Dharma and Social structures

Question 1

Aesthetic withdrawal

Answer 1

renunciation of worldly life, escaping samsara

Question 2

Social engagment

Answer 2

engaging with the world, having a family, getting married, etc

Question 3

What are the purusarthas?

Answer 3

The 4 goals of life; aims of being
Dharma
Artha
kama
Moska

Question 4

Dharma (according to purusarthas)

Answer 4

right action and sacred duty

Question 5

Artha

Answer 5

financial and political success

Question 6

Kama

Answer 6

sense pleasures and arts

Question 7

Moska

Answer 7

release from the cyle of samsara

Question 8

Asrama

Answer 8

stage of life, originally (in earlier tradition) meant discipline, resting place.

Question 9

What are the four asramas?

Answer 9

Student- celibate, focus on studies

Householder- longest stage, get married have children, etc

Forest Dweller- retirment but still domestic fire

Renouncer- pursue liberation, social death, etc

Question 10

What is the classic text for thinking about social order?

Answer 10

Purusa Sukta (“Hymn of the Cosmic person”

Question 11

Varna, what are the four?

Answer 11

social class or cetergory, can be framework for restrictive conduct
Brahman
Ksthatriya
Vaishya
Shudra

Question 12

Dalit

Answer 12

means downtroddenn or oppressed
Self-given name for those outside of the varnas

Question 13

Jati

Answer 13

birth group or genus
so many jatis, depends on area
they do not fit into the varnas well

Question 13

What are some implications of caste?

Answer 13

• affect social practices like rituals, diets, rules. and dress
• varna and jati does not always match economic status
• people aren’t supposed to discriminate based on caste, but it does happen

Question 14

What were some pre-colonial challenges to caste?

Answer 14

Buddhism: rejection of vedic tradition

Bhakti Poets: love of diety above all

Question 15

Who are some Bhakti poets?

Answer 15

Kabir: famous for criticism of all organized and elite religion

Ravidas: 16th century poet, key figure in bhakti and social protests

Question 16

How was caste affected in the colonial period?

Answer 16

Goverments imposed a census, this made caste, varna, and jati more rigid.

Question 17

Who is Dr. Amedkar?

Answer 17

Indian jurist, social reformer, key maker of indian constitution. Criticized gandhi for his opinions on how to help marginalized people in India. Wanted to end caste
lead a mass conversion of people from Hinduism to Buddhism.

Question 18

What is class mobilization?

Answer 18

Movement between social classes, but most often is a family matter, not individual.

Question 19

What is sanskirtization?

Answer 19

a process of cultural change towards twice born castes; lower castes adopt the cultural pattern of higher castes.

Question 20

How is arranged marriage related to caste?

Answer 20

It is an operation of caste
- emphasis on staying within the caste.