The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (2615 page)
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Authors: John Bowker
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Vardapets
(unmarried clergy):
(unmarried clergy):
Varna
(Skt., perhaps from
v
, ‘veil’, hence ‘colour’).
1
The four social orders, or categories, of Hindu society,
Brahmans
,
K
atriyas
,
Vai
yas
, and
dras
. These divisions date from the time of the early
Aryan
settlement in N. India, and, according to the
g Veda
, were created by the gods from the body of
Puru
a
, the first man. Into these four major divisions the castes (
j
ti
) later fitted. Some maintain there is a fifth category, the Harijans, or
untouchables
, while others place them within the
udra division, dividing this into two segments, ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’. The three upper var
a are termed
‘twice-born’
, since the male family members go through a thread ceremony (
upanayana
) which implies a spiritual rebirth, marking the transition into adulthood, and the student stage (
rama
) of life. Reading, writing, and the pursuit of knowledge were regarded as irrelevant for the
v
, ‘veil’, hence ‘colour’).1
The four social orders, or categories, of Hindu society,
Brahmans
,
K
atriyas,
Vai
yas, and
dras. These divisions date from the time of the early
Aryan
settlement in N. India, and, according to the
g Veda, were created by the gods from the body of
Puru
a, the first man. Into these four major divisions the castes (
j
ti) later fitted. Some maintain there is a fifth category, the Harijans, or
untouchables
, while others place them within the
udra division, dividing this into two segments, ‘clean’ and ‘unclean’. The three upper vara are termed‘twice-born’
, since the male family members go through a thread ceremony (
upanayana
) which implies a spiritual rebirth, marking the transition into adulthood, and the student stage (
rama) of life. Reading, writing, and the pursuit of knowledge were regarded as irrelevant for the
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