varna

var-na

Explanation

This can refer to a character type or a social class. Traditionally there were four varnas:

Brahmins: priests scholars and teachers; Kshatriyas: rulers, administrators and warriors; Vaishyas: merchants and farmers; Shudras: workers and artisans.

Each person had duties within their varna, which would lead to a more harmonious society.

Context

It is important not to confuse varna with the word ‘jati’ (meaning ‘community’ but often translated by Europeans as ‘caste’) which refers to thousands of different communities across the varnas, and not to varnas themselves. For many Hindus there is no distinction of varnas in reality, because the whole universe is Brahman. Any divisions of character and class are falsely made by humans.