## Varṇāśrama Categories Although the terms "caste" and are sometimes used to indicate *varna*, these terms are not completely interchangeable with the term "*varna*." "*Jati*" means literally "birth." In terms of the caste system, "*jati*" is commonly used to refer to a social group in which an individual's membership is determined by birth. Śrīla Prabhupāda usually makes a distinction between a class in such a hereditary caste system and a *varna* in the *varṇāśrama* system—in which social role is determined by one's nature and work, rather than by birth (though occasionally he does use the term "caste" to mean "*varna*"). Moreover, the term "*jati*" can be much broader than the term "*varna*." "*Jati*" can be used to refer to birth in any type of family, such as physician, goldsmith, merchant, etc. Thus, although there are only four "*varṇas*," there may be hundreds of different "*jatis.*" "*Jati*" can even be used in the sense of "group" or "species" as in the "male *jati*" or "animal *jati*." In the context of social organization, Śrīla Prabhupāda reserves the use of the word "*varna*" to refer to one of four occupational categories. Thus, *varṇāśrama-dharma* refers to the division of human society into four occupational groups or *varṇas* (*brāhmaṇa*, *kṣatriya*, *vaiśya* and *śūdra)* and four spiritual groups or *asramas* (*brahmacarya*, *gṛhastha*, *vānaprastha* and *sanyasa)*. In the *Bhagavad-gītā* ([[bg/4/13 1972|4.13]]), Kṛṣṇa states that He has created the *varṇāśrama* system, although He Himself is transcendental to it. The categories of the *varṇas* are as follows: *Brāhmaṇas*: teachers and spiritual leaders *Kṣatriyas*: military personnel and government administrators *Vaiśyas*: farmers and business people Ś*ūdras*: laborers, artists and craftspersons The asramas represent the different possible phases of life: *Brahmacarya*: student phase *Gṛhastha*: householder phase *Vānaprastha*: retired phase *Sannyāsa*: phase of complete renunciation for the purpose of spiritual progress