QA on racism Q 4 Are varna and ashrama the only two hierarchies present in nature?

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Q4: Are varna and ashrama the only two hierarchies present in nature?

Question:
And can I ask a quick clarification?

Answer:
Sure.

Question:
Based on what was just mentioned, I wanted to confirm: Do the shastras, which represent Krishna’s creation and His ultimate intention, describe only two main hierarchies or social structures—namely the varna system (Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaishya, Shudra), and the ashrama system (Brahmacharya, Grihastha, Vanaprastha, and Sannyasa)? Are these the only categories or hierarchies that Krishna intended for human society?

Answer:
Yes, that’s a good observation—and a nuanced one.

In the Bhagavad-gita, when Krishna says “cātur-varṇyaṁ mayā sṛṣṭaṁ” (4.13), He specifically refers to the four varnas and mentions that He Himself has created this system. So, in that particular verse, Krishna directly mentions varna, not ashrama.

Now, regarding ashramas—they refer to the four stages of life. These stages are to be adopted voluntarily and practiced conscientiously. Just because someone is unmarried doesn’t automatically make them a brahmachari, and just because someone is retired doesn’t automatically make them a vanaprasthi or sannyasi. These stages involve a deliberate commitment to a particular spiritual and lifestyle discipline.

So we could say:

• The varna system is more of a natural social hierarchy, based on one’s qualities (guna) and activities (karma), and is explicitly created by Krishna as part of social organization.

• The ashrama system is a kind of spiritual progression that’s encouraged, but it doesn’t unfold automatically just with age. It requires intentional cultivation.

Therefore, while both varna and ashrama serve as frameworks for human growth—one more social and functional, the other more spiritual and personal—varna is the only one explicitly mentioned as part of Krishna’s divine creation in Gita 4.13.

That said, a spiritually progressive person would naturally feel inspired to move through the ashramas. But it’s not enforced by nature or biology—it is a matter of personal effort and choice.