The context of four varnas in the Gita

The Gita refers to four varnas – divisions in human beings – in the fourth chapter (4.13) and also in the eighteenth chapter (18.41-18.44). In 4.13, Krishna says “chaatur varnyam mayaa srustam guna karma vibhagashah” – “the four divisions of people have been created by Me based on the character and profession”.
This is an often misquoted verse. To understand the true spirit of the verse, one has to see how the topic is developed in the previous verses. Here is an outline:
In these verses 4.6 to 4.13, Krishna speaks as God.
God is the material and sentient cause of this world. He is the substance out of which everything in the universe is made, like gold is the substance out of which various ornaments are made. However, unlike gold, He is the sentient cause also. So, it is He who appears as everything. The diversity that we see is only in name, form and function, just like the diversity in various ornaments made of gold. Thus God is in and through everything in the universe. There is no time or place or substance apart from Him.
All the laws of the universe are His manifestations only. He is not the maker of the laws. He is the laws. This includes the physical and moral orders. The moral order is the one which is commonly referred to as “As you sow, so shall you reap.” This is called the law of Karma. When people lose faith in the moral order, there is confusion and unrighteousness in the world. The law of Karma will anyway take effect in due course of time. But due to lack of faith, people would have done a lot of undesirable actions, for which they would have to pay very dearly later. So, out of compassion, God comes among the people and establishes the faith in the moral order.
Now, Krishna says in 4.9, one who knows Him thus – as the God, of whom the universe and its laws are manifestations, who, out of compassion, comes whenever needed to establish faith in the moral order – will attain Him.
Now two questions arise:
1. What is the relationship between knowing Him and attaining Him?
2. What about people who were born before His current incarnation as Krishna?
To these, He answers in 4.10,
1. One, who has truly understood the concept of God as mentioned, will naturally follow a moral and ethical life. Knowing that it is God who has become the universe, he will not get attached to the names and forms. He will see God in and through everything in the universe. He will do everything that he does as an offering to God. He will accept everything that comes as a gift from God. Thus he will be free from all psychological problems like anger, fear, anxiety, jealousy, arrogance, etc. With the mind thus purified, he will easily understand his own true nature and his relationship with God, and thus will attain God.
2. Many people in the past have attained to God like this, through the teachings of the various incarnations of God. There were infinite number of incarnations in the past. There will be infinite number of incarnations in the future also. Thus, this path is not specific to this incarnation as Krishna.
Now, the question arises, “Isn’t God being partial? Some people attain Him and some people do not.”
Krishna answers this question in 4.11. It is not that God wants to give the knowledge about Himself to some people and wants to withhold it from other people. To everyone in this universe, whatever be their pursuit, it is He alone who gives the fruits of their action. Most people seek pleasure, possessions and power. They get those. Some people seek God. They get Him. So, God cannot be said to be partial. He gives what each person seeks and works towards.
Now, the question arises, “Why is it that most people seek material gains and only some people seek God?”
Krishna answers this question in 4.12. The path to God and goodness is long, narrow and difficult. The results, though superior, come after long struggle. Whereas the path to the gains in the world like pleasure, possessions and power is short. The results, though inferior, come soon. So, most people, due to lack of faith, patience and perseverance, choose the shorter and quicker path.
Now, the question arises, “Then what is the way for the people who are short sighted? Will they never seek God and attain Him?”
Krishna answers this question in 4.13, in the verse on varna (divisions among people). In this very pregnant verse, Krishna says, “People are divided according to their near or far sightedness. They seek different things based on that. They take up different professions based on what they seek. Gradually, they develop maturity and develop more and more far sightedness, and thus are on their way to finally seek God.
“The most near sighted people seek only pleasure. They just want to eat well, sleep well and enjoy sense pleasures. They do not want to postpone their gratification even by a short time. They are shudraas. The best way for them to develop is to serve loyally under the guidance of others.
“Some people are slightly more far sighted. They have realized that by money they can get all the pleasures when and where they want. So, instead of pleasure, they seek wealth. They would be ready to forgo food and sleep to earn wealth. They are vaishyaas. They are best to lead agriculture, industry and trade. By pursuing and creating wealth, they will make the society wealthy and prosperous.
“Some people are still more far sighted. They have realized that by having money, what they have is all that they have. But, by building up a good name and trust among people, they can mobilize and control much more money than what they directly possess. They would be ready to forgo food, sleep and even wealth to gain and maintain their reputation. They are kshatriyaas. They are best to rule the country, be judges, make policies, etc. Their priorities in life will suit these functions in the society.
“Some people are still more far sighted. They have realized that knowledge is power. Having knowledge is much more worth than handling power directly. They value knowledge more than anything else. The knowledge makes them humble and always eager to gather more and more knowledge from every source possible. They are braahmanaas. They are best to be teachers. They would be the best to acquire, develop, preserve and disseminate all kinds of knowledge in the society.
“Further than this is the spiritual knowledge that it is God who appears as everyone and everything. There is no option except to interact with God every moment of life. There is absolutely no threat or insecurity in the world. There is absolutely no cause for regret about the past or anxiety about the future. Everything is God and each person is an integral part of God. Deep understanding of this knowledge is worth much more than any other knowledge. It is the role of the braahmanaas also to acquire, develop, preserve and disseminate this knowledge in the society.”
Thus, as part of the development of the topic, Krishna presents the four varnas as a natural gradual development of people, from being very narrow and short sighted up to being all expansive. In 18.45 to 18.48, Krishna says that the fastest maturity happens to a person who follows the profession that is best suited for his/her temperament as mentioned above.
The second half of of the sloka answers the question, “By creating all these elaborate schemes for people to develop, You are doing a lot of work. What is your motivation?” Krishna replies, “This is just the way Nature works. I do not do anything.”
(Sankara explains the four varnas based on the three Gunas – satva, rajas and tamas. That discussion can be found in the Gita lecture notes, chapter 4.)
 

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18 Responses to The context of four varnas in the Gita

  1. viswanath says:

    This is just a restatement of Kama, Artha, Dharma and Moksha. The four varnas are assigned to people based on what their primary goal in life is. But my question is although this definition is fine in the discussion, have you seen people calling themselves as Shudra/Vaishya ? I think they prefer to be identified with their jati rather than varna.

  2. viswanath says:

    This is just a restatement of Kama, Artha, Dharma and Moksha. The four varnas are assigned to people based on what their primary goal in life is. But my question is although this definition is fine in the discussion, have you seen people calling themselves as Shudra/Vaishya ? I think they prefer to be identified with their jati rather than varna.

  3. gokulmuthu says:

    Varna is different from Jaati. Here we are only talking about Varna and how Gita presents it. Gita does not talk about Jaati. From this context, when a person says, “The goal of life is to eat, sleep and make merry”, it is the same as he saying, “I am a shudra”. When a person says, “Money is the most important thing in the world”, it is the same as he saying, “I am a vaishya”.

  4. gokulmuthu says:

    Varna is different from Jaati. Here we are only talking about Varna and how Gita presents it. Gita does not talk about Jaati. From this context, when a person says, “The goal of life is to eat, sleep and make merry”, it is the same as he saying, “I am a shudra”. When a person says, “Money is the most important thing in the world”, it is the same as he saying, “I am a vaishya”.

  5. shivakant dwivedi says:

    The question is, what was the real need to arose to divide the society in these four classes, so said VARNAs.
    Why in Geeta!!! there was existance of human society even before geeta written or said.

    Would it be ok to use word CAST for VARNA? Because cast means a mould.

    • gokulmuthu says:

      Geeta does not support division of society based on birth. It only talks about natural division of people based on character and profession.

      “Caste” is a wrong word. That is a Portugese concept, which does not apply to India. “Varna” is the right word.

  6. shivakant dwivedi says:

    The question is, what was the real need to arose to divide the society in these four classes, so said VARNAs.
    Why in Geeta!!! there was existance of human society even before geeta written or said.
    Would it be ok to use word CAST for VARNA? Because cast means a mould.

    • gokulmuthu says:

      Geeta does not support division of society based on birth. It only talks about natural division of people based on character and profession.
      “Caste” is a wrong word. That is a Portugese concept, which does not apply to India. “Varna” is the right word.

  7. abhay says:

    Nice Explanation Sir

  8. abhay says:

    Nice Explanation Sir

  9. Ravishankar says:

    This interpretation is faulty,
    This sub consciously interprets the gradation in the caste
    There is absolutely no gradation in caste, Everyone serves according to their own gunas.

    Intellectual service is not inferior to Physical service
    Beware, this interpretation looks logical but absolutely fallacious and dangerous

  10. Ravishankar says:

    This interpretation is faulty,
    This sub consciously interprets the gradation in the caste
    There is absolutely no gradation in caste, Everyone serves according to their own gunas.
    Intellectual service is not inferior to Physical service
    Beware, this interpretation looks logical but absolutely fallacious and dangerous

  11. ” It is the role of the braahmanaas also to acquire, develop, preserve and disseminate this knowledge in the society.”…..

    This statement is wrong. Roles are and can be developed by any one for good, not necessarily by Brahmanas.

    It is said that they have to teach and dissiminate knowledge…

    Did they do , sincerely by the common Dharmic principles, did they teach it for all with no discrimination…. they diligigently managed to do it for themselves as a group… systematically prevented any one to learn knowledge…Vedhas here. They developed water tight compartment for themselves….

    But , Samanars did it in their Pallis, and taught knowledge to all seekers.

    Brahmanas had kept the knowledge secretively with a coded and codified language of sanskrit and closely guarded as a trade secret ….prevented any one to get into their institutions of learning other than their offsprings.

    Lord Krishna would have never meant this. Please read the history.sociology.anthroplology.politics…to understand as how this has systematically ruined the Indian society. Pl ref to Annihilation of Caste, by Dr B R Ambedkar.

    At one side we had invaders and colonizers and another side we have varna or jatis practitioners… In any Society the knowledge or money or power can be common and shared. This will come to them not necessarily based on birth. This ( knowledge) can come to any one through learning, training, developing and support. Attaching it with birth or section or group in society will not bring harmony or even moksha.

    When they become prerogative of one section of society the social corruption starts. Thanks

    • gokulmuthu says:

      The worth of a tree is judged by its best fruits. Not by the deformed rotten worm-eaten fruits. In its original form with the original intent, it served its purpose. Varna was based on guna and karma, and not based on jaati. What you see now is its degraded form, which is surely to be condemned and rejected.

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