Varna Structure
This article is a continuation of The Caste System.
Another way of looking at varnasrama is via a pyramid ranking, where people of Brahmin varna are at the top, Kshatriya and Vaishya the next two layers, and Shudras the base of the pyramid. The idea behind this is that, Brahmins represent those folks who set a very high moral and ethical standard in every decision they take in life. Being the bearers of knowledge and higher understanding, they have a higher moral responsibility.
(I’ll emphasize again, that this is not a rigid class hierarchy – anybody from any rank of this pyramid can migrate to any other rank. It becomes problematic only when the pyramid ranks are taken literally and whose “membership” becomes under the control of groups of people in each rank, who believe it is a birthright)
The upper part of the pyramid (Brahmins and Kshatriyas) have to earn their rank. This is not done by just donning the sacred thread, chanting the Gayathri mantra, or obsession with superficial rites like “suddham” and “theetu” principles. None of these are the defining traits of the Brahmin varna. These rituals, like all rituals provide important scaffolding for continuity of cultures for generations (the alternate would be to sell your minds/souls to the mass market pop-culture). But these rituals are useless (and even damaging) if what they are preserving and transmitting have degenerated – that is, stripped of their dharmic role in society.
Let’s start with top of the pyramid. The Brahmin varna. Sadly, only fraction of todays Brahmin caste (and the population in general) are of the Brahmin varna. For example, how many Brahmins (by caste) actively defend their culture by logic and reasoning or think about the broader consequence of every action – like what they buy, what they do, etc? Very few. Instead you’ll find unbelievable apathy towards the most critical and broader causes (like environment or social concerns for example). Except for a few, many are self-centered, thinking only about their careers and their family, and what’s in it for them, totally derelict of their dharmic role in society.
For example, read the points in the article environmental actions (as just one example). You might ask, “who has time for this?” But the actions listed in the link are so simple that they hardly require any commitment at all. So who has time for it? If not Brahmins and Kshatriyas to take the lead who will? Or conversely, if they don’t do that, then what are they doing? Just being strict about being “pure” vegetarians (as in Brahmins) or proud that their ancestors were of royal lineage (as in Kshatriyas) is not enough. Nor is the narcissism each has about his own “culture”. Both create a sense of false-pride, while all around them dharma declines because of their inaction. There is saying – “all it takes for evil to grow (dharma to decline) is for good people (people entrusted with the higher moral responsibility) to stand by and do nothing” (often by finding any self-centered excuse they can come up with).
What will happen if people follow only the rituals, but do not uphold any of the principles endowed?
कामात्मानः स्वर्गपरा जन्मकर्मफलप्रदाम् ।
क्रियाविशेषबहुलां भोगैज्ञश्र्वर्यगतिं प्रति ।।With the desire to reach the heavens as their highest goal, offering rebirth as the fruit of action; they engage in many various rituals, for the sake of gaining enjoyment and prosperity.
- Bhagavad Gita, 2.43
What Krishna is describing is the degenerated state of affairs in the Kali Yuga – where people engage in various rituals for selfish desires – to the extent of even offering/accepting rebirth as the consequence of their actions.
As Gandhi said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world”. When you do that, people will follow (so also Krishna says in the Gita). That is the role of a person of Brahmin varna, to set the standards.
As we go down the pyramid, this responsibility is less and is in fact delegated upwards. For example, the bottom most in the pyramid – Shudras, being your typical 9-to-5 worker who just does his job and goes home (couldn’t care less about the environmental and social concerns). Most people these days, regardless of their “caste” in fact fall into that varna. This is why the base of the pyramid is the widest, and the top, which numbers a few people is the narrowest.
The role of the Kshatriya was to enforce the wisdom of the Brahmins, keep the people (including the Brahmins themselves) in check. One of the responsibilities of the Vaishyas was to question, demand, and make aware of pending needs, to the Kshatriyas. If a Brahmin fails in duty, he was stripped of his credentials by the Kshatriya. If a Kshatriya fails in his duty he was removed from his position by the Vaishyas. In the past (or ideally) Brahmins and Kshatriyas were so dharma oriented that they themselves felt great remorse when they committed a wrong doing, and they themselves stepped down.
When Brahmins and Kshatriyas become self-centered then dharma declines, and the entire varna is reversed as the lower rank of the pyramid starts driving the above points (as is seen through grass roots movements). In the Srimad Bhagavatam also it is revealed that in the Kali Yuga, there will be this seismic shift in the varna structure, where the base of the pyramid, being the ones more impacted, question the moral and ethical aspects of government, corporations, policies, etc., and the upper ranks of the pyramid being power-hungry and self-centered with material excesses. This can be seen by the number of grass-roots movements ranging from global warming, organic farming, recycling, anti-war, anti-biotechnology industry, anti-gmo, animal rights, etc.
Some will give the excuse, that nothing is going to change; one person cannot change anything. That is besides the point. You have a duty, do it, and do not expect the fruits.
करमण्येवाधिकारस्ते मा फलेषु कदाचन ।
मा कर्मफलहेतुर् भूर् मा ते सङ्गो-स्त्व अकर्मणि ।।Your right is to action alone, never to its fruits at any time whatsoever;
Never should the fruits of action be your motive; Never let there be attachment to inaction in you.
- Bhagavad Gita, 2.47
This essentially says do your work but don’t let the fruits (money, recognition, promotion,…) be your focus (focus on the quality of the work itself as your fruit). But the problem today is that people, in addition to a) not doing their duties, b) they also want the fruits. In addition, when something doesn’t work, they will cry and complain – like why is there so much air pollution or why their car keeps breaking down. It’s probably because someone was like them, did a half-baked job, or negligent in their duties. Only when they feel the brunt of it, they act — which is not keeping in line with the above sloka – as acting after reacting is same as expecting fruits (as opposed to acting based on it being your duty). By then it could be a little too late and a lot harder to rectify.
See also