Mathematical concept of varna system: universally applicable character-types

The 28 types of responses

The illustration given above, namely,
one satva, three rajas, and two tamas
is just one type of response.
How many such types are possible?
To see this denote the above type as
1,3,2.
The first digit in this sequence stands for
the number of satva modes of response;
the second digit stands for
the number of rajas modes of response;
and the third digit stands for
the number of tamas modes of response.
Together the three numbers have to add up to 6.
It is therefore a question of finding
in how many ways we can partition
the number 6 into an ordered partition
of three digits which may vary among
0,1,2,3,4,5,6.
The answer is 28 by a mathematical calculation.
It can be experimentally verified when we
come to the actual responses and their classification.

Classification of the 28 types into
Four character-types ( = varnas)

Before we mention the criterion for the classification, it is worthwhile to represent the illustrative example of the type
one satva, three rajas and two tamas
(represented by the partition 1,3,2) also
by a symbolic colour chart as follows:

1
2
3
4
5
6

Here the blue line-segment represents satva
the red line-segment represents rajas and
the black line-segment represents tamas

Now we shall give the criteria of classification.
In this illustration above,
the dominant mode is rajas,
as can be easily seen
by the three red lines outnumbering the other colours.
Dominance is one criterion.
Another facet considered as a criterion is:
what comes next to the dominant mode?
In the above illustration note that
the tamas comes next in dominance.
There is a third facet for the criterion which we explain in
The Third Facet.
So we can state the criteria of classification of the types
for purposes of locating oneself in the spiritual ladder of evolution:
If satva is the dominant mode that type is called the character-type B;
If rajas is the dominant mode
with satva following, that type is called the character-type K;
If rajas is the dominant mode
with tamas following, that type is called the character-type V;
If tamas is the dominant mode, that type is called the character-type S.

Applying this criterion,
we see that the above illustration belongs to the character-type V.

We are now ready to display the 28 types and
the four character-types into which they classify themselves.
We begin by displaying first the 18 questions (along with some comments)
which lead up to the charts of the 28 types.
The viewer can, however, move on to any one of the following by clicking the appropriate indicator below:
Three questions each, pertaining to
KNOWLEDGE; ACTION; DOER; INTELLECT; WILL; HAPPINESS.
The 6 types falling into the character-type B;
The 6 types falling into the character-type K;
The 6 types falling into the character-type V;
The 10 types falling into the character-type S.

Or one can move on to the text

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February 11,1999