Idea of Varna from Bhagavad Gita

If our eminent intellectuals and politicians have taught us anything, it is that one can have opinions on anything.

Introduction

Bhagavad Gita needs no introduction. I am not going into the background of the Gita which anyway most people would be aware of. I came across an article in The Print: The Gita is universal and still endorses caste inequality. But story of Ekalavya stands out which inspired me to write this article. This is just a sample out of many such accusations. This article just looks into the idea of Varna in the Gita from a modern lens and does not look into its spiritual teachings. I believe only a Rishi can fully appreciate and understand the spiritual teachings of the Gita. 

Just a caveat, my knowledge of Sanskrit language is NIL and hence, I have relied on translations of the scriptures and hence, my views can be considered amateurish at best.   

Hierarchy in the Modern World 

It is quite obvious that hierarchy is a part and parcel of life. It is there even among animals, then what to say about humans. From my understanding, the best form of hierarchy would be based on merit and freedom for upward mobility. The Caste/ Varna system (though meanings are different, in popular usage it is considered as similar) in India is generally seen as one which does not satisfy both these conditions. For a significant part of our history it has been this way and we can see its remnants even today. This is not to deny sects like Tantra, Ekasarana, Mahanubhava etc., which did not care about the caste system, did not have any impact on the Indian society.   

Now let's see how the Gita views the caste system.       

Arjuna's view

Verses 1.40-1.42: With the destruction of the family, family order (dharma) and eternal order (dharma) are lost. The whole family transforms itself into adharma (disorder or irreligiousness). With the emergence of adharma, O Krishna, women become impure. And when women fall into bad ways, O descendent of Vrisni, admixture of castes takes place. The intermixture of castes lead the destroyers of the family and also the family to hell. The ancestors (in heaven) also fall, as they do not receive the ritualistic offerings of food and water due to them. Because of the misdeeds of these destroyers of family and order of the castes, the order (dharma) of the community and of the family are permanently destroyed.

While I am not going into what Arjuna says about women, the Sanskrit word used by Arjuna for "Family order" is Kula Dharma or hereditary duties. Hence, it is obvious that Arjuna is referring to the Caste system which has been abhorred by many in the current times.  

Krishna's view

Krishna's view can be considered as the view of the Author of the Gita for obvious reasons. Let's look at a couple of verses wherein Krishna mentions his point of view on Caste/ Varna.

4.13: According to the division of gunas and actions, the fourfold division of castes was created by Me. Although I am the creator of this fourfold division, do know that I am the inexhaustible non-doer.  

18.41: Brahmins, kshatriyas, the vaishyas and the sudras, O Paramtapa, are divided (into these categories ) in the performance of their duties, on the basis of their in born gunas only.

The word Guna can be considered as character for all practical purposes. Hence, it is clear that one's caste is decided based on one's character. Many people complain about the divine sanction given to the Caste system in the Gita. However, it is obvious if we understand the sense in which Krishna defined Caste, it is simply a recognition of the hierarchical nature of the human society.

There are two additional points which would make the case the the idea of Caste/ hierarchy in the Indian context as envisaged by Krishna comes quite close to the modern meritocratic society with a relatively free upward mobility. I have to thank Mr. Aravindan Neelakandan for mentioning this in one of his articles in Swarajya (link given below).  

1. While Arjuna mentions Kula Dharma (or Hereditary duties) which would point to a birth based caste system, Krishna never even once mentions Kula Dharma, but mentions Swa-Dharma or one's own duty based on Guna (character) and Karma (action).
2. As mentioned in the Swarajya article, in one of the verses Krishna describes the person with Demonic qualities thinks like this: I am wealthy and high-born (abhijanavaan); who is there like unto me? I will perform sacrifices, I will make charity and I will rejoice” – deluded thus by ignorance. Here, as per Krishna, anyone who thinks he is high-born is a person with Demonaic qualities.            

These two statements along with the above shows that the Varna/ Caste system as envisaged by Krishna is based on Merit (while in today's case it is based on technical skills, soft skills etc, in the Gita it this character and actions). This itself shows that in Krishna's view upward mobility is also a given factor though it is not explicitly mentioned as such.    

Corroborative evidence from Mahabharatha

The Mahabharatha, written over a period of many centuries and by many people, is an encyclopedia of many views. Hence, one can find evidence of a orthodox/ birth-based view on caste system side by side with a more liberal meritocratic view. 

There is another Gita called the Vyadha Gita wherein a butcher teaches Dharma to a Brahmin (pretty revolutionary for its times). In verses 10.32 and 10.33 it says: For the Brahmin who is vain and haughty, who is addicted to vices and dishonourable and degrading practices, is like a Sudra. On the other hand, I consider a Sudra who is always adorned with these virtues — rectitude, self-restraint and truthfulness — as a Brahmin.   

This proves the liberal aspect of upward mobility at least in theory. In a society of those times, the ideas enshrined in the Vyadha Gita and the Bhagavad Gita on Varna is quite revolutionary for its times.    

Aspect of Discrimination

Another modern view point is the absence of discrimination. Our Constitution specifically mentions the same and there are laws against it. It is quite obvious that there was discrimination during the times of the Mahabharatha. 

In one of the verses of the Gita (9.32), Krishna says, O Partha, by taking refuge in Me, even those born of sinful wombs, women, vaishyas (merchants), sudras (the fourth caste in the Vedic caste system) also attain the highest state.  

In those times, the Vedas were not open for all and there was other kinds of discrimination as well in the society. However, Krishna opens the path for each and everyone. That in itself is wonderful. This idea was picked up later by Puranas, Bhakti movement etc to open the path of liberation to everyone. 

Even with this, we can't miss the fact there there is some sort of contempt for the so-called lower castes/ sinful birth in the Gita. In this aspect, one has to accept that the view of the Author of the Gita does not come upto the modern standards. The standards of the society keeps changing and what is viewed as good today may not be so 20 years in the future. As an example, Abraham Lincoln who abolished slavery and is seen as one of the greatest presidents of USA is supposed to have said: "There is a physical difference between the White and Black races which I believe will forever forbid the two races living together on terms of social and political equality." This would easily qualify him as a racist from today's standards, but seen from a 19th Century perspective, he may have been among the most liberal people of those times. Same is the case with the Author of the Gita.      

      

Sources

https://theprint.in/pageturner/excerpt/can-the-gita-both-be-universal-and-support-caste-the-story-of-ekalavya-stands-out/714730/

https://www.hinduwebsite.com/gita916.asp

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/03/14/us/abraham-lincoln-racism-blake/index.html

http://www.srimatham.com/uploads/5/5/4/9/5549439/the_butchers_gita.pdf

https://swarajyamag.com/longform/dr-ambedkar-dr-elst-and-bhagavad-gita