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John Woodroffe: Introduction to Tantra Śāstra
Varṇa
Ordinarily there are four chief divisions or castes (varṇa) of Hindu society—viz.: Brāhmaṇa (priesthood; teaching); Kṣattriya (warrior); Vaiśya (merchant); Śūdra (servile) said to have sprung respectively from the mouth, arm, thigh, and foot of Brahma. A man of the first three classes becomes on investiture, during the upanayana ceremony of the sacred thread, twice-born (dvija). It is said that by birth one is sūdra, by saṃskāra (upanayana) dvija (twice born); by study of the Vedas one attains the state of a vipra; and that he who has knowledge of the Brahman is a Brāhmaṇa.1 The present Tantra, however, speaks of a fifth or hybrid class (sāmānya), resulting from intermixture between the others. It is a peculiarity of Tantra that its worship is largely free of Vaidik exclusiveness, whether based on caste, sex or otherwise. As the Gautamiya-Tantra says, “The Tantra is for all men, of whatever caste, and for all women” (Sarvavarṇādhikāraśca nāriṇām ̣ yogya eva ca).
Footnotes
1. Janmanā jāyate Śūdrah
Saṃ skārād dvija ucyate
Veda-pāthat bhavet viprah
Brahma jṇ ānāti brāhmaṇ āh.
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