Third highest of the four varna s 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 Brahman s and the Kshatriya s but before the Shudra s. 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.