VARNA AND THE ASHRAMA SYSTEM

VARNA AND THE ASHRAMA SYSTEM

The varnas and asramas are not much discussed in the Ramayana. But, that it is the duty of the king to maintain harmony among the four varnas and to see that people do not violate norms of their varna is referred to in the epic occasionally. Rama takes care to see that his subjects perform their respective Varna roles. Dasaratha too rules over his kingdom in such a way that men perform their varna dharamas. Violation of any varnadharma is punishable as it has already been shown, in the case of Sambuka. In the varna system the Brahmanas enjoyed high regard among men. Rama regards a word of a Brahmana as an authority and believes that to follow it is Dharma.Brahmanas are supposed to be qualified in sastras. Getting consecrated as the heir of their family is the primary duty of Ksatriya. The Ksatriyas have to wield weapons to save those who are in distress. Rama himself has to do that as a ksatriya. Answering a query of Sita, he says that he wields weapons as a Ksatriya in order to save those who are in distress. If a Ksatriya dies in a battle one need not grieve over it.

 When Dasaratha rules Ayodhya , Brahmanas enjoy the highest regard among men. Ksatriyas come after Brahmanas, Vaisyas after Ksatriyas and Sudras serve all the three upper classes as it is their Dharma. Ramatells the Sudra ascetic ‘Sambuka that if you   are a Brahmana may you prosper. If you are a Ksatriya may you be victorious. If you are a Vaisya or Sudra speak the truth’.

One of the duties of a king is to preserve varna system and as a young prince Rama is advised by Visvamitra to kill Tataka even if she is a woman. Visvamitra says that killing Tataka would not entail any sin as an unethical act does. Reference to the four stages of life or asramas is quite rare in the epic. A ceremony is held after Rama Laksmana complete their study and as a part of it a ritual called ‘godana’ is performed before the pupils return to their place for the next asrama, called the householder’s life or grhasthasrama. They shave their beards and after presenting gifts to their preceptor they leave his place with due reverence. This ritual is called ‘Samavartana”. The householder’s life is considered the best part of life among the four asramas.