Lecture Three, Four, Five: Renunciation, Caste, Varnas and Jatī

Question 1

What is asceticism

Answer 1

to engage in renunciation

Question 2

To become an ascetic is to become a

Answer 2

renunciate

Question 3

5 requirements for full renunciation

Answer 3

1. Abandon all possession, including varna (social station)
2. Must be a twice born male
3. Purging and Adoption of asceticism
4. Hold a ritual death
5. Dissolving of marriage

Question 4

What is the Recitation of the Call?

Answer 4

Part of the formal renunciation ceremony, saying “I have renounced”

Question 5

3 negative aspects of formal renunciation ceremony

Answer 5

1. The Recitation of the Call
2. A vow of ahimsa
3. Remove all clothing to symbolize another birth out of the social and worldly order and into deep religious life

Question 6

5 positive possessions adopted during renunciation ceremony

Answer 6

1. A staff for walking support and symbolically pierce the enemies
2. Water pot
3. Loincloth for covering genitalia
4. Waistband to hold loincloth
5. A larger garment to protect him from the elements

Question 7

What does the renunciate do for the first year?

Answer 7

study under a teacher

Question 8

Which direction do renunciates wander to

Answer 8

north

Question 9

What 4 things do renunciates need to avoid?

Answer 9

1. Becoming attached to particular places
2. Enjoyment
3. Being Recognized
4. Spending more than one night in a village and more than five in a city

Question 10

What is an aum?

Answer 10

Food provided via begging

Question 11

Renunciates should avoid houses that are

Answer 11

known for their generousity

Question 12

Six stereotypes of the caste system

Answer 12

1. Caste entirely determined by birth
2. No upward social mobility
3. No intermarriage
4. Eternal/Divinely created
5. Jobs invariably correspond with caste
6. Always hierarchical in the same way

Question 13

What does varna mean?

Answer 13

class

Question 14

What is the aryan view of the varna system?

Answer 14

Idea that a group of Russians brought the vedas with them

Question 15

The vedas are

Answer 15

the most ancient authoritative texts in hinduism

Question 16

What is a response to the aryan invasion?

Answer 16

genetic data does not support the view of relations with people from Russia

Question 17

If the Aryan invasion were true, what is the explanation of the varna system?

Answer 17

The varnas were there already, and then the sudras and untouchables were added to accomodate the indigenous peoples

Question 18

In the pre-aryan era, how many jatis were in India?

Answer 18

2000-3000

Question 19

What is a jati?

Answer 19

a small group that shares traditional, occupational specialization

Question 20

2 distinctive characteristics of the jati system

Answer 20

1. Occupations are narrow such as farming a particular crop

2. Not as broad as varnas

Question 21

Jati systems were traditionally thought to be determined by…

Answer 21

birth

Question 22

Do individuals belong to a varna or a jati or both?

Answer 22

Both

Question 23

4 types of purity and pollution

Answer 23

1. Body excretions
2. Kinship
3. People of other classes/castes
4. Violation of dharma

Question 24

How does one eliminate pollutants?

Answer 24

bathing

Question 25

The best translation of caste is

Answer 25

Jatī

Question 26

Who is the satya kāma ?

Answer 26

He who desires truth story

Question 27

Explain the extent to which caste is determined by birth?

Answer 27

people are said to embody the virtues of their varna to truly be in that varna and some people can be misplaced

Question 28

Explain the extent to which there is no upward social mobility?

Answer 28

the story of satya kama shows mobility and entire jatis can be moved from one varna to another

Question 29

How does changing diet affect jatis

Answer 29

Eliminating meat can be considered less polluting

Question 30

Who is the Purusa Sukta?

Answer 30

the interpolated man, the splitting up of the body into the varnas (the hymn of man)

Question 31

Explain the extent to which there is no intermarriage

Answer 31

while it is seen as the more polluting act possible, the amount of seriousness around no marriage shows that there were regular cases of intermarriage

Question 32

Explain the extent to which the caste system is eternal and divinely driven? (2)

Answer 32

1. The varna system is as old as dirt, around since creation

2. When god created the univierse, he created the varnas

Question 33

Explain the extent to which jobs invariably correspond with caste

Answer 33

Economic and political power depends on their numbers rather than the type of occupation they perform