What is Varna?

Ugh, Hindus have the caste system to abuse lower castes & that’s why I hate them.

That’s not true & here’s the tea.

If you read the Srimad Bhagavad, we have the following verse:

”chātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛiṣhṭaṁ guṇa-karma-vibhāgaśhaḥ

tasya kartāram api māṁ viddhyakartāram avyayam” ||4.13||

Krishna is an expert in human resources & industrial psychology so he created the varna to assign people roles in the society based on their personality i.e. the 3 gunas, rajas / sattva / tamas and their past work experience i.e. their soul’s karma from past lives, so that people could do the jobs they did best.

The Mahabharata’s Shanti Parva (188.10-12) confirms that varna is based on one’s behaviour & conduct alone, not birth.

People inclined towards research could be Brahmins, while royal leaders called Kshatriyas would protect & govern, smart folks like Vaishyas could conduct business & deciated & passionate working class of Shudras could support the society.

But it was very flexible that even Brahmins reared cattle & Shudras could open their businesses & grow. Varna comes from Sanskrit “vri,” which means to choose one’s occupation & put on a role, so people could change varna, too.

And no one was considered inferior. even in Rig Veda, when we read that Shudras form the legs of the Super Soul i.e. Purusha, it’s not meant to degrade or insult but rather position them as the strong foundation that upholds & serves the society.

Krishna declares in Chapter 9 that anyone who takes refuge in him can attain moksha, including Shudras (born into lower families here means they’re not born into priivelge), and even the Bhagavat Puran 4.14.43 even indicates that Shudras could worship God & should be considered devotees when they do.

How did this concept get distorted into the modern caste & jati system?