Varnsankar is a Sanskrit word that can be translated to mean “one who fails to maintain their Varna”. In Hinduism, Varnas are the four main social classes that define a person’s occupation and social standing. The four classes are Brahmin (priests), Kshatriya (warriors), Vaishya (business people), and Shudra (workers). A Varnsankar is someone who is born by mixing two varnas.
The person who was born by the union of such a man and woman, who is not married according to the rules of Dharma, as a result, the born child has lost the ancestral character and qualities.
or
Varnsankar means a person who is born from a combination of men and women of two different varnas or castes. Varnsankar also arises due to a lack of determination or knowledge of varnas.
Modern Science Explanation
Varnsankar simply means hybrid progeny which has a mixture of genes from two different members of the same species. Science talks about two types of genes one is dominant and the other is recessive.
The dominant gene has the ability to express its special character in its progeny and generally, the recessive gene is suppressed by the dominant to express the character of the dominant one.
In the case of a plant, we manually select the superior members of the generation for the desired characters, and breeders cross-mate them in a controlled manner.
When a pure generation member having good characters is mated with an impure or varnsankar (mix) or low-quality character member or member with an undesirable character, his progeny in generation 1 (F1) produced will be superior to pure generation member, and the effect of an impure one is masked by the pure one.
This method is generally used in plant hybridization to increase production or for some other specific yield but it is not successful because the mating member is selected for a few superior characters.
The outcomes of hybrid progeny are always high for that specific character in quantity or any other character but their other quality gets reduced except for the few ones which you need. Because a single member of any species has numerous values and characters but hybridization leads to boosting only a few selected characters.
Another drawback of hybridization in plants is, that you can not use F1 generation-produced seeds to grow them again because they lose their superiority in the F2 generation. That’s why farmers need to spend their hard-earned money on purchasing seeds every year.
Here, the science failed in the case of a plant that has very lower desired genes to be transformed for our specific needs but in the case of humans, we have numerous genes which is controlling their specific character, and also it is hard to study all of them because we can’t take a risk where we have the maximum chances of failure.
But our scriptures had already said the truth a long back which science is researching today and cross-verifying the facts.
Types
Varnsankar is said to be of two types:
- Anulomaj
- Pratilomaj
Anulomaj’s father is of superior varna than the mother and Pratilomaj’s mother is of superior varna than the father.
Pratlomaj Sankar was considered prohibited in ancient times. The promotion of Anulom marriage was in ancient times, but it gets restricted in past.
Although these reasons have been counted in the scriptures – (1) Adultery, (2) Abstinence, and (3) Self-renunciation; the last thing is not paid attention to in the public.
References:
Women occupied a very high status in Vedic society. For families to be religious, and societies to be moral, it is necessary that their women be virtuous. According to the Manu Smṛiti:
यत्र नार्यस्तु पूज्यन्ते रमन्ते तत्र देवताः।।3.56।।
“Societies where women are worshiped, for they are chaste and virtuous, the celestial gods are joyous.”
From Gita verses 41 to 44 of chapter 1;
अधर्माभिभवात्कृष्ण प्रदुष्यन्ति कुलस्त्रियः।
स्त्रीषु दुष्टासु वार्ष्णेय जायते वर्णसङ्करः।।1.41।।
O Krishna! The women of the family become contaminated because of the increase of iniquity; (and) O Varshney! Varna hybrids are born when women are contaminated.
सङ्करो नरकायैव कुलघ्नानां कुलस्य च।
पतन्ति पितरो ह्येषां लुप्तपिण्डोदकक्रियाः।।1.42।।
Varnsankar is the only one who takes the family destroyer and the family to hell. Due to not getting Shradh and Tarpan, the ancestors of these (destroyers) also fall from their upper place.
दोषैरेतैः कुलघ्नानां वर्णसङ्करकारकैः।
उत्साद्यन्ते जातिधर्माः कुलधर्माश्च शाश्वताः।।1.43।।
Due to the defects that cause these varna hybrids, the clan religion and caste religion, which have been going on forever, are destroyed.
उत्सन्नकुलधर्माणां मनुष्याणां जनार्दन।
नरकेऽनियतं वासो भवतीत्यनुशुश्रुम।।1.44।।
O Janardan! We have been hearing that those human beings whose family religions are destroyed are thrown to hell for a very long time.
Summary of Varna in Gita
Arjun became concerned and started comprehending, “What would happen to the society in the absence of guidance and protection of elders? The women of the family may get misled.” Therefore, Arjun said to Shree Krishna that if the women of the family turn towards immorality, and commit adultery, they would bear illegitimate children.
This would not only destroy the peace and happiness of future generations but also deprive the ancestors of their Vedic rites. Family traditions will be abandoned and the welfare of society will be at stake.