Every Hindu should know what Varna and Ashram mean by. Varnas are clearly not the caste system in India. There are only 4 varnas, whereas there are innumerable castes in India. The 4 varnas are (i) Chatriyas, (ii) Brahmanas, (iii) Vaisyas, and (iv) Sudras. It becomes very essential to bring up a very vital point to the readers. The word 'Sudra' is being mis-used by many treating sudras lower in hierarchy. But the reality is not so. It's a varna with equal weight-age compared to other 3 of them. Each varna has got its own significance. Varnas are based on work.
Chatriyas are kings whose main work is to take care of their countrymen. Brahmanas are said to have learnt vedas and teach the essence of it to kings and others. Vaisyas are business people and they do trade for the benefit of people. Sudras are laborers. Chatriyas practice 64 different arts, brahmanas are said to be well versed in vedas, upanishads, sashtras, Vaisyas are people with business intellect. Since Sudras are involved in lot of physical work, unfortunately they have not been recognized in the society despite their strenuous hardworking nature.
Aashram or Hermitage
Pious people, who have renounced this worldly pleasures form a small place to lead a peaceful life. Mostly, the hermitage would be amidst nature with serene environment.
Teaching the values of upanishads, sastras, and vedas would be the main occupation there. In some ashrams, yagnas and yagas will also be performed. Basically, there are 4 stages in the life of every individual namely, Baalya, Yavvana, Gruhastha, and Vaanaprastha. Obviously, baalya is the childhood period of a person. Yavanna is the adolescent period, gruhastha is the married life of a person and lastly, the vaanaprastha, which means, after performing all the duties destined to an individual, he, along with his wife goes out of the city to a remote place to lead a life in harmony with nature. On such occasions, the couple would live in a hermitage. An ashram becomes complete only when the real motive is to attain salvation and to reach the almighty.
Chatriyas are kings whose main work is to take care of their countrymen. Brahmanas are said to have learnt vedas and teach the essence of it to kings and others. Vaisyas are business people and they do trade for the benefit of people. Sudras are laborers. Chatriyas practice 64 different arts, brahmanas are said to be well versed in vedas, upanishads, sashtras, Vaisyas are people with business intellect. Since Sudras are involved in lot of physical work, unfortunately they have not been recognized in the society despite their strenuous hardworking nature.
Aashram or Hermitage
Pious people, who have renounced this worldly pleasures form a small place to lead a peaceful life. Mostly, the hermitage would be amidst nature with serene environment.
Teaching the values of upanishads, sastras, and vedas would be the main occupation there. In some ashrams, yagnas and yagas will also be performed. Basically, there are 4 stages in the life of every individual namely, Baalya, Yavvana, Gruhastha, and Vaanaprastha. Obviously, baalya is the childhood period of a person. Yavanna is the adolescent period, gruhastha is the married life of a person and lastly, the vaanaprastha, which means, after performing all the duties destined to an individual, he, along with his wife goes out of the city to a remote place to lead a life in harmony with nature. On such occasions, the couple would live in a hermitage. An ashram becomes complete only when the real motive is to attain salvation and to reach the almighty.