VARṆA ORDINARILY
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there are four chief divisions or castes (varṇ a) of Hindu society—viz.: Brāhmaṇ a (priesthood; teaching); Kṣ attriya (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 ̣ samskāra (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 Brāhmaṇ a.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” (Sarvavarṇ ādhikāraśca nāriṇ ām yogya eva ca).
1 Janmanā jāyate Śūdrah ̣ Samskārād dvija ucyate Veda-pāthat bhavet viprah Brahma jṇ ānāti brāhmaṇ āh.