Varṇa

Varṇa, when made to stand for the caste system, poses one of the great challenges to modern Hinduism. There are two aspects of the caste system: caste disability and caste mentality. India has made considerable progress in removing caste disabilities, as reflected by the access that women and the lower castes have gained to the Vedic scriptures; for centuries, they were not allowed to study such scriptures. According to Professor K. Satchidananda Murty, the Veda is meant for all, regardless of sex, caste or race. Swami Vivekananda and Govinda Das both criticized the caste system. This chapter explores the concept of varna in relation to the caste system in modern Hinduism. It discusses the critique offered by Jyotiba Phule, E. V. Ramasami Naicker, and B. R. Ambedkar on the subject, and focuses on the principles of social justice within Hinduism.