>[!abstract] >*Varna* refers to the fourfold classification of society in ancient Hindu thought, representing broad functional divisions rather than fixed birth-based castes. The four _varnas_ are **brāhmaṇa** (priests, scholars, and teachers), **kṣatriya** (warriors and rulers), **vaiśya** (traders and agriculturists), and **śūdra** (servants and laborers). Originally conceived as an idealized system of social organization based on aptitude and duty (*svadharma*), *varna* was meant to ensure harmony and interdependence within society. Over time, however, it became intertwined with the rigid hereditary _caste_ system (*jāti*), diverging from its more flexible philosophical origins. >[!related] >- **North** (upstream): [[Varnāśrama Dharma]] >- **West** (similar): — >- **East** (different): — >- **South** (downstream): —