ABSTRACT
The most important Hindu synthesis of Vedic, Upanishadic, and theistic visions is the Bhagavad Gita, the "Song of the Lord". In the Gita, which is a portion of the great epic Mahabharata, both the identification of the individual person with Atman and the identification of Atman with the ultimate reality of the universe are taken over from the Upanishads. What is required for liberation, according to the Gita, is the discipline that enables a person to engage in action without becoming attached to the results of action. It is attachment to the guna-self that constitutes bondage. To provide opportunities for members of society to achieve the basic human aims of dharma, artha, kama, and moksha, the Indian tradition recommended specific forms of social organization. One aspect of this social organization is a basic scheme of social classification that ensures adequate personnel to provide the various basic social functions.
