To Fight in a Righteous War Varna and Moral Duty in India Free Essay Example, 1750 words

How did the Bhagavad-Gita reinforce the system of varnas, or castes? Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad-Gita (4.13) says â€Å"According to the three modes of material nature and the work ascribed to them, the four divisions of human society were created by Me. † He furthers says that â€Å"Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras are distinguished by their qualities of work in accordance with the modes of nature† (Bhagavad-Gita, 18.41). Thus we can find that the varnas or classification of one is not determined by birth. The quality of work done by one ascertains his/her varnas. The divisions are created by the Lord himself so that every one is placed in the work that most suits him/her or in which they are most comfortable. â€Å"By following his qualities of work, every man can become perfect. By worship of the Lord, who is the source of all beings and who is all-pervading, man can, in the performance of his own duty [or occupation], attain perfection† (Bhagavad-Gita, 18.45-6). Whatever professional inclination a person may have is decided by the styles of material nature one has gained, or in which he or she connects. We will write a custom essay sample on To Fight in a Righteous War: Varna and Moral Duty in India or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page It survived in the Mahabharata story, and to Alexanders time (perhaps in the modern Punjabi surnames Puri). † Dharmanand (1966) also states that: â€Å"The cause of the Ten-Kings battle was that the Ten tried to divert the river Parushni. This is a stretch of the modern Ravi which, however, changed its course several times. Diversion of the waters of the Indus system is still a cause for angry recriminations between India and Pakistan.