• Nagappa Gowda K

The quadruple division of society into brahmins (priests or teachers), kshatriyas (rulers or warriors), vaishyas (agriculturalists or merchants), and shudras (servants) is one of the most discussed, but equally decried and censured, institutions of ancient India. Though, the Manusmriti was centrally built around exalting this one theme, it cannot, however, own its copyright, as the idea was first stated, as formal division into four social classes, in two of the shlokas of the Purusha Sukta of the Rigveda (Rigveda, mandala 10.90, verse 11–12) thus: “When they divided Purusa how many portions did they make? What do they call his mouth, his arms? What do they call his thighs and feet? The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rajanya made. His thighs became the Vaishya, from his feet the Shudra was produced”. This means, the varna division was created out of the sacrifice of the primordial Purusha (the term purusha was used variously in ancient Hindu literature like, the cosmic being or self, consciousness, and universal principle. In Bhagavata Purana and Mahabharata, it was used as synonymous of the Lord Vishnu or Brahma), brahman from Purusha’s mouth, kshatriya from arms, vaishya from thighs and shudra from his feet (Manusmriti, 1.31).

Mahabharata, guna, swabhava, Jaina, Buddhism, Aryans, Anaryans, Brahmadeva, Dharmashastra, Dharmasutra, Varnashramadharma, Rajan, Upavedas, Chaturvarnas, dwijas, Veda.

"Social Order and Varna Politics in Ancient India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 1, page no.337-347, January-2018, Available :http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1801366.pdf

"Social Order and Varna Politics in Ancient India", International Journal of Emerging Technologies and Innovative Research (www.jetir.org | UGC and issn Approved), ISSN:2349-5162, Vol.5, Issue 1, page no. pp337-347, January-2018, Available at : http://www.jetir.org/papers/JETIR1801366.pdf