UNDERSTANDING THE FOUR VARNAS INSIDE SELF

Vedas have given utmost importance to the phrase, “Yat Pinde Tat Brahamande” which means the working of the inner universe is similar to the working of the outer Universe and vice versa. For example, the structure of an atom with electrons revolving around nucleus is similar to the structure of the solar system with planets revolving around the Sun. This philosophy is applicable to any and everything in this world and this includes even the presence of four Varnas in our body. Using this philosophy, this blog will help you to understand the inseparable relationship between the four varnas and their indispensability.

Please note that because of gradual decline in moral values and wisdom, the humanity lost its touch with the divinity and began corrupting all the Vedic scriptures through their unintentional and even intentional misinterpretation to showdown others. The current ridiculing of Manusmriti is also because of this gradual misinterpretation of this document. This blog will help you settle all your doubts about Varna system.

To begin with, the meaning of Brahman, the first Varna is that person whose “Mann” i.e. mind is continously engaged in understanding the Brahmand, the Universe (both internal and external). So, the brain including our sense organs represent the Brahmin whose task is to perceive and analyse the world (brahmand) around and inside and regulate the working of the body accordingly. Arms are like Kshatriya who do physical karma to achieve a specific objective but in tandem with Brain (Brahmins) analysis. Stomach and small intestines are like Vaishya who run the economy and convert resources into currency (energy) and provide it to all the body including brain basis their requirement. Shudra is represented by the large intestines whose task is to analyze the body’s need basis help from brain to reabsorb/recirculate the essential and remove the unwanted. Now while upfront we all may appreciate the importance of Brahmin, Kshatriya and Vaishya, the fact is that if Shudra doesn’t do its work, the entire body will be choked and will become sick (manifesting as constipation/lose motions or both) and die. That is why Ayurveda stresses so much on the importance of colon cleaning through enemas or natural laxatives in almost all diseases, even though apparently there doesn’t seem to be any connection between the disease and colon.

Of course, Shudra was just one example to emphasize the importance of all Varna. In fact, every Varna is important and the interrelationship between different varnas should be cordial and highly understanding (empathetic) for a healthy body. For example, a Brahmin’s task is to continuously understand the Brahmand while Vaishyas job is to provide currency to the Brahmin. However, if a Vaishya keeps most of its currency to itself (Ayurvedically it happens by consuming too much bitter with sweet taste which creates belly), then it will provide lesser currency to Brain then what is needed thereby creating and unhealthy body due to hungry brain which will then stop working properly. By the way, all these phenomenon are happening at Universal level too where we find most of Vaishya hoarding and not providing enough or anything to Brahmin resulting in Brahmin losing focus on understanding the world and regulating it. Likewise, shudras are being looked down upon by Brahmins and other Varnas resulting in system getting choked. This even includes philosophers who try to clean the mental dirt but are not cared/shunned by the society in Kalyuga. 

Conversely, when Brahmin becomes greedy or overstimulated, it loses its ability to regulate self and other Varnas. Exactly goes with our brain too. When unhealthy, it loses its ability to regulate the body resulting in physical diseases at different levels. This happens when we become very greedy and full of vices. Then the brain becomes selfish and holds things inwards thereby weakening the other organs of the body like it happens in diabetes when it happens because of greed and holds back enough blood from reaching lower body thereby resulting in issues like kidney failure, constipation etc. Astrologically, it happens when there is excess Ketu in the brain. On the other hand, when Brain is too giving, it becomes weak and creates poverty as it is unable to hold anything for itself and thus weakens the other systems of the body too. Likewise, when Karma (kshatriya/arms) go wrong and don’t listen to Brahmin (the inner voice), then again the entire body and mind go in the wrong direction. We can think of several examples to understand cause and effect relationship between different body parts (Varnas).

 *** Heart can be said as someone who is playing the multiple role of Brahmin as well as Vaishya as not only it helps Brain in governing bodily mechanisms but also stomach/small intestines in circulating different currencies created by the latter. In fact, it also distributes heat and strength to our muscles and thus it also works as Kshatriya. Its pumping action help remove impurities including CO2, from the blood and body. Thus it also works as Shudra. That ways going by Yat Pinde Tat Brahmande philosophy, every cell of human body too has different organelles that work as different Varnas.

The bottomline is that every person should be discharging one’s duty with absolute selflessness which also means give others including self their dues and this way one’s rights will reach one by itself. However, in Kalyuga what we see is that we are bothered more about others work. We are habitual of blaming others. Once we practice discharging our duties selflessly, this world will become a heaven or else our soul will incarnate in a heavenly place where there is love for each other and thus dutifulness for each other and the collective consciousness. A true follower of Vedic philosophy will also never develop jealousy for others he/she would know that every soul has to go through different Varnas in different lives and we all are part of a cosmic game which we should enjoy instead of developing vices like jealousy, ego, lust for each other. 

So, How to go back to Satyuga when a model Varna system was in place?

To understand this, we must comprehend the basic Vedic terms called Rajas and Tamas in Ayurvedic language which are nothing but Rahu and Ketu respectively in Astrological language. So, Rajas is over stimulation/excitement and when there is excess Rajas in us, it makes our mind run too quickly thereby making it impulsive too. Thus, it robs us of our ability to gauge/perceive situations/people correctly thereby becoming judgmental. Overstimulation at the body level is akin to boiling fluids and tissues in our body that subsequently create havoc in us and since the body and mind are overstimulated, they make us choose wrong decisions, wrong foods, wrong medicines, wrong lifestyle, wrong sides while also making us perceive things wrongly. All in all, it dents our wisdom due to the force of outward inertia which in the long run not only dents our physical health but also financial and material health.

Its only through these dents that this fast moving mind begins to slow down and goes into inner churning mode to understand the outer life lived so far and create knowledge out of it. This inward phase is called as phase of Ketu where the person goes so inwards that it stops looking outwards thereby triggering Tamas. Usually souls because of their desire (which generates from impulse/Rajas) chose a specific life and then graduate. Likewise certain souls decide to stick to their previous desire and chose Tamas instead of moving beyond their comfort zone. So when a soul choses excess Rajas or Tamas, it weakens the entire varna system within the body as well in the Universe (we discussed this that how these forces weaken our health as excess Rajas overstimulates and hollows the body and excess Tamas creates greed and overfills the body).

So once we learn how to avoid foods that create Rajas and Tamas in our body and begin to follow the middle path which is called as Sattva, then not only shall we become truly healthy (mentally as well physically), we shall begin to respect all varnas in the external Universe as well as within our body. Please remember the Vedic philosophy, “Yat pinde Tat Brahmande”. If the internal varna system of the individuals in a society is not in harmony, the external Varna system too will not be and the society is bound to collapse. All in all, food as well as lifestyle, has a cause and effect relationship with the health of the individuals as well as the entire society. It is therefore inevitably essential to understand Ayurveda and implement it true letter and spirit if the aim is to bring harmony within all the inhabitants of the earth and unless this is followed, the earth shall continue to suffer with physical as well mental diseases manifesting as wars, ego issues, greed, selfishness, crimes and so on.

Last but not the least, a consistent harmony within each body part (within the smaller Universe i.e. Pinde) and with every individual soul at Universal level, can be obtained only when we :-

(a) practice code of moral ethics (which means loving everyone unconditionally like a family and stay transparent with each other),

(b) Do regular Asanas to homogenize nutritional fluid in the entire body do regular pranayama to uniformly provide oxygen to all the parts of the body (which at universal level means to not let anyone remain hungry neither devoid of food, water nor fresh air)

(c) Meditate regularly to quieten the mind for a regular course correction.

All these are limbs of Ashtang Yoga that if every individual on earth starts understanding and doing regularly, then it can take us back to Satyuga. Do remember that a good and ideal Varna system is essential for existence.