CHATURVARNA...REAL MEANING...ITS MISUNDERSTANDING, MISUSE LEADING TO INJUSTICE & DIVIDE IN SOCIETY…

In the wake of growing divide in our society in India which is many times based on the Chaturvarna and Caste based systems, I thought of writing my understanding which I have got over the years looking around me in society and one thing for sure is this word Chaturvarna is misunderstood by many, misrepresented by many. Many youths are misguided by many literatures, NGOs and so called humanity based groups and finally politicians who gain power in this fight. Few out of their own ignorance have used it to prove their superiority, few got injustice and sometimes it lands up in few funny situations as well. Lets try to see what is it…

CHATURVARNA is Sanskrit word – Chatur means four and Varna means ‘Groups’, means four groups. There were four groups of people Brahmins (Teachers), Kshatriya (Fighters), Vaishya (Traders) and Sudra (Producers), mind it, it is Sudra and not Kshudra (meaning insignificant) or Shudra. Kshudra or Shudra is the distortion done by few people deliberately.  First lets understand each one of them and then understand how mess happened due to misunderstanding and who took advantage and creating rift among us and looting all of us.

Brahmin – Is the person who has attained/gained knowledge and most importantly he is sharing with all selflessly for enlightening of society and ensuring that all people are filled with knowledge. He is the one who is living for others, who needs nothing (that doesn’t mean he must not have any wealth), who is in bliss and sharing it with all. In a way all saints land up in this category. They pass on knowledge, unite people, propagate love & peace and society is happy.

Kshatriya – He is the person who is filled with Valor, who is fearless, who has skills of warfare and thus he has ability to take part in wars and save his land & people from enemies. They protect rest of the 3 groups and maintain the environment so that rest 3 can perform their function.

Vaishya – He is trader. Trader takes things from one person and sells it to other at higher price and they make profits. He is sharp in his analytical aptitude and good in calculations. He is quick in identifying business and money making opportunities. They are responsible for movement of goods & money. They are responsible for sharing some % of their wealth to state. Question comes why only trader shall pay? He /She is the one who is moving money and rest 3 groups are creating environment, goods so that he can trade. His responsibility is to donate for all good causes in the society. If you go to any religious place even today, you will find that many dharmshalas and Matths are created by these people.

Sudra – They are responsible for producing things. All skilled people land up in this group. If you have aptitude of creating fine painting, superior wooden craft, producing grains, creating cloth, producing beautiful pottery utensils, producing nice weapons for your Army etc then you are part of this category. Your skill is the supreme and you are basic foundation of economy of state and because of you all are getting good wealth, mind it good wealth. This is the wealth which is generated out of everybody’s efforts, skill and hard work. It is not the wealth which is created by cheating someone, robbing someone. Good wealth will bring all good and bad wealth will bring all bad on to you. That is why they are called as ‘Sudra’, Su – dra. In Sanskrit every good thing is presented & begins with letter ‘Su’ Ex- Suprabhat, Suswagatam, Sushma, Suvichar etc. Sudra also begins with Su and attached ‘dra’ with it which is one of the meaning of wealth – Dravya, Indra (wealth inside – your 5 senses) etc.

If you observe the job of all 4 groups, everything is depending on their aptitude. As per your aptitude you can move in the group which you want to join and contribute to society. Nobody can say that by birth he is Brahmin, Kshtriya, Vaishya or Sudra. Your aptitude decides your role and if you don’t do it as per aptitude, you decide it as per your birth then for sure lot of mess will happen and it happened. We need to see judiciously from when real trouble began in Indian Society, I am talking about society and not kingdoms. For many centuries kings have fought with each other but you will never hear that people in society have fought with each other and separated based on their this group or so called Caste mainly invented by Brits.

I have pasted one of the photo of Macaulay and his address to British Parliament. It is given in 1835 and see what he said “I have travelled across length and breadth of India and I have not seen one person who is begger, who is thief such wealth I have seen in this country, such high moral values, people of such caliber, that I do not think we would ever conquer this country……(and so on)….”. Time of this speech is very interesting..1835. Means it was after defeating, Tipu Sultan in South, Peshwas in Maharashtra , even battle of plassey happened much before”. Despite of defeating so many big empires and looting wealth from them, this is the statement he had to say. Such was this holy country called Bharat (Now India). After defeating all major kingdoms by divide & rule policy, began their oppressive rule. In the year 1857, there was extremely big revolt against them and revolt was joined and supported by all farmers, producers mainly all Sudra and it was big jolt to British. After suppressing this revolt they understood unity of common people of this country (kings fought but common people came forward during difficult times). To avoid such revolt, they permanently decided to break this society by bringing oppressive laws, rules. They knew that backbone of this society & economy is no one but Sudras. First thing they did after coming in full power is banned all Sudras from doing their traditional activities. First ban came on Ayurveda, then Vishwakarmas were banned from doing any Architectural work, all Balutedars and so on. Imagine the impact it must have caused on society. As Sudra’s were oppressed, so were income sources of all the groups of society as producer itself was unable to produce properly. Deterioration of talent and knowledge happened to great extent. Once income sources dried, all other 3 groups Kshatriya, Brahmins, Traders all of them systematically collapsed. What trader will trade? How Kshatriya will fund his Army & state and so on. With collapse of one by one group came in British Allopathy medicines, Architecture, cloths ,education system and everything.

One more biggest harm happened when British began caste & religious based census. All the 4 groups were divided into further sub groups as per their activity and this game of labelling people began in this country. People got their identities as per this Caste & their religions. In all govt departments, social places you were made to disclose your caste. This is how people isolated from each other. If want to create hatred among them it became simple, publish in society by taking name of group saying “So and So people have done so and so against other people”. This is how hatred happened and even riots. You will never hear in history that riots happened in India, kings fought with each other but not people. This all began when divide and rule policy of british came. On one end they would suppress Sudras and on another end they used to put it on Brahmins or Kshatriya. This way whoever moves away from each other they used to get sympathy of British and used to land up in their Army, Police, Administration etc. This is how they ran this country. People got deceived by these tactics, our own people brought harm to our own and till today same is continuing.

Macualay’s address clearly tells that all people were wealthy, nobody oppressed no one but if you see various propaganda run today, gaps in society are increased day by day. Somebody says, Brahmins have oppressed since many centuries, somebody says we Vaishya’s are great as we run country by paying taxes, somebody says we Kshtriya’s are most great, somebody says we Brahmins are great & purest. These foolish egos are increasing gaps & disbelief among people. Various groups including politicians are giving air to such activity. Imagine even today caste & religion based census happens and governments declares religion & caste wise population, their growths etc. For what? Are you allowing to continue same patterns which divides us. One gap existed among 4 groups is they avoided sharing their knowledge with each other and we saw degradation of knowledge, skills.

Another interesting aspect in this is to see how adoption of varna by birth has created mess and fun as well. Ex – If someone says he is Brahman because he/she is born in Brahman family then will he be one? If he has Aptitude of Kshatriya then see what happens, anger will be on his nose and on small mistakes , you can expect curse flowing immediately from his/her own mouth. Even small thing is missing in any ritual then you will have to face his wrath. If his aptitude is of Vaishya then his attention will be towards profits. He may devise various ways to make money through various unnecessary rituals. If he has aptitude of Sudra then he is doing injustice to his skills. Look at the people who are running these coaching classes these days. Many of them are charging huge money for teaching. Aren’t they doing job of Brahmana with the mindset of Vaishya?

If someone says he is Kshatriya because he/she is born in Kshatriya family then will he be one?. There are ample examples in history where sons of great kings have taken their tale deep inside on battle ground and ran away. Whole state got defeated and people suffered. You need to have valor, skills of battlefield. If his/her aptitude is in painting or teaching then will he be able to perform his job as King? This is why this method of ‘Kings son becomes King’ has failed many times.

If someone says he is Sudra because he/she is born in Sudra family then will he be one?...There are ample examples of sons of Sudras who were kings, who were great saints and in a way were true Brahmins.

If someone says he is Vaishya because he/she is born in Vaishya family then will he be one?. If real aptitude of Vaishya is of Kshatriya then will he be able to do trading or business? No, there are ample examples around us, you enter their shop and little more enquiries or small argument may result into these statements “Lena hai to le nahi to nikal”, “If you want to buy then buy else get lost”. Isn’t it funny, Kshatriya aptitude plays here and you will observe all such business people are always in loss. If your king has aptitude of greedy Vaishya then also it is big problem. He will end up doing business of each and everything. I will explain it more in detail.

If someone takes support from scriptures for their misunderstanding then also they cannot justify. In bhagwatgita it is “CHATUR VARNYAM MAYAA SRISHTAM GUNA KARMA VIBHAGASHAHA TASYA KARTARAM API MAAM VIDDHI AKARTARAM AVYAYAM”. It clearly says it is Varnam and then further says Guna Karma Vibhagashaha. Means depending on aptitude these four groups have come up and nowhere it mentioned that it is by birth etc. Even today people have formed so many different groups through various associations. Doctors association, bar council (lawyers), labor unions, bankers association, jewelers association, taxi/auto drivers association, engineers association, chartered accountants association etc…

If someone takes support of Vedas and say that it is mentioned that Brahmins are head or Kshatriyas are hands, sudras are legs and Vaishya’s are thighs etc…All are our body parts and we equally love and need them. If nay part is cut then you will not be able to do anything and mind it if somebody says that you are compared to legs that is why you are less important then tell them that even today when people meet elders or respected people then they touch their feet and not head or hand. If people try to divide or try to boast their ego on these issues then ignore them.

Coming back to greedy Vaishya, If you make greedy Vaishya (mind it greedy) as your king then what happens? Answer is today’s world. Most of the Vaishya’s are good but few greedy when come to absolute power then what happens…

• Due to polluted water, people are forced to buy clean water…business…


• Due to inefficient government education system, people are forced to put their children in extremely expensive private schools & colleges….business…


• Every year people’s electricity, water, gas charges go up….business…


• People don’t have water to drink but river of liquor flows….business…


• At every step people are looted by doing corruption…business…


• Look at judiciary…pay money and get bail…business…need good lawyers…pay big money…business


• Want to cure your diseases…buy expensive medicines or expensive treatments…. Business...


• Even humans are traded by human trafficking…business…


• Farmers die as they don’t have good rates for their produce and common people lose money while buying same produce…who earns- middlemen…business…


• Want to live in a home/flat...pay huge money to builders…business…


• Want to drive on road…pay toll…business…

Look around; there could be so many more examples. This is the issue right now. Few people/politicians/businessman cannot think beyond money. They continue dividing people in same line to capture power. Infuse people with ego of their own caste and hatred for others, and then job is easy. Anybody can win election by saying or portraying as if he is messiah of their own caste or showing sympathy. He/She can use bad words for others against which hatred is their in people’s mind and then he can work as vote cutter of his own community. If you see, no religion, caste is under threat but yes 3 things are under big threat – 1 ) Your Character (systematic degradation of ethics is happening) 2) your land, this motherland 3) Your pocket

Time has come that we don’t succumb to such tactics, we all unite and say “Hum Sab Ek Hain “/”We all are one” and fight against injustice.