Swami Vivekananda has written extensively about his ideas of caste in his Complete Works.

But has he written anything explicitly on the psychological theory of Varna?


Here is an example of one such writing. Just a note of caution. Vivekananda uses the word caste both in the sense of Jati and Varna. It is clear from the context what he means. I have added in square brackets the word Varna or caste in appropriate places to help the reader.

I am adding a brief summary of the Vivekananda passage as requested in the comment.The essence of the passage is that variety is the sign of life. Men of different mental capacity or varna should be allowed to freely express their various natures for the good of society.This is the true idea of varna. The degraded Varna practised by Hindus prevents this flowering of various minds by segregating persons of different mental capacities into groups and then stopping themselves from freely expressing themselves. The idea is that we should allow people to contribute to the betterment of society in various ways regardless of their birth in a specific group. Europe has freely allowed men to becme poets, scientists, priests etc regardless of their origin while India has closed all paths to contribute to the progress of society for a large fraction of its people. No one can tell how many genuises of Sudra caste have been lost due to such restrictions. It is not as if people of other castes did not lose out. Not every person of Brahmin caste had minds of Brahmin varna. Yet most Brahmins were forced to priesthood and remained extremely poor. One can say the same thing about Kshatriyas and Vaishyas. Moreover the degraded varna system invented a category of people who were considered to be outcastes which implied that they were not part of the purusha of the Rig Veda. This is of course absurd since Brahman is all. These people suffered extreme deprivation and India lost out their creative contribution to society. The net result of this defective interpretation is that India has been the loser.

A PLAN OF WORK FOR INDIA (Written to Justice Sir Subrahmanya Iyer from Chicago, 3rd Jan., 1895.)





Now, take the case of caste — in Sanskrit, Jâti, i.e. species. Now, this is the first idea of creation. Variation (Vichitratâ), that is to say Jati, means creation. "I am One, I become many" (various Vedas). Unity is before creation, diversity is creation. Now if this diversity stops, creation will be destroyed. So long as any species is vigorous and active, it must throw out varieties. When it ceases or is stopped from breeding varieties, it dies. Now the original idea of Jati [i.e. Varna] was this freedom of the individual to express his nature, his Prakriti, his Jati [Varna], his caste [Varna]; and so it remained for thousands of years. Not even in the latest books is inter-dining prohibited; nor in any of the older books is inter-marriage forbidden. Then what was the cause of India's downfall? — the giving up of this idea of caste [Varna]. As Gitâ says, with the extinction of caste [Varna] the world will be destroyed. Now does it seem true that with the stoppage of these variations the world will be destroyed? The present caste is not the real Jati [Varna], but a hindrance to its progress. It really has prevented the free action of Jati, i.e. caste [Varna] or variation. Any crystallized custom or privilege or hereditary class in any shape really prevents caste (Jati [Varna]) from having its full sway; and whenever any nation ceases to produce this immense variety, it must die. Therefore what I have to tell you, my countrymen, is this, that India fell because you prevented and abolished caste [Varna]. Every frozen aristocracy or privileged class is a blow to caste [Varna] and is not-caste [caste]. Let Jati [Varna] have its sway; break down every barrier in the way of caste [Varna], and we shall rise. Now look at Europe. When it succeeded in giving free scope to caste [Varna] and took away most of the barriers that stood in the way of individuals, each developing his caste[Varna] — Europe rose. In America, there is the best scope for caste (real Jati [Varna]) to develop, and so the people are great. Every Hindu knows that astrologers try to fix the caste [Varna] of every boy or girl as soon as he or she is born. That is the real caste — the individuality, and Jyotisha (astrology) recognises that. And we can only rise by giving it full sway again. This variety does not mean inequality, nor any special privilege.




"In search of some one to love, Thou art the One Beloved I have found. I sacrifice myself unto Thee." (Yajurveda Samhitâ).

May the Lord bless you for ever and ever!


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