War in Ancient India c4.s6.t1.4

c4.s6.t1.4

The Varṇa system of the ancient Hindus implied the fourfold division of society into Brahmans, Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, and Śūdras. The Brahmans formed the group of philosophers and teachers, the Kṣatriyas the group of rulers and warriors, the Vaiśyas the group of agriculturists and traders, and the Śūdras the group of men engaged in different menial services. The idea gained ground that to follow one’s own dharma and to sacrifice one’s own life, if need be, in the prosecution of that dharma, was the highest duty expected of every citizen, to whatever caste he belonged. We may remember how Kṛṣṇa laid emphasis on this point to the vacillating Arjuna who was out to fight his own kith and kin. This is the plain teaching of the Bhagavad Gītā. This insistence on svadharma is a sound economic concept.