vaishya

Englisch - Englisch

Definition von vaishya im Englisch Englisch wörterbuch

The third caste of traditional Indian society, comprising merchants and landowners

A member of this caste

To perform successfully in the marketplace, vaishyas had to be ambitious, to want worldly goods, and to compete aggressively with their rivals, and this desire bound them inexorably to the cycle of death and rebirth.

Third highest of the four varnas of India. Traditionally described as commoners, Vaishyas are connected with productive labour, such as trade, agriculture, and pastoralism. According to legend, they sprang from the thighs of Prajapati, after the Brahmans and the Kshatriyas but before the Shudras. Like the two higher classes, they are "twice-born"(see upanayana). They are credited historically with favouring the rise of the reformist religious beliefs of Buddhism and Jainism. In modern times they have become a symbol of middle-class prestige, and many rise to higher classes

Etymologie

() From Sanskrit वैश्य (vaiśya).