Definition

1. Noun:
   • The third of the four varnas in traditional Hindu society: The Vaisya varna comprises commoners, historically associated with agriculture, cattle-rearing, trade, and commerce.
   • A member of this caste: An individual belonging to the Vaisya social class, whose traditional duties (dharma) involve farming, business, and lending money.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • In the ancient varna system, the vaisya was responsible for the economic prosperity of society.
  • As a vaisya, his family had been merchants for generations.

Advanced Usage

• The term vaisya is used in scholarly texts on Hinduism, Indian history, and sociology to describe a specific socio-economic and ritual category within the traditional caste hierarchy, below the Brahmins and Kshatriyas but above the Shudras.

Variants and Related Words

• Varna (n): The four broad social orders in Hinduism (Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaisya, Shudra).
• Vaishya (n): An alternative, common transliteration of "vaisya".

Synonyms

• Commoner (in the specific context of the varna system)
• Trader
• Merchant

Related Idioms/Phrases

• While there are no direct English idioms using the word vaisya, the concept is central to the phrase "the vaisya varna", which is used to denote this specific social stratum.

Noun

1. the third of the four varnas: the commoners or yeoman farmers or mercantile and professional category
2. a member of the mercantile and professional Hindu caste; the third of the four main castes