Varna (caste)

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Varna ( Sanskrit , f., वर्ण, varṇa , lit. "color", caste) is an old Indian classification of society, which has been preserved to this day as a division into four main groups of the Indian caste system . The original meaning of Varna, namely color, has been retained indirectly by associating each of the four main boxes with a color. The color white is associated with the Brahmins , red with the Kshatriyas , yellow with the Vaishyas and black with the Shudras .

These colors are in turn associated with certain gunas (properties). The color white stands for the quality of sattva , that is, purity and clarity. The color red stands for the quality of Raja , which means passion and power. The color black means tamas , which means laziness, darkness and lethargy. The teachings of the Gunas were formulated in the Samkhya philosophy.

This implies that the Brahmins stand for purity and clarity, the Kshatriyas and Vaishyas for passion and power (even if yellow does not directly stand for Rajas) and the Shudras for laziness and lethargy. It is easy to see that the combination of colors, boxes and gunas is not about decorative color cosmetics, but about evaluations, values ​​between different social groups and the legitimation of hierarchy. The Varna term deals with the ideological level of the caste system, while Jati (sub-caste) describes the group into which the individual is born.

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