The document explores the concept of 'vārta' in ancient Indian economic thought, emphasizing its importance in understanding economics as well as its role in agriculture, animal husbandry, and trade. Highlighted by texts such as the Arthashastra and Mahabharata, vārta was seen as a crucial branch of knowledge necessary for rulers to ensure societal prosperity. It discusses the historical significance and different interpretations of vārta, underscoring its impact on livelihood and the economic stability of communities.

1. Vārta:
Meaning and
Significance
Dr. Virag Sontakke
Assistant Professor
Center for Advanced Studies
Department of A.I.H.C. & Archaeology,
Banaras Hindu University

2. Varta:
Meaning and Significance

3. Vārta
• Vārta (वाता$): refers to economics:
• Ancient thinkers used the word Varta to mean the science of national economy.
• Kauṭilya: Vārta is knowledge needed to run a state include
1. Agriculture,
2. Animal breeding, and
3. Trade.
• According to Mahabharata, Varta was the roof of the world, a thing which was
most essential for economic stability.
• It was necessary for the King to learn about the essentials of national economy
from scholars and specialists in order to discharge his functions successfully as
a ruler.
• Vārttā occupies a preeminent place in ancient Indian Economic Thought.

4. Term and Meaning
• The term Vārtā has been derived from the term Vṛtti (वृ#$)
implies livelihood and the branch of knowledge needed to earn
one’s living.
• Vārtā has been practised in India probably since the Indus
Valley Civilisation.
• Vedic texts have copious references of agriculture and animal
husbandry as well as a few to trade also.
• By the beginning of the Mauryan period Vārttā was recognised
as a branch of knowledge.
• Most texts consider Vārta to be one of the foremost
responsibilities of a king.

5. Meaning
• Systematic study of the material/economic interest of community.
• Study of Produce, Distribution, Commerce.
• Three fold meaning:
Varta as
Varna
occupation
Varta as
knowledge
Varta as
means of
livelihood
Agricultural
Trade &
commerce
Animal
Husbandry

6. Varta as Puruṣārthas
Manu Smṛti stated that all the three puruṣārthas of Dharma, Artha and
Kāma do good to human existence.
1. Dharm
2. Arth: Varta
3. Karm
4. Moksh
• Varta: important elements of economy

7. Varta as means of livelihood
•Initially, varta only included Agriculture, domestication
& commerce in its domain.
•Varta held different from Shilpa/Karukarma/Hast
kaushal
•Later karukarma = Shilpa was added to Varta.
•Mahabharata: Kashushilpa = a part of Varta.

8. Varta as knowledge
• Kautilya: 4 branches of Knowledge = Aanvikshiki (Philosophy), Trayi (Three Vedas), Varta,
Dandneeti (Politics).
• Shukraneeti: Varta is the science of Profit and Loss.
• Brahaspati : 2 branches of knowledge = Varta and Dandneeti.
• Devi Bhagvata Purana: Devi is known by 4 Vidyas which also include Varta
• Skandapurana, Vishnupurana, Agnipurana: Varta = one of the 4 branches
• Bhagvatpurana: Varta = Chaturvidya = Agriculture, commerce, cow security, interest taking.
• Gautam Dharamsutra + Matsya Purana + Manusmriti: Brahmans were supposed to teach Varta as
branch of knowledge.
• Kamandak’s Neetisaar + Shukraneeti + Yajnavalkya smriti: King should study Varta.
• A.N.Benerjee: Varta was the branch of learning that had wealth for its subjects.

9. Nature of Varta
• Kautilya + Manusmriti + Milindpanho + Kamandaka: Varta constitutes of
Agriculture, domestication & commerce.
• Arthashastra: Means of Varta are equivalent to philosophy & Purushartha
• Kalidasa: Varta included Agriculture and Domestication.
• Shukraneeti: Interest keeping (Kuseevad) and Commerce are parts of Varta.
• Devipurana: Varta also includes Karmanta = industries.
• Initially, works performed by shudras (Karukusila) were not included in Varta.
• Wilson on the basis of Vishnupurana: Varta also comprised of Crafts, Engineering,
Sculptural art, Ayurveda.
• Hemchandra: Varta is significant for Livelihood.
• Arthashastra: Varta = Mean to fill treasury
• Ramayana: Varta as mean to attain happiness.

10. Elements of Varta
क
ृ िष =
Agriculture
पशुपालन =
Domestication
वा,ण. =
Commerce
क
ु सीद = Interest
keeping
का2,श3 =
Crafts

11. Varta as Varna occupation
• Varta held different from Shilpa/Karukarma/Hast kaushal
• Varta: indicative of occupation of Vaishya varna initially.
• Later it included occupation of Shudras also
• Mahabharata: Trayi, Dandneeti & Varta are for Brahmans, Kshatriya &
Vaishyas.
• Kautilya : Three main occupations of Vaishyas- Agriculture, domestication,
commerce = Varta.
• Kamandak + Vishnupurana : Varta = occupation of Vaishyas.
• Bhagvata purana: Krishna studied Varta.

12. Antiquity of Varta
• Vayu & Brahmand Purana: Varta came into exixtence in Treta Yug.
• Matsya Purana: Varta arose to tackle the difficulties posed by heart, mind and
action.
• Numerous references in ancient literature.
1. Jain Kalpasutra: Rishabhdeva created 3 occupations = varta.
2. Mahabharata: Narad asks Yudhishthir ‘Are you keeping an eye on varta?’.
3. Ramayana: Ram inquires Bharata about people involved in Varta.
4. Arthashastra: Varta significant for development of State.
5. Manusmriti, Milindpanha: refer to Varta.
6. Amarkosha: Varta used as synonym for Livelihood.
7. Jain Kalpasutra: Rishabhdeva created 3 occupations = varta.
8. Puranas: Varta is axis for economic life.
• Probably Varta was conceived when arts and crafts weren’t held important in
society.

13. Importance of Varta
• Study of Varta as a branch of knowledge.
• Mahabharata: Till the rules for Varta are followed, society will
prosper.
• Arthashastra: King shall update & acquaint himself with main tenets
& developments in Varta in his kingdom.
• Other texts: If the postulates for Varta are not followed, societies will
decline.

14. Significance of Varta
• To support humans.
• To function as a source of income
• For material wellbeing
• For development of society, state & economy
• For economic prosperity & security
• Upholds social system & order

15. Significance of Varta
• Role of means of livelihood in sustenance of humans identified as varta.
• Due to the importance attributed to Varta, special attention for providing
facilities and implementing measures for its development.
• Led to the inclusion of study of occupational knowledge and tactics in
ancient education.
• Varta streamlined the occupational domain.
• Varta categorized economic activities to be carried by a special class.

16. Historiography
of Varta

17. Vārttā in Kauṭilya’s Arthśāstra
• Vārttā refers to livelihood and the science or vidyā to procure your livelihood.
• Vārttā has been accorded the status of vidyā or a systematic knowledge system
along with Ānvīkṣikī, Trayī and Daṇḍanīti.
• Further, in the opinion of Kauṭilya these four vidyās help a man to understand
dharma and artha.
• This vidyā has an interrelationship with the rest of the three vidyās and is like a
lamp that helps us understand better the other vidyās.
• The term vārtā according to Kauṭilya implies the occupations agriculture,
animal husbandry and trade
• Since Varta helps an individual to avail of grain, animals (mainly cattle), money,
forest produce this vidyā is very beneficial.
• The Vārta helps a king to control, with the help of his treasury and army, his
own as well as his enemy’s subjects.
• Kauṭilya strongly feels that a king who uses Varta in an optimum manner is
indeed eligible for respect.

18. Vārtā in the Kāmandakīya Nītisāra
• Some scholars consider this text as a summary of the Arthasāstra.
• The date of this work is believed to be before the 7th century CE.
• Vārtā has been mentioned as a branch of learning along with Ānvikṣikī,
Trayī and Daṇḍanīti.
• The text states that the king, after controlling his senses should
concentrate on ensuring the development of these Varta.
• It mentioned that only these four are the eternal branches of learning
and equates Vārtā with the branch of knowledge that concerns itself with
the gain and loss of wealth.
• Like the Arthaśāstra, this text too includes animal husbandry,
agriculture and trade in the definition of Vārtā
• It also considers these three to be the means of livelihood for the Vaiṣyas

19. Vārttā in the Rāmāyaṇa
• The subject of Vārttā in the Rāmāyaṇa has been dealt in the
hundredth sarga of the Ayodhyākāṇḍa.
• ShriRāma expects Bharata, as the administrator of the state to be aware of
the three vidyās namely the three Vedas, Vārtā and Daṇḍanīti.
• He asks Bharata whether the Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas and Vaiṣyas are
absorbed in their respective duties.
• He wants to ensure that Vaiṣyas whose source of Vārtā is agriculture and
animal husbandry.
• He specially inquires about the welfare of the Vaiṣyas whose Vārtā is
sourced from trade, agriculture and cattle breeding.

20. Vārttā in the Mahābhārata
• The Mahābhārata in Śāntī Parva describes the respective duties of the
four varṇas.
• The dharma of a Vaiṣya includes giving dāna, studying the Vedas and
Śāstras, performing yajñas and earning wealth while maintaining his
purity.
• The Vaiṣyas were to engage in agriculture, animal husbandry and trade
i.e. Varta.
• Among these three occupations, the Mahābhārata considers animal
husbandry to be only the Vaiṣyas vocation and they had to look after
cattle like a father taking care of his children.

21. Vārttā in the Harivaṁśa
• The Harivaṁśa is the appendix text to the Mahābhārata.
• The date of the composition of this text generally fixed between the 1st-
3rd centuries CE.
• The sages told Pṛthus’s subjects that he will provide them with Vārttā or
livelihood.
• The people appealed to Pṛthu to grant them livelihood.
• This legend clearly indicates that the king was responsible to ensure that
his subjects had the proper means of livelihood.
• In the same text there is a mention of the term Vārtā when Kṛiṣṇa
explains to the gopas of Vraja about their pastoral subsistence.
• Shri Kṛṣṇa speaks about agriculture, cattle herding and trade being the
three main occupations of people and cattle herding being the chief
occupation of the gopas.

22. Vārttā in the Purāṇas
• The Bhāgavata Purāṇa briefly touches the subject of Vārttā.
• Narad mentions agriculture and trade as two forms of Vārttā which
cannot endow a man with the attainment of Bhagavat.
• Shri Kṛṣṇa, speaks about Vārtā is of four kinds: agriculture, trade, taking
care of cattle and money lending (kuśida).
• Among these, the gopas practice cattle protection.
• Here money lending being added to the categories of Vārtā as it may have
been a widely practised occupation in the early medieval period when the
Bhāgavata Purāṇa was being compiled.
• The Devi Bhāgavata Purāṇa adds karmānta or craftsmanship to the list of
professions coming under the concept of Vārttā.

23. Vārttā in the Dharmaśāstra Texts
1. Manu Smruti:
• The Manu Smṛti discusses the duties of a king .
• It is stated that a king must be trained in the four vidyās- Ānvikṣikī,
Trayi, Daṇḍanīti and Vārttā
• He should learn the Vārttā from the people.
2. Yājñavalkya Smṛti
• The Yājñavalkya Smṛti refers the king should be well versed in the four
vidyās i.e. Ānvikṣikī, Daṇḍnīti, Vārttā and Trayī

24. Discussion
• From the above overview we understand that most major texts have
incorporated the concept of Vārttā.
• The ancient Indian intellectuals had completely ascertained the role
Vārttā.
• Agriculture, animal husbandry and trade are the three fundamental
elements of economy was rightly identified as Varta.
• The king was assigned the charge to see to it that his subjects had a
proper source of livelihood.
• The vidyā of Vārttā practised through Dharma ensured the material well
being of not only individuals but also made sure that the economy
flourished.