Origins of the Hindu Caste System?

[Indra]

I need good informations about the Origins of the Hindu Caste System. Thanks.

[TatTvamAsi]

I need good informations about the Origins of the Hindu Caste System. Thanks.

What is this, a restaurant? Ever heard of manners? How about you ask politely and some members may then feel like answering your request! :rolleyes:

[Indra]

What is this, a restaurant? Ever heard of manners? How about you ask politely and some members may then feel like answering your request! :rolleyes:

I thought i was polite.
Can someone PLEASE answer my question?

[yajvan]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
Namaste Indra,
Let me help in 3 areas and see if this serves you.


What was meant by polite is a simple greeting of hello , namaste, greetings, etc. That was notion offered by TatTvamAsi. Many here on HDF have worked for some time to create a a receptive and pleasant environment and a friendly greeting has become the norm.
Next - your interest in knowing more about varṇa or caste.
If you use the search function searching on caste, caste system, varṇa etc. you will find a substantial offer/conversations on this subject. Here is one I rather like but will need to decide. http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2580&page=2&highlight=caste (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2580&page=2&highlight=caste)A specific post in these series of conversions # 11 and from there it is very interesting:
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=20436&postcount=11 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=20436&postcount=11)
I think the 'search' feature is under used as there are tons of conversations we have had over the years.
Hope this helps and we look forward to your contributions.

pranams

[Indra]

hariḥ oṁ
~~~~~~
Namaste Indra,
Let me help in 3 areas and see if this serves you.

What was meant by polite is a simple greeting of hello , namaste, greetings, etc. That was notion offered by TatTvamAsi. Many here on HDF have worked for some time to create a a receptive and pleasant environment and a friendly greeting has become the norm.
Next - your interest in knowing more about varṇa or caste.
If you use the search function searching on caste, caste system, varṇa etc. you will find a substantial offer/conversations on this subject. Here is one I rather like but will need to decide. http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2580&page=2&highlight=caste (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showthread.php?t=2580&page=2&highlight=caste)A specific post in these series of conversions # 11 and from there it is very interesting:
http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=20436&postcount=11 (http://www.hindudharmaforums.com/showpost.php?p=20436&postcount=11)
I think the 'search' feature is under used as there are tons of conversations we have had over the years. Hope this helps and we look forward to your contributions.

pranams

Namaste,

Thanks.

[Sudarshan]

I need good informations about the Origins of the Hindu Caste System. Thanks.

Indraji,

The caste system has very little to do with the way people practice it and use it as a tool of discrimination. It is primarily a spiritual classification and these four castes correspond to the eighth, ninth, tenth and eleventh stages of evolution of a soul towards Self Realization. Because people were no longer able to maintain the high spiritual standards Sri Krishna diluted the meaning and made it relating to one's qualities and profession.

In its quest towards salvation a soul moves through fourteen stages - the lowest seven are avarNas (casteless) and include lower forms of life and irreligeous people and atheists. The eighth is a shUdra. The ninth is a vaishya. The tenth is a xatriya and the eleventh is a brAhmaNa who is a brahmavit. The twelfth is called brahamit-vara, followed by brahmavit-varIya and brahmavit-varishTa, who is the complete jnAni.

These fourteen stages correspond to the foirteen lOkas described in so many ways in the scripture, of which the lower seven below the plane of the earth, and the upper seven are the seven worlds described in many purANas and itihAsas and correponding to the seven yogic AdhAras. A person may physically live on earth and yet have his consciousness spanning many lOkas.

The varNa a person belongs to is not a water tight compartment. We all know how vishvAmitra evolved from a xatriya to a brahmavit-varishTa in the course of a single birth and he is indeed one of those very rare souls who can achieve so much in a single birth. Most of us stay at any single level for many births. It requires a tremendous amount of tapasya, dedication, and IshvarAnugraha to move each step - that is the only way we can attain Self realization.

A shUdra can become a vaishya, xatriya or brAhmaNa - by means of tapasya and awakening of spiritual consciousness that corresponds to a higher lOka. Most people, or almost everyone in the world is an avarNa or a shUdra. Even true vaisyas are very rare. Not a single person without spiritual awakening of the mUlAdhAra could even be called a vaishya. Only the great evolved soul that has succeeded in reaching the region of the pure - the mahar lOka is technically qualified to be a brAhmaNa who is a brahmavit.

Relgion like Christinaity and Islam whose teaching is primarily geared towards a lower goal ( no advaita teaching there) naturally does not see the need for amy classification because each one of them is an avarNa./shUdra


I did not give the detailed scruptural evidemce for my statements because it is a very long discussion involving etymology of many sanskrit words and I dont have the time to go through the full discussion. I will post them if I find the time. Yes, everything is there in our scipture....