varna

Varna is a Sanskrit term that has multiple related meanings, including color, order, and class. In Hindu social theory, it denotes a fourfold division of society: Brahmana (priests and scholars), Kshatriya (warriors and rulers), Vaishya (merchants and landowners), and Shudra (laborers). The word varna conveys a sense of category or type and is closely tied to ideas about ritual function, social duties, and purity. Etymologically, it can refer to color or a classification, reflecting the term’s flexible usage in different contexts.

The varna framework appears in later Vedic literature and became a prominent feature of social thinking in many Hindu texts. The Rigveda’s Purusha Sukta is often cited as a mythic account of the fourfold division, though historians debate the extent to which this myth represents historical social organization. Over time, the concept came to be associated with hereditary status and duties prescribed for each varna (varnashrama dharma), though actual social life in various regions remained diverse. Varna is distinct from jati, which refers to specific birth-based communities or lineages; varnashrama provides a broad, overarching scheme, while jatis describe more localized social groups and occupations.

In modern discourse, the varna system is frequently discussed in relation to caste and social inequality. Contemporary India has legally rejected caste-based discrimination, and affirmative action programs seek to address disparities tied to birth-based groups. The concept also survives in scholarly and cultural contexts as a historical category, with ongoing debate about its origins, variability, and impact.

Beyond social theory, varna also simply means color or type in Sanskrit, used in secular and literary contexts to denote classification or category.