84000 Glossary of Terms

Our trilingual glossary combining entries from all of our publications into one useful resource, giving translations and definitions of thousands of terms, people, places, and texts from the Buddhist canon.

ཁ་ཏོག | Glossary of Terms

  • ཁ་ཏོག

  • རིགས།
  • kha tog
  • rigs
  • varṇa
  • Term
Publications: 2
  • caste
  • རིགས།
  • rigs
  • varṇa
Definition in this text:

The four social classes of traditional Hindu society: brahmin, kṣatriya, vaiśya, and śūdra.

  • caste
  • ཁ་ཏོག
  • kha tog
  • varṇa
Definition in this text:

The Sanskrit term literally means “color” or “complexion,” and is used broadly in this sūtra to describe the various appearances of buddhas or persons. In this instance, though, the term varṇa seems to refer more specifically to the categories of person and group, such as the brahmin caste or the kṣatriya caste, which contribute to the formation of the elaborate social fabric of traditional Indian society. “Social class” is a possible alternative translation.