Varna and ashrama
In addition to the four main aims for Hindu living (This word has various meanings which have to be understood from the context in which it is used. It can mean religious duty. , The Hindu concept of desire, longing or sensual pleasure., A term used in Hinduism to mean wealth acquired by honest means. One of the four aims in life described in scripture. (The others are Dharma, Kama and Moksha.) and Escape from the cycle of reincarnation. Term used in the Hindu religion. ), another important dharma is The duties a Hindu has depending on the caste they are in and the stage of life they are at.. This duty is based on an individual鈥檚 personal circumstances. It means the duties a Hindu should follow depending on their stage in life and their varna, or The anglicised term for varna; originally a Hindu social order of higher and lower class. Also followed by some Sikhs..
Traditionally, the caste a Hindu was born into decided which duties they performed in society and what jobs they could have. However, in modern Hindu societies, many people believe the system is unfair and disagree with the inequalities that result from it.
The four castes were an ancient Hindu idea. Each caste was thought to originate from a part of A Hindu deity, considered one of the Trimurti, and in charge of creative power; not to be confused with Brahmin or Brahman. Not widely worshipped by Hindus. body - Brahmins from his head, Kshatriyas from his arms, Vaishyas from his thighs and Shudras from his feet:
| Caste | Meaning | Duties |
| Brahmins | Teachers and priests | Interpret the scriptures and teach others about Hindu dharma |
| Kshatriyas | Warriors and leaders | Fight to defend people, and keep control and order in society |
| Vaishyas | Merchants, traders and farmers | Own land and businesses, trade and farm (this caste includes many trades) |
| Shudras | Manual workers and labourers | Work for others (this group includes labourers of all kinds) |
| Caste | Brahmins |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Teachers and priests |
| Duties | Interpret the scriptures and teach others about Hindu dharma |
| Caste | Kshatriyas |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Warriors and leaders |
| Duties | Fight to defend people, and keep control and order in society |
| Caste | Vaishyas |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Merchants, traders and farmers |
| Duties | Own land and businesses, trade and farm (this caste includes many trades) |
| Caste | Shudras |
|---|---|
| Meaning | Manual workers and labourers |
| Duties | Work for others (this group includes labourers of all kinds) |
There is a fifth group, who were traditionally outside the caste system and therefore known by the negative terms 鈥榦utcastes鈥 and 鈥楿ntouchables鈥. They were restricted in what jobs they could do, and were often treated badly. In modern India, people who in the past would have been labelled 鈥榦utcastes鈥 refer to themselves as Term for members of the social group previously referred to as 'untouchable' in India..
In India, it is illegal to To treat someone differently or unfairly because they belong to a particular group. on the basis of caste, but some discrimination does still happen. Hindu reformers continue to work to improve Rights everyone is entitled to regardless of the colour of their skin, their beliefs, sexuality, gender or other personal characteristics. These rights could include the right to vote, or the right to a good education etc. for Dalits.
Ashramas - the four stages of life
Hinduism recognises four stages of life, called Life stages described in scripture as 1 - student; 2 - householder and parent; 3 - retirement and grandparent; 4 - sannyasin: a life of complete renunciation (most Hindus don't get to, or attempt stage 4).. A Hindu goes through all of these in their lifetime. The duties of life (or dharma) don鈥檛 just depend on the community (or caste) a Hindu is born into. They also depend on a person鈥檚 stage of life, or ashrama. Hindus recognise four stages of life:
- The first stage is learning, being a pupil or student.
- The second stage is being a householder and parent.
- The third stage is retirement from work, which gives opportunities for other pursuits, including spiritual life.
- The fourth stage is where some people give up all the things of this world for spiritual purposes. This stage is not for everyone 鈥 a person living in the fourth ashrama is called a In Hinduism, a person who has entered the fourth life stage, leaving behind family, friends and all material possessions and devoting their life to attaining moksha (freedom from rebirth)..