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Varna (वर्ण) is a Sanskrit word which means character, quality or nature.〔(【引用サイトリンク】url=http://spokensanskrit.de/index.php?tinput=varNa )〕 Due to the polysemic nature of Sanskrit, one word can have many meanings. Varna can also mean colour or class. Ancient Hindu literature classified all humankind, and all created beings, in principle into four varnas: *the Brahmins: priests, teachers and preachers. *the Kshatriyas: kings, governors, warriors and soldiers. *the Vaishyas: cattle herders, agriculturists, artisans and merchants. *the Shudras: labourers and service providers. *the Dalit: Hard workers, minimum pay. This quadruple division is an ancient stratification of society is not to be confused with the much more nuanced ''jati'' or "caste". The varna system is discussed in Hindu texts, and understood as idealised human callings. The concept of Varna is generally traced to the ''Purusha Sukta'' verse of the Rig Veda, however modern scholarship believes that this verse was inserted at a later date, possibly to create a charter myth. The commentary on the Varna system in the Manusmriti is oft-cited. Counter to these textual classifications, many Hindu texts and doctrines question and disagree with the Varna system of social classification. == Etymology and origins == Varna is a Sanskrit term ' (वर्ण). It is derived from the root ', meaning "to cover, to envelop, count, classify consider, describe or choose" (compare ').〔Krishna Charitra by Bankim Candra V&S Publishers〕 The meaning of the word as used in the ''Rigveda'' has the literal meaning "outward appearance, exterior, form, figure, shape, colour" besides the figurative "colour, race, kind, sort, character, quality, property". In the ''Rigveda'', the term can mean "class of men, tribe, order, caste", especially expressing the contrast between the āryas and dāsas. According to Indian sources the word Varna originates from the root word "vrinja" which means "choice".〔http://agniveer.com/manu-smriti-and-shudras〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Varna (Hinduism)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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