Varnashrama-Dharma

Question 0

What are the 4 (main) varnas?

Answer 0

1. Brahmins - priests, scholars, preserving traditions + teachings
2. Kshatriyas - warriors, military, law enforcers, leaderships over general welfare + justice
3. Vaishyas - cattle raisers, traders, providing material goods + wealth
4. Shudras - service providers, physical + manual work, serving the needs of the other castes

Question 1

What is the caste system?

Answer 1

A social hierarchy/chain of command dividing labour and money in human society. The caste system was created by Manu.
You are born into a caste, and a woman takes her husband’s caste - marriages usually of same Jati (group)

Question 2

“The caste system has no place in Hinduism”, do you agree?

Answer 2

Agree - discrimination, all deserve opportunity, others think they are better, have to accept it as their karma, God is our creator: all are the same.

Disagree - traditional, useful when organising marriages, people together with similar backgrounds

Question 3

Who are the Dalits?

Answer 3

A section of society regarded as untouchables. They are a mixed population, consisting of numerous social groups with different languages and religions. A Dalit (‘crushed people’) is born below the caste system, and are the lowest social status group. They are also called Panchamas (5th varna) and Harijans (‘Children of God’ - Ghandi called them this to emphasise their humanity)

Question 4

What kind of work do the Dalits perform?

Answer 4

The spiritually-contaminating work that nobody else wants to do, e.g. preparing bodies for funerals and killing pests. In hindu and buddhist beliefs, jobs involving death corrupted the worker’s souls making them unfit to mingle with others

Question 5

Explain the 4 stages of life (according to the Books of Manu)

Answer 5

1. Student - learn rules + knowledge, respect teachers + parents
2. Householder - after school + marriage, needed to ‘sustain dharma’; charity, hospitality, looking after the household (women: food, children, expenses, religion) (men: money, marriage)
3. Retirement - hand over responsibilities to eldest son; detached from world, solitude, study texts, meditate; highly respected (advice, wise)
4. Renunciation - wandering holy men, no fixed abode, pilgrimage, prayer, study, give up world, moksha; v highly respected (holy, spiritual)