had finished his study as
well as fulfilled all the vows.

Vidya-snataka-if he had acquired the knowledge of

the Vedas, but not fully accomplished his vows.

Vrata-snataka- if he had fulfilled the vows but not

finished the Vedas.
•Character building is the main objective of education.
•Earth is my mother, I am a son of the soil.
•Lead us from untruth, from darkness to light; from
death to immortality.
 The Grihastha

1. Devayajna

2. Brahmayajna

3. Pitrayajna

4. Atithiyajna

5. Bhutayajna
Kautilya lays down that a king should punish all those
persons who do not fulfil their duties towards the
members of their families.
According to Manu as air is essential for all living
beings similarly people in all the three stages are
dependent on the householders because it is they who
supply the necessities of life such as food to them.

An individual can repay his debt to gods, ancestors and

sages only by discharging his daily duties as a
householder.
Just as the river, big or small, find place of rest in the
ocean, even so men belonging to all Ashramas find
place in the house-holder-Manu Smriti.
Having worshipped Gods and Sages and having served
the food to guests and servants, the house holder should
take food at the end.

The family in which husband and wife have mutual

affection and respect always secures happiness and
prosperity.
 Categories of householders:
1. Those who maintained themselves by
agriculture, trade, cattle-rearing and commerce.
2. Those who owned sufficient property (salina)
and who performed all the sacrifices prescribed
for householders.
3. Those who did not posses any property but
taught and officiated as priests at sacrifices and
practised charity.
4. Those who performed sacrifices themselves but
did not officiate as priests.
 The Vanprastha
When a person had grey hair and his skin had
wrinkles he entered the stage of a forest dweller.

He observed the vow of chastity, stayed at one place

only during the rainy season.

He did not stay in the same village for more than a

night.

He lived only on the food which he got by begging

from the householders.
Baudhayana mentions two kinds of vanprasthas:

•Pachamanaka- were those who cooked their food

themselves.

•Apachamanaka- were those maintained themselves

on uncooked food such as leaves and fruits.

•They wore deer-skin or bark of trees as clothes.

 The Sanyasa

P. V. Kane has pointed out the differences between

the life of a forest-dweller and that of a sanyasin:

1. A forest dweller could live in the forest with his

wife but a sanyasin could not do so.

2. The forest-dweller could offered oblations in

the fire but a sanyasin renounced the use of fire.

3. Sanyasin spent all his time in meditating on the

Ultimate Reality.
 For a Hindu all life was a school of training for the
ultimate goal of salvation.
1. As a student he led a disciplined life so that he
might be able to face all the problems of life as a
householder.
2. As a householder he contributed to the progress
of society.
3. As a forest-dweller he renounced the pleasures
of life but continued guide the householders on
the basis his experience.
4. In the final stage of Ashrama his only aim was
achievement of salvation.
 The Purusharthas
Dharma-was created for the well being of all
creatures.

Artha-refers to all the means necessary for acquiring

worldly prosperity such as wealth or power.

Kama-refers to all the desires in a man for

enjoyment and satisfaction of the life of the senses
including the sex drive.

Moksa-refers to salvation
 Dharma and Social Institutions

The content of Dharma often changed in the

changing contexts of time, place and social
environment.

There was order everywhere in creation.

They(Aryans) called this cosmic order Rta. In
Rgveda the controller of this cosmic order is called
Varuna.

To maintain order in society man must act in

harmony with the cosmic order.
 The values of life find expression in the form of our
conduct, duties and mutual relationships.
•The cosmic order is maintained by the Universal
Soul which pervades the whole universe.
•The Chhandogya Upnishad prescribes that every
individual should follow five virtues:
1. Austerity
2. Charity
3. Straight-forwardness
4. Non-violence
5. Truth
The chief aim of rajadharma was maintenance of
peace and order in society.

Hindu dharma did not simply mean theology. It was

a way of life or a code of conduct.

It aimed at individual progress as well as social

progress.

It is the law of right living, the observance of which

secures the double object of happiness on earth and
salvation-Radhakrishnan, S.
An individual should avoid misuse of hands, feet,
eyes, speech and do what is straight and right and
honest and should not indulge in causing injury to
anybody.

All the creature we see in this ephemeral World

comprising of five fundamental things
(panchbhutas) namely the Earth, the Water, the
Luminousness (tejas), the Air and the Space (akash)
are nothing but manifestation of Supreme self
(Paramatma).
There is no human beings who does not commit any
wrong.
 Five Common Rules of Dharma

• Not to indulge in violence

• Truthfulness in speech and action

• One should not acquire money or wealth by

illegitimate methods.

• Cleanliness in thought, word and deed.

• Control of senses.