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The 惫补谤峁嚹伵况补尘补-诲丑补谤尘补 represents the social principles of the Hindus. 痴补谤峁嚹伵况补尘补诲丑补谤尘补 means the duties related to social class (惫补谤峁嘺) and different stages of life (腻艣谤补尘补) in spiritual discipline to be performed by every member of the society.^[1]

In a society, the role of dharma is very significant. Dharma contributes to the preservation, progress and welfare of the society and, in a wider sense, of the whole world. The term dharma is explained as dh膩ran膩t dharma iti 膩hu岣�^[2] It means what supports life is called dharma. Dharma creates life, sustains it and saves it from evil consequences.^[3] The society is composed of divergent people who have different mental tendencies. People were classified under four broad categories in order of merit, such as 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, 碍峁�a迟谤颈测补, 痴补颈艣测补 and 艢奴诲谤补 and also entrusted with different types of duties.^[4] In its own field, each class is considered as the best one and obtains the highest perfection by discharging its dharma dedicatedly.^[5]

The word 惫补谤峁嘺 is found in the early 峁歡vedic period. In some 峁歡vedic hymns^[6], the word 惫补谤峁嘺 is used to mean colour, light, complexion etc. Again some other hymns of the 峁欢惫别诲补^[7] give a different meaning of the word 惫补谤峁嘺 which means a class of people having fair or dark complexion. In the 笔耻谤耻峁�a蝉奴办迟补 of the 峁欢惫别诲补, there is the mention of the origin of four 惫补谤峁嘺s from different parts of the Vedapuru峁�a. Here it is mentioned that the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 is the mouth of the Vedapuru峁�a, the 搁腻箩补苍测补 is his arms, the 痴补颈艣测补 is his thighs and the 艢奴诲谤补 is his feet^[8]. These four 惫补谤峁嘺s are mentioned in some other Vedic texts also^[9]. In the 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 惫补谤峁嘺 is used to signify both colour^[10] and caste^[11]. The 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈 also mentions the four 惫补谤峁嘺s in the different sides of 笔谤补箩腻辫补迟颈^[12]. According to 艢谤墨尘补诲产丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻, Lord 碍峁涐梗峁嘺 created the four 惫补谤峁嘺s on the principles of 驳耻峁嘺 (quality) and karma (profession).^[13] The main duties entrusted to the four 惫补谤峁嘺s are also described in various scriptures.

In the 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺 we find the description of four colours, viz. white, yellow, black and red related to the four 惫补谤峁嘺s. Here it is suggested that a 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, a 痴补颈艣测补 , a 艢奴诲谤补 and a 碍峁�a迟谤颈测补 stationed in the east and the other sides of the meru mountain consecutively according to their 惫补谤峁嘺s^[14]. The four colours share a connection with these four 惫补谤峁嘺s which can be related to each other. Those, who are radiant as the Kumuda flower and the full moon i.e. white colour, are worthy of worship from the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺s, those, having the complexion of red colour, the rising sun is worthy of worship from the 碍峁�a迟谤颈测补s, and those, who are bestowers of gold i.e., of yellow colour, are worthy of worship from the 痴补颈艣测补s, and the other resembling the indigo plant i.e. dark coloured are worthy of worship from the 艢奴诲谤补s^[15]. 叠谤补丑尘腻 is considered as the creator of the theory of the four 惫补谤峁嘺s^[16]. This 惫补谤峁嘺 theory is based on the 厂腻峁僰丑测补 philosophical parts of the 驳耻峁嘺s. According to livelihood, justice and other qualities, various limits were assigned to the four 惫补谤峁嘺s by 叠谤补丑尘腻. The upholder of dharma established the proper ordinances and norms of dharma for the 惫补谤峁嘺s and 膩sramas, according to their qualities. For 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺s, who perform the rites, the Pajapati鈥檚 world is determined, Indra鈥檚 world for 碍峁�a迟谤颈测补s who do not run away from battle, Marut鈥檚 world for 痴补颈艣测补s who follow their own dharma and the world of the Gandharvas are determined for the 艢奴诲谤补s, who observe servitude.^[17] The 驰腻箩帽补惫补濒办测补蝉尘峁泃颈 mentions some common religious practices allotted to all the four 惫补谤峁嘺s such as-abstention from cruelty, truthfulness, not stealing, purity, control of the senses, charity, mercy, self restraint and forgiveness.^[18]

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈, 2.25

[2]:

惭补丑腻产丑腻谤补迟补, 艢膩ntiparva, 110.11

[3]:

Ibid., 260.3

[4]:

Ibid., 60.47

[5]:

sve sve karma峁噛abhirata岣� 蝉补峁僺颈诲诲丑颈峁� labhate 苍补谤补岣� / 艢谤墨尘补诲产丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻, 18.45

[6]:

峁欢惫别诲补, 1.73.7; 2.3.5; 9.97.15, 9.105.4; 10.124.7

[7]:

Ibid., 2.12.4; 1.179.6; 3.34.9; 9.71.2 etc.

[8]:

br膩hma峁噊鈥檚ya mukham膩sid b膩h奴 谤腻箩补苍测补岣� 办峁泃补岣� /
ur奴 tadasya yadvai艣ya岣� padbhy膩峁� 艣奴dro aj膩yata // 峁欢惫别诲补,10.90.12

[9]:

Atharvaveda, 19.32.8; 5.17.9; 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, 5.5.4.9; 痴腻箩补蝉补苍别测颈蝉补峁僪颈迟腻,18.48 罢补颈迟颈谤墨测补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, 7.1.1.4

[10]:

膩 san 惫补谤峁嚹乻trayo hyasya g峁沨nato nuyuga峁� 迟补苍奴岣� /
艣耻办濒辞 谤补办迟补蝉迟丑腻 辫墨迟补 id膩n墨峁� k峁涐梗峁嘺t膩峁� 驳补迟补岣� // 叠丑腻驳补惫补迟补辫耻谤腻峁嘺,10.8.13

[11]:

mukhab膩h奴峁Ｅ� p膩debhya岣� puru峁�asy腻艣谤补尘补i岣� saha /
catv膩ro jaj帽ire 惫补谤峁嚹� 驳耻峁嘺irvipr膩daya岣� 辫峁泃丑补办 // Ibid.,11.5.2

[12]:

惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈, 2.31

[13]:

肠腻迟耻谤惫补谤峁噛补峁� 尘补测腻 s峁涐梗峁璦峁� 驳耻峁嘺karmavibh膩ga艣a岣� / 艢谤墨尘补诲产丑补驳补惫补诲驳墨迟腻, 4.13

[14]:

惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 51.14-18

[15]:

p奴jy膩 dvij膩n膩峁� kumudendubh膩so ye k峁�atriy膩峁嚹佱箖 ca nav膩rka-惫补谤峁嚹佱弗/
tath膩 vi艣膩峁� ye kanak膩vad膩t膩 n墨l墨nibh膩岣� 艣奴drajanasya ye ca // 惭腻谤办补峁囜笉别测补辫耻谤腻峁嘺, 93.36

[16]:

Ibid., 46.3-7

[17]:

Ibid., 46.77-80

[18]:

M.N. Dutta, The Dharma Sastra,Vol.I., p.21