The Duties of the Four Castes

A Brahmaṇa is one who practises sama and dama—serenity and self-control. He practises tapas. The conscious physical self-denial in order to economise the expenditure of human energy and conserve it for reaching the higher unfoldment within is called tapas. It is the duty of a Brahmana to keep himself ever clean and pure. To be patient and forgiving and thus to live without struggling even against the wrong done against one is forbearance—the duty of a Brahmana. Never harbouring any hatred for anyone, he lives equanimously amidst both the good and the bad. He is straightforward in all his dealings, and his uprightness makes him fearless in life. He is afraid of none and he makes no compromise of the higher calls with the lower murmurings. He is rich, both in theoretical knowledge and experiential wisdom.A Kshatriya is a commanding personality who has heroism and vigour of pursuit while meeting the challenges of life. He has a powerful will, and thus having decided to do something, pursues the path and discovers in himself the necessary drive and constancy of purpose to break down all the obstacles until he gains victory or success. A Kshatriya is prompt in coming to decisions and in executing them. Such an individual is industrious and has an enviable amount of perseverance, however hazardous may the field of activity be. He will not leave any work incomplete. A Kshatriya is generous and compassionate towards those who are in need of help. He has firm faith in himself and is able to reinforce other frail hearts around him with his self-confidence. He wafts all around a fragrance of brilliance and dynamism, electrifying the atmosphere around him.Agriculture, breeding and tending cattle, trade and commerce are the fields in which a Vaishya can function inspiredly and exhaust his imperfections. To work in a spirit of dedication and service is the duty of a Sudra.Not by birth is a man a Brahmin. By cultivating good intentions and noble thoughts alone can we ever aspire to brahminhood; nor can we pose as Brahmin merely because of our external physical marks, or bodily actions in the outer world. The definition insists that he alone is a Brahmin, whose thoughts are as much sattvik, as his actions are..For the perfectly healthy life of a society, all castes should not be competitive but cooperative units, each being complementary to the others, never competing among themselves. When each one works thus according to his vasanas and fully devotes his attention to his prescribed duties, he will develop within himself and attain, in stages, the ultimate perfection.We must analyse and discover the type of vasanas and temperaments that predominate in each one of us and determine what types of men we are. None belonging to the higher groups have any justification to look down and contempt upon others who are of the lower types.

The Duties of the Four Castes

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