Smṛti literature, especially Dharmaśāstras such as the Manusmṛti, gives the caste structure a religious and juridical backbone by presenting the four varṇas—Brāhmaṇa, Kṣatriya, Vaiśya, and Śūdra—as divinely ordained and part of the cosmic order. These texts do not merely list social categories; they link each varṇa to a specific set of duties and occupations, treating these as inherited obligations rather than matters of personal choice. In this way, social hierarchy is framed as dharma, so that fulfilling one’s caste role becomes a moral and spiritual requirement rather than a negotiable social arrangement. The hierarchy itself is explicitly graded, with Brahmins accorded the highest ritual and social status and Śūdras placed at the bottom, and this ranking is portrayed as reflecting divine will and the workings of karma.

Alongside this theological framing, the Smṛtis provide detailed regulations that shape everyday interactions between castes. They prescribe rules governing marriage, dining, and social contact, and they carefully regulate inter-varṇa unions, often stigmatizing or forbidding them. Offspring of mixed unions are assigned specific, usually lower, statuses, which supports the multiplication and hardening of caste and sub-caste boundaries. Rules of ritual purity and pollution further separate groups, justifying segregation and unequal treatment as matters of religious propriety rather than mere prejudice. Access to Vedic study and many sacred rites is restricted to the “twice-born” varṇas, while Śūdras are excluded from full participation, reinforcing their subordinate position through control of religious knowledge and practice.

The legal dimension of the Smṛtis deepens this structure by embedding caste distinctions into systems of rights and penalties. Different varṇas are assigned different legal consequences for similar offenses, with the texts tending to favor higher castes and disadvantage lower ones. Occupational choices and avenues of livelihood are likewise regulated according to birth, so that economic life, religious life, and legal status all converge to sustain the same hierarchical pattern. By providing rulers and community leaders with explicit guidelines for enforcement, these texts transform caste from a set of customary distinctions into a rigorously codified order. Through this combination of religious sanction, social regulation, and legal prescription, the Smṛtis make adherence to caste norms appear not only socially expedient but spiritually necessary, giving the system a powerful and enduring hold on Hindu social imagination.