Questions tagged [caste-system]
For the questions about a caste-system based on varna e.g the Chaturvarna: Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya, and Shudras. The mixed varnas, apostate varnas, and varnas not necessarily related to the Chaturvarna (e.g. Mleccha) are also valid for this tag.
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Is intelligence an innate quality of Brahmanas?
According to Hindu scriptures, different castes were created differently and therefore have different innate qualities.
For example, Kshatriyas are strong according to the Taittiriya Samhita:
7.1....
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Not counting Purusha Sukta, what castes are mentioned in Rig Veda?
Brahmins are mentioned in connection with frogs and opinion is divided if they are being made fun of.
Book 7
HYMN CIII. Frogs.
THEY who lay quiet for a year, the Brahmans who fulfil their vows,...
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Are children born to Hindus abroad caste Hindus?
This is not something ancient scriptures would likely have encountered. Would they have the same ritual status as Hindus who traveled abroad?
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Which scripture is the source of the verse "kalau śūdra sambhavaḥ"?
"kalau śūdra sambhavaḥ" means all humans are Shudras in Kali Yuga. Which scriptures are the source of this verse? Is this found in Bhagavata Purana?
user9554
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What was varna of foot soldiers of Mahabharata war?
Tens/hundreds of thousands of foot soldiers supposed to have participated in Mahabharata war. Usually in historical pre-modern wars of such magnitudes we see foot soldiers being conscripted from ...
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Which caste is "software developer"?
Advocates of the varnashrama dharma claim that we should follow the varna professions listed in the dharma shastras. For example:
10.47 - For Sūtas, the management of horses and chariots; for ...
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Why are there so few countries at present where Hinduism is alive?
If Sri Ram and Dharam Raj Yudhishthir were Chakravarti Samrats and whole world followed Sanatan Dharma, does that mean people all over earth people followed caste system?
How come we have Hinduism ...
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Did Adi Shankara say that women and low castes cannot attain moksha?
According to a Facebook post, Adi Shankara taught his followers that women and low caste people are exempted from attaining moksha. This is what the bizarre post said:
Vedanta holds that this ...
user9969
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What was Krishna's opinion on inter-caste marriage?
This is a specific question. Please do not quote Smriti Shastras. I want to know what Krishna said about inter-caste marriage in Bhagavad Gita. Was he in favour of it? Or did he criticize it?
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Is Raavana a rakshasa or a brahmin and how he can be a king too?
First, how is Raavana a rakshasa and a brahmin at the same time? Second, if Raavana is Brahmin, how is he the king of Lanka? Since one's caste was determined based on one's karma, I would think ...
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What was Sri Rama's opinion on the caste system?
Did Rama enforce castiesm or did he attempt to reform it or did he ignore it?
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How does Sonadanda's characterization of a Brahmin agree or disagree with other definitions in scripture?
http://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/dob/dob-04tx.htm
Dialog between Sonadanda the Brahmin and the Buddha:
"
11. Now the Blessed One became aware in his own mind of the hesitation in the mind of ...
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Which varna are 'Hindu' Buddhists part of?
There are a lot of our scriptures mentioning Gautam Buddha as one of Vishnu's avatars. You can see this Wikipedia post for the list
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gautama_Buddha_in_Hinduism
If it is ...
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Were there sacraments to convert non-arya and arya but non-kshatriya kings to kshatriyas?
Wiki article of Mahapadma Nanda says
The Puranas describe Mahapadma as a son of Mahanandin by a woman from the Shudra caste.[ Jain works like Parishishtaparvan and Avashyaka sutra represent him as ...
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Under what conditions can a husband abandon his wife?
Under what conditions can a husband abandon his wife ? What does scriptures say about this ?
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Is there a punishment for non-dvijas recititing "Bhavati bhīkṣāṃ dehi" or the other forms of it?
In Manu Smriti for example it is said:
2.49 An initiated Brahmana should beg, beginning (his request with the word) lady (bhavati); a Kshatriya,
placing (the word) lady in the middle, but a Vaisya, ...
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Bahujan Samaj are Vaishya not Shudra
Most Neo Buddhists says that Bahujan samaj are Shudra and have major proportion demography because they have to serve above three Bhramin Kshatriya and Vaishya varnas
If you see how Shudra are defined ...
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Is there any explicit writing by Swami Vivekananda on his psychological theory of Varna?
Swami Vivekananda has written extensively about his ideas of caste in his Complete Works.
But has he written anything explicitly on the psychological theory of Varna?
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Does Geeta advocate the execution of one's dharma according to the varna system?
Does Geeta advocate the execution of one's dharma according to the varna system?
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Does any Hindu scripture say anything to the effect "all men (and women) are created equal in dignity and rights"?
There are quotations to the effect that one's caste is not by birth - I don't mean that. Some sects may say all members of the sect are equal and I don't mean that either. Does it say anywhere in ...
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Was Chatur-ashram applicable for all the different castes?
Were chaturashram (4 stages of life) applicable for all the 4 castes (Brahmin, Vaishya, Kshatriya, Shudra)? Did lower castes really get the chance to observe bramhacharya, i.e. to be educated?
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Does canonical Sanskrit scripture contain rejections of caste that go beyond the birth vs qualities dichotomy?
Starting from the Purusha Sukta - there is the birth-based four-fold division of humanity - Brahmins,kshatriyas,Vaishyas and Sudras.
https://hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/52131/12489
refers to an ...
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Recommended balance of strength amongst Varnas in an ideal world
Varna system classifies our society largely into four social groups. Each varna has it's own strength and there is lot of interdependence between them. Hence, it's common sense to state that if one ...
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What Advaita tells about Mlechha, Caste system, Varna Sanskara?
What Advaita tells about
Mleccha can change religion to Hinduism?
(Yes means which varna they will come. No means explanation of why they should not change religion)
Please answer this question ...
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Does the Manusmriti have verses discriminating against Brahmins?
Why does the Manusmriti have verses discriminating against Brahmins?
For example:
A twice-born person, having, through folly, drunk wine, shall drink
wine red-hot; he becomes freed from his ...
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Were there only Brahmins in Satyuga or in remote past ? Were all Varnas created from Brahmins?
Were there only Brahmins in the past ? Were all other Varnas created from Brahmins ? How did it happen ?
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Was wife of Ved-Vyas a Brahmini or Murdhabhishikta?
I am asking this question as I wanted to know if a Murdhabhishikta man can marry a Brahmini girl or not.
Ved-Vyas was a Murdhabhishikta as he had a Brahmin father(Parashara) and Kshatriya mother( ...
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To which caste do people from the Vishwakarma community belong?
I belong to the Vishwakarma community and am not able to decide on the caste (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya or Shudra) I belong.
As per my knowledge and learning, even the Vedas, Manusmriti and other ...
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Identifying Varnas based on scriptural sources
I understand Vedas talk of four varnas — Brahmana, Vysya, Kshatriya and Sudra. I have seen arguments saying it's a classification based on Karma, Guna, Birth etc. Some say birth is of most importance, ...
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How to select your religious sect - using faith, caste or Ishta Deva as per astrology?
I haven't read much but from what I have read I have come to understand that Hinduism is not just one religion but a wholesome bunch of all kinds of beliefs. It includes faith in different Gods and ...
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Can we go back to our own varna dharma?
If our Brahmin or Kshatriya ancestors did not perform Upanayana Samskara and have not followed their dharma can we still have rights to get Upanayana Samskara for ourselves and our children?
If no, ...
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Exploring sadhanas for transformation: Overcoming the impact of birth on nature
In a fascinating discourse between Yudhishthira and Bhishma found in the Anusasanika Parva of the Mahabharata, Bhishma discusses the interplay between a person's birth and their conduct. He ...
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If kshatriyas and vaishyas don't exist, who can take up arms and do farming?
For example, the shastra says only people born as kshatriyas and who have done upanayanam can be military or police:
Manu 10.79 - For the Kṣatriya, carrying of arms and weapons. For the
Vaiśya, ...
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How many caste are there in Hinduism?
If one searches Caste on google images, the first few images they would be greeted with is this:
However on wikipedia, the following is written:
There are 3,000 castes and 25,000 sub-castes in India,...
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What role does caste play in modern day Hinduism?
For the past times, one may argue in support of caste system as in support of categorization and classification of people, but disregarding social and political issues, does it hold any use today in ...
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How does caste relate to Hinduism in practice?
To my understanding in the most ancient times, caste was a label based on profession. My question is, did it have any influence on how Hinduism was practiced?
For example, Would Hinduism, in practices ...
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What are the consequences of having a Varnashankar child?
One verse from Gita says that Varnashankar causes ancestors of a person to fall from heaven to hell for eternity.
Bhagavad Gita 1.42 (Arjun Says)
Hybrid castes ensure that the family line and those ...
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Can a Murdhabhishikta (BrahmKshatriya) man marry a Brahmin girl?
Can a Murdhabhishikta (BrahmKshatriya) man marry a Brahmin girl ?
Murdhabhishikta - Child born from Brahmin Father and Kshatriya mother.
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Can people of two castes dine together?
In my state , there is tradition that in wedding or for that matter in any type of function , we invite only people from our own caste to the function , even if you have strong friendship with someone ...
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What is purification process of chandala to change to shudra?
How chandala change his varna to shudra ? What purification process is mentioned in scripture ?
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Can Hindus go to foreign countries?
Is it true that Hindus who go to foreign countries lose their caste ?
Is such restrictions only on crossing the sea ? Or Is it applicable for leaving Aryavrata in any possible way, even by road ?
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Why almost all Hindu scriptures are written by Non-Brahmins (as per Smritis)? [closed]
As per smritis only people born to parents who are both Brahmin parents can be Brahmins. For example, in Manusmriti 10.5, 10.10 and 10.14 it says:
सर्ववर्णेषु तुल्यासु पत्नीष्वक्षतयोनिषु ।
आनुलोम्येन ...
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Do the Vedas mention mixed-castes (Varṇa Saṅkara-s)?
The famous Purūṣa Sukta doesn't mention Varṇa Saṅkara-s. Kṛiṣṇa also didn't talk about Varṇa Saṅkara-s despite of concerned raised by Arjuna,
adharmābhibhavāt kṛiṣhṇa praduṣhyanti kula-striyaḥ
...
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Do the words of Krishna in the Gita support birth-based caste? [duplicate]
this is not a duplicate of
Does the Bhagavad Gita declare that caste is based on birth?
in answer to which the words of Arjuna are cited:
1.41 - When unrighteousness prevails, O Krishna the ...
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Are persons from lower castes allowed inside temples according to agama shastras?
In the pre partitioned era some temples placed ban on lower castes entering temples. Is there any basis for this prohibition in the agama shastras?
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Penalty for impersonating a Brahmin [closed]
My family has observed the rules of marriage according to the scriptures.
However, in the case of my cousin sister, her husband is a Sudra who impersonated a Brahmin in order to marry her.
He is an ...
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How pure were the castes at the time Manu-Smriti was written?
http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m13/m13b012.htm
Mahabharata seems to suggest caste-mixing was already happening:
"Bhishma said, 'The Brahmana, the Kshatriya, and the Vaisya are regarded as the ...
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Does this statement about Smartas have scriptural authority?
A book by Agehananda Bharati contains a statement on Smartas:
The Smarta-brahmins of the Tamil. Telugu. and Malayalam speaking
areas of the Dravidian South of India are no doubt the highest ...
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Astrological signs and śūdra-like nature [duplicate]
According to this answer on Quora.com:
In the astrological context, which determines a person’s character, everyone born under the rising signs (lagna) of Gemini, Libra and Aquarius is ...
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Can a Hindu eat with a non Hindu?
In a video by the Sikh Jagraj Singh, Hinduism was discussed in relation to a passage from the Guru Granth Sahib.
In the GGS, the Guru Nanak described the Hindus as hypocrites for eating with Muslims ...
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