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division of labour. It is true so far as it goes but what Śrīkışņa says in the Gitā seems to imply that the entire classification was based on general principles of gupa and karma. Guna means the infinite quality of thie person concerned and karma means the action which follows from guna and is consistent with its nature, Following this line of thinking we find that the division, threefold or fourfold is not arbitrary. The entire classification of objects in the external world is based upon this principle and it is wellknown that any deficiency in Guņa or karma or efficiency in the same has a tendency to bring down or raise up the standards of the varna concerned. It is for this reason that in the course of the natural state of the society it is sometimes found that men of higher castes are sometimes lacking in higher qualities and show traces of qualities which are normal to the lower and vice versa. A Brāhmapa may have qualities of a Kşatriya and a Kşatriya that of a Brāhmaṇa. The instances of Parasurāma and Viśvāmitra will clear the point. There are of course exceptional cases and are explained in the Epics in an adequate manner. I
. But in the ordinary course of the nature, a Brāhmaṇa sepresents the spiritual heredity on the one hand and the spiritual acquisition on the other and so with the others. It is said in the earliest literature on the subject as interpreted by Yājñavalkya that there are three principles involved in the philosophy of varna or caste, Jati, Karma and Vidyā. For example, the Brāhmaṇa body must be in the ordinary course a product of Brāhmapa parents. Such Brāhmaṇa is technically known as Jātibrāhmaṇa — it is Brāhmaṇa by birth just as bird or beast or a particular species is born of a bird or beast of the same species. In the same way, a Brahmana is born of a Brāhmana parents. This represents the superficial qualification of a Brāhmaṇa body, namely Játya Brāhmaṇaḥ ( FRITT ; ) This is birth in a Brāhmaṇa family with the specific characteristics inherited from his parents. 1. See Mahabharata Anušāsana Parya, Adhyāya IV. For the example of
Viśvāmitra ; and Rāmāyanı, Balakanda Sarga 75-76 for the example of Paras:rāma.
