THE CONCEPT OF CASTE AND CHARACTERISTICS
OF CASTE IN HINDU COMMUNITIES
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THE INDIAN CASTE SYSTEM DESCRIBES THE SOCIAL STRATIFICATION AND SOCIAL RESTRICTIONS IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT, IN WHICH SOCIAL CLASSES ARE DEFINED BY THOUSANDS OF HEREDITARY GROUPS, OFTEN TERMED AS JATIS OR CASTES. WITHIN A JATI, THERE EXIST EXOGAMOUS GROUPS KNOWN AS GOTRAS, THE LINEAGE OR CLAN OF A PERSON, ALTHOUGH IN A HANDFUL OF SUB-CASTES LIKE SHAKADVIPI, ENDOGAMY WITHIN USED (E.G. BANNING ENDOGAMY WITHIN A SURNAME).
ALTHOUGH GENERALLY IDENDIFIED WITH HINDUISM, THE CASTE SYSTEM WAS ALSO OBSERVED AMONG FOLLOWERS OF OTHERS RELIGIONS IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT, INCLUDING SOME GROUPS OF MUSLIMS AND CHRISTIANS. THE INDIAN CONSTITUTION HAS OUTLAWED CASTE-BASED DISCRIMINATION, IN KEEPING WITH THE SOCIALIST, SECULAR, DEMOCRATIC PRINCIPLES THAT FOUNDED THE NATION. CASTE BARRIERS HAVE MOSTLY BROKEN DOWN IN LARGE CITIES, THOUGH THEY PERSIST IN RURAL AREAS OF THE COUNTRY. NEVERTHELESS, THE CASTE SYSTEM, IN VARIOUS FORMS, CONTINUES TO SURVIVE IN MODERN INDIA STRENGTHENED BY A COMBINATION OF SOCIAL PERCEPIONS AND DIVISIVE POLITICS.
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CASTE AMONG THE HINDU
THE VARNA AND JATI SYSTEM : THE INDIAN CASTE SYSTEM HAS BEEN IN USE FOR MANY YEARS. STILL TODAY THE VALUES OF THE CASTE SYSTEM ARE HELD STRONGLY. IT HAS KEPT A SENSE OF ORDER, AND PEACE AMONG THE PEOPLE. THERE ARE FIVE DIFFERENT LEVELS OF THE SYSTEM. BRAHMAN, KSHATRIYA, VAISHYA, SHUDRA, AND HARIJANS. WITHIN EACH OF THESE CATEGORIES ARE THE ACTUAL" OR JATIS WITHIN WHICH PEOPLE ARE BORN, MARRY, AND DIE. THEY ALL HAVE THEIR OWN PLACE AMONG EACH OTHER AND ACCEPT THAT IT IS THE WAY TO KEEP SOCIETY FROM DISINTEGRATING TO CHAOS. THIS SYSTEM HAS WORKED WELL FOR INDIAN PEOPLE AND STILL HAS A MAJOR ROLE IN MODERN INDIA.
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THE CASTE SYSTEM IN HINDUISM
THE PATTERN OF SOCIAL CLASSES IN HINDUISM IS CALLED THE "CASTE SYSTEM". THE CHART SHOWS THE MAJOR DIVISIONS AND CONTENTS OF THE SYSTEM. BASIS CASTE IS CALLED VARNA, OR COLOR. SUBCASTE, OR JATI, BIRTH LIFE, RANK, IS A TRADITIONAL SUBDIVISION OF VARN.
THE BHAGAVAD GITA SAYS THIS ABOUT THE VARN AS :
* THE WORKS IN BRAHMINS, KSHATRIYAS, VAISHYAS, AND SHUDRAS ARE DIFFERENT, IN HARMONY WITH THE THREE POWERS OF THEIR BORN NATURE.
* THE WORKS OF A BRAHMIN ARE PEACE, SELF-HARMONY, AUSTERITY, AND PURITY, LOVING-FORGIVENESS AND RIGHTEOUSNESS, VISION AND WISDOM AND FAITH.
* THESE ARE THE WORKS OF A KSHATRIYA, A HEROIC MIND, INNER FIRE, CONSTANCY, RESOURCEFULNESS, COURAGE IN BATTLE, GENEROSITY AND NOBLE LEADERSHIP.
* TRADE, AGRICULTURE AND THE REARING OF CATTLE IS THE WORK OF A VAISHYA. AND THE WORK OF TEH SHUDRA IS SERVICE.
THERE ARE LITERALLY THOUSANDS OF SUBCASTE IN INDIA, OFTEN WITH PARTICULAR GEOGRAPHICAL RANGES, OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALIZATIONS, AND AN ADMINISTRATIVE OR CORPORATE STRUCTURE. WHEN MAHATMA GANDHI WANTED TO GO TO ENGLAND TO STUDY LAW, HE HAD TO ASK HIS SUBCASTE, THE MODH BRANIA, FOR PERMISSION TO LEAVE INDIA. (BANIA, MEANS, MERCHANT, AND GANDHI MEANS GREENGROCER - FROM GANDHA, SMELL, FRAGRACE, IN SANSKRIT - AND THAT SHOULD BE ENOUGH FOR A GOOD GUESS THAT GANDHI WAS A VAISHYA) SOMETIMES IS DENIED THAT THE VARN, AS ARE "CASTES" BECAUSE, WHILE TRUE CASTE, THE JATIS, ARE BASED ON BIRTH, THE VARNAS ARE BASED ON THE THEORY OF THE GUNAS (THE THREE POWERS MENTIONED IN THE GITA) . THIS IS NO MORE THAN A RATIONLIZATION. THE VARNAS CAME FIRST, AND THEY ARE BASED ON BIRTH. THE GUNAS CAME LATER, AND PROVIE A POOR EXPLANATION ANYWAY, SINCE THE GUNA TAMAS IS ASSOCIATED WITH BOTH TWICE BORN AND ONCE BORN, CASTE AND OUTCASTE, OVERLAPPING THE MOST IMPORTANT RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL DIVISION IN THE SYSTEM.
NEVERTHELESS, THE VARNAS ARE NOW DIVISIONS AT A THEORETICAL LEVEL, WHILE THE JATIS ARE THE WAY IN WHICH CASTE IN EMBODIED FOR MOST PRACTICAL PURPOSES. JATIS THEMSELVES CAN BE RANKED IN RELATION TO EACH OTHER, AND OCCASIONALLY A QUESTION MAY EVEN BE RAISED ABOUT THE PROPER VARNAS TO WHICH A PARTICULAR JATI BELONGS. AS JATI MEMBERS CHANGE OCCUPATIONS AND THEY RISE IN PRESTIGE, A JATI MAY RARELY EVEN BE ELEVATED IN THE VARNA TO WHICH IT IS REGARDED AS BELONGING.
ACCORDING TO THE LAWS OF MANU, WHEN THE TWICE BORN COME OF AGE, THEY ENTER INTO THE FOUR ASHRAMAS OR "STAGE OF LIFE".
1. THE FIRST IS THE BRAHMACHAYA, OR THE STAGE OF THE STUDENT (BRAHMACARIN). FOR BOYS, THE STUDENT IS SUPPOSED TO GO LIVE WITH A TEACHER (GURU), WHO IS A BRAHMIN, OR LEARN ABOUT SANSKRIT, THE VEDAS, RITUALS, ETC. THE DHARMA OF A STUDENT INCLUDES BEING OBEDIENT, RESPECTFUL, CELIBATE, AND NON-VIOLENT. THE TEACHER IS GOD. FOR GIRLS, THE STAGE OF STUDENTHOOD COINCIDES WITH THAT OF THE HOUSEHOLDS, AND THE HUSBAND STANDS IN THE PLACE OF THE TEACHER, SINCE THE BOYS ARE SUPPOSED TO BE CELIBRATE WHILE STUDENTS, GANDHI USED THE TERM BRAHMACARI TO MEAN THE CELIBRATE PRACTIONER THAT HE THOUGHT MADE THE BEST SATYAGRAHI, THE BEST NON-VIOLENT ACTIVIST.
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2. THE SECOND STAGE IS THE GARHASTYA, OR THE STAGE OF THE HOUSEHOLDER, WHICH IS TAKEN FAR MORE SERIOUSLY, IN HINDUISM THAN IN JAINISM OR BUDHISM AND IS USUALLY REGARDED AS MANDATORY, LIKE STUDENTHOOD, ALTHOUGH DEBATE CONTINUED OVER THE CENTURIES WHETHER OR NOT THIS STAGE COULD BE SKIPPED IN FAVOR OF A LATER ONE. THIS IS THE STAGE WHERE THE PRINCIPLE DHARMA OF THE PERSON IS PERFORMED, WHETHER AS PRIEST, WARRIOR, ETC, OR FOR WOMEN MAILY AS WIFE AND MOTHER. ARJUNA'S DUTY TO FIGHT THE BATTLE IN THE BHAGAVAD GITA COMES FROM HIS STATUE AS A HOUSEHOLDER. BESIDES SPECIFIC DUTIES, THERE ARE GENERAL DUTIES THAT PAY OFF THE "THREE DEBTS".
(1) A DEBT TO THE ANCESTORS THAT IS DISCHARGED BY THE MARRYING AND HAVING CHILDREN. (2) A DEBT TO THE GODS THAT IS DISCHARGED BY THE HOUSEHOLD RITUALS AND SACRIFICES, AND (3) A DEBT TO THE TEACHER THAT IS DISCHARGED BY APPROPRIATELY TEACHING ONE'S WIFE, CHILDREN, AND, FOR BRAHMINS, OTHER STUDENTS. THE THREE DEBTS ARE SOMETIMES ASSOCIATED WITH THE THREE GODS OF THE TRIMURTI - THE ANCESTOR DEBT WITH BRAHMA, THE GODS DEBT WITH VISNU, AND THE TEACHER DEBT WITH SHIVA.
3. THE THIRD STAGE IS THE VARNAPRASTAYA, OR THE STAGE OF THE FOREST DWELLER. THIS MAY BE ENTERED INTO OPTIONALLY IF (IDEALLY) ONE'S HAIR HAS BECOME GRAY, ONE'S SKIN WRINKLED, AND GRANDCHILDREN EXIST TO CARRY ON THE FAMILY. HUSBANDS AND WIVES MAY LEAVE THEIR AFFAIRS AND POSSESSIONS WITH THEIR CHILDREN AND RETIRE TOGETHER TO THE FOREST AS HERMITS. THIS DOES NOT INVOLVE THE COMPLETE RENUNCIATION OF THE WORLD, FOR HUSBANDS AND WIVES CAN STILL HAVE SEX (ONCE A MONTH), AND A SACRED FIRE STILL SHOULD BE KEPT AND MINIMAL RITUALS PERFORMED. THIS STAGE IS THUS NOT ENTIRELY FREE OF DHARMA. THE FOREST TREATISES WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN WRITTEN BY OR FOR FOREST DWELLERS. WHO HAVE MOSTLY RENOUNCED THE WORLD AND HAVE BEGUN TO CONSIDER LIBERATION.
I AM NOT AWARE THAT FOREST DWELLING IS STILL PRACTICES IN THE TRADITIONAL WAY. THE MODERN ALTERNATIVES SEEM TO CONSIST OF THE MORE STARK OPPOSITION BETWEEN HOUSEHOLDING AND BECOMING A WANDERING ASCETIC. NEVERTHELESS, FOREST DWELLING IS AN INSTITUTION THAT DOESN'T REALLY DEVELOP AS SUCH IN JAINISM AND BUDDHISM. THE IDEA THAT HAUSBANDS ANS WIVES WOULD ENGAGE IN ASCETIC PRACTICES TOGETHER, WITHOUT CELIBRACY, WOULD APPEAR EXTRAORDINARY,. IN THOSE TERMS, IT IS AN UNFORTUNATE LOSS IF TEH INSTITUTION DOES NOT CONTINUE IN MODERN HINDUISM.
4. THE FOURTH STAGE IS THE SANNYASA, OR THE STAGE OF THE WANDERING ASCETIC, THE SANNYASIN (OR SADHU). IF A MAN DESIRES, HE MAY CONTINUE ON TO THIS STAGE, BUT HIS WIFE WILL NEED TO RETURN HOME, TRADITIONALLY SHE CANNOT STAY ALONE AS A FOREST DWELLER O WANDER THE HIGHWAYS AS AN ASCETIC. THE SANNYASIN HAS RENOUNCED THE WORLD COMPLETELY, IS REGARDED AS DEAD BY HIS FAMILY (THE FUNERAL IS HELD), AND IS FINALLY BEYOND ALL DHARMA AND CASTE. WHEN A SANNYASIN ENTERS A HINDU TEMPLE, HE IS NOT A WORSHIPPER BUT ONE OF THE OBJECTS OF WORSHIP. NOT EVEN THE GODS ARE SANNYASINS (THEY ARE HOUSEHOLDERS), AND SO THIS IS WHERE IN HINDUISM, AS IN JAINISM AND BUDDHISM, IT IS POSSIBLE FOR HUMAN BEINGS TO BE SPIRITUALLY SUPERIOR TO THE GODS. IT HAS LONG BEEN A MATTER OF DISPUTE IN HINDUISM WHETHER ONE NEED REALLY FULLFILL THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE LAWS OF MANU (GRAY HAIR, ETC). TO RENOUNCE THE WORLD.
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