The caste system as practiced today is a social evil that has no scriptural basis in authentic Hindu texts. The original concept of varna mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita [4.13] was based on individual qualities and actions (guna and karma), not birth.
The Rigveda's Purusha Sukta [10.90] describes society's four functional categories as interdependent parts of the cosmic being, suggesting complementary roles rather than hierarchy. Historical evidence shows that the current rigid birth-based system emerged much later due to social and political factors.
Modern Hindu scholars emphasize that discrimination based on birth contradicts the fundamental Vedantic teaching of the divine presence in all beings. The Bhagavad Gita [5.18] explicitly states that the wise see everyone equally, regardless of social status.
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