Varna is a Sanskrit term derived from the root "vrnemz" meaning "to choose (from a group)." Literally translated, "Varna" means colour. For example, most Hindu gods belong to "Shyama Varna," or black colour; only Shiva was "Gour Varna" or of white colour. Simply translated, Varna means castes. The four Varnas recognised in Hinduism are Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Shudra. Sikhism does not accept the caste system and a Sikh is prohibited to take the persons caste into consideration in their dealing with society.
Hinduism divides human society into four "Varnas" according to the body part of the divinity Purusha from which each group was created, and these divisions, or Castes, define the group's social standing in marital and occupational matters. Therefore, Varna means "arrangement" in the context of social hierarchies.
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This page uses content from the English Wikipedia. The original article was at Varna. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. |