The Varna is the division based on actions.

If we glance through the documented Indian History we can observe that Pushamitra Shungha, the founder of Shungha Emperor in north India during the 185 BCE after assassinating the last of the Mauryas Brihadratha Mayura. Pushamitra Shungha was the “Senapati” the Chief Army General of the Maurya Kingdom and he assassinated the Emperor during the army review. After the assignation of the emperor, Pushamitra Shungha proclaimed himself as the King. In modern India now everyone talks against the Hinduism for the tag of the caste system on it. Where a Brahmin basically does teaching and claims the highest status in the Hindu society. But interestingly the Pushamitra Shungha was a Brahmin by Varna and he was the Chief Army General of the King, while acquiring the knowledge of weapons and martial arts and defending the nation are the prescribed duties of the Kshatriya Varna according to the people who love to talk against Hinduism. When people know the documented history of India none really talk about it or take a slightest interest in talking about it. Pushamitra Shungha was Brahmin (teacher) by birth but he was a Kshatriya by his deed.

Sayana(Sayanacharya), narrated the Vedas and several ancient Hindu scripture, was a worrier who uses to fight during the day time and he use to interpretation and does his commendatory during his night. He was Brahmin. But none really talks about him and his Varna.

Valmiki was a hunter by birth, but his meditation made him a saint and later on he wrote an entire epic mythology (Considered by west buy I consider it as real historical event) RAMAYAN. Also, he was the GURUDEV (teacher) of LAV and KUSH, sons of King RAM(Seventh Avatar of Lord Vishnu). Do people cite his example that Hindus are free to choose their own Varna according to their work in the same life? Was the Hindu society discriminated Rishi Valmiki during his lifetime or after his death being the son on a hunter? The answer is “NO”

Same theory is applied on Vyas Dev, Mahabharat says Vyas dev was the son of Rishi Parasar, where Rishi Parasara was a saint and Vyas Dev’s mother Satyavati was the daughter of the fisherman. This story also shows that there was no caste system in Hinduism in the ancient period.

The great Sanskrit scholar Kalidas was from a humble origin and he was married to a princess. It shows that the differences among people were not there in those days rather knowledge was the criterion to make a marital union. King Chandragupta Maurya was the son of a Sudra, but he became the King with his own quality. Then where did Caste System come from? However, cast system is nowhere mentioned in any of the scriptures, if we look at the Vedas, Puranas, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Upanishads, Manu Smriti etc, traces of caste system cannot be found in any of them. However, by confusing caste with Varna and Jati, one corrupts the true Vedic essence of this term. Jati also has nothing to do with caste, or even Varna for that matter. It is determined through the family clan you are born into, which is known as Gotra. It is your Kula, the unique Dharma of your ancestors few may argue that Lord Krishna mentioned about Varna in Bhagavat Gita. But none bothered about whether it is real or not?

Let’s have a look the Bhagavat Gita Bhagavad Gita 4.13 says,

‘chaturvaranyam maya sristam,

guna karma vibhagashaha

tasya kartaramapi mam,

vidya kartaram vyayam’

“Sri Krishna says: The four varnas were created by me according to the principles of Guna (qualities, attitudes), and Karma (action).”

Varna is not equivalent to caste, nor is jati. Varna, in fact, does not have anything to do with birth. It is determined by your actions and the guna you choose to live in.

A Brahmin is not a Brahmin because his father was. He must be Brahmin by his own Karma as well. When western people invaded India they were unable to understand the Hinduism due to its vastness compared to the western religious philosophy.

In fact, the cast system was Portuguese origin word. They mistakenly took the work system into the caste system. There is no Sanskrit word mentioned in any of the ancient texts, which can be considered as equivalent to the “caste system” in ancient India.

Whether Lord Krishna was Krishna Vasudev Yadav? or Lord Ram was RAM Singh? or Devi Durga is Durga Shiva Vora? or Laxmi Devi is actually Laxmi Agarwal? We should ask this question to ourselves that when the caste of the Indian ancient period is mentioned nowhere, then who imposed the caste system tag on Hinduism and why?

My Article on Varna first published on InsysdNet.com