caste: Indian Hindu Dictionary on caste

By Nancy Freeman Patchen

caste: There are four castes, each with its own duties, rules, regulations and hierarchy. Within each caste there are hundreds of subcastes, variations and hierarchies.

Varna (caste) is usually translated as “community”; by Indians, for it means much more than a single category. It means where one is from, how one dresses, what one eats, the language one speaks.

Traditionally, there was flexibility in the caste system, according to one's talent. For example, Mahatma Gandhi's father, from the grocer-Vaishya caste, served as a counselor to a king, the traditional role served by a Brahman (a).

On the other hand, J. Nehru was a Kashmir Brahman (considered a lower status in the Brahman caste hierachy); however, he and his father were attorneys, a Kshatriaya caste function.

Having had to withstand the foreign invasions of religious fanatics, both Moslem and Christian, for some 1,000 years, the Indian system has continued to crystallize and become rigid in order to protect the culture and religion.

The highest caste is the Brahman (a), or priest, teacher, scholar, advisor group. By virtue of their position in the society, they have more duties and are accorded heavier punishments than the other castes. For example, in the Mahabharata, a group of men had committed a crime. The Brahman (a) was given the death sentence, while the ones of lower castes were given sentences in prison, varying according to their caste.

The Kshatriya caste is referred to as the warrior caste. This caste includes everyone from the king to the foot soldier, their wives and children. In modern times, they have been court judges and administrators. Only Kshatriyas went to war, leaving the rest of the population free to carry on with their respective duties.

The third caste is the Vaishya, or merchant and farmer category. In general, this has been the wealthiest caste.

The fourth caste is the Shudra, or service caste. Anyone who performs services in the community, such as office executives, clerks, secretaries and persons in banking, communication and medical services.

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For more articles on caste , see: caste , Hinduism, Body Mind and Soul or Alternative Medicine

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The definition and meaning of caste is extracted from the home page of Journey through Timeless India, by Nancy Freeman Patchen

" I found India to be more than I ever imagined. On my initial trip, I had planned to stay for four months. I ended up staying for two years. During that journey, I spent six months in an ashram studying Vedanta (Hindu philosophy) and Sanskrit. However, the highlight of the trip was traveling from city to city with an enlightened Guru from whom I received many answers to my burning questions about life. As a result of that trip, I wrote the book, Journey of a Master, which is a comprehensive biography of Swami Chinmayananda. After several short trips, I returned again for a major stay of three years at the end of 1989. At that time, I served as a volunteer editor of Tattva Loka, the prestigious spiritual magazine, published by the Shringeri Matha in south India."

Please visit http://www.timelessindia.us for more information.

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