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CHAPTER VIII
INSTITUTION OF CLASS AND ORDER AND THE
AIMS OF HUMAN EXISTENCE
The institutions of class and order are the unique fcatures of the Brahmanical social system The institutions are unparalleled in guiding the course of the society through the ages And the edifice of these institutions was erected on such a strong foundation that despite strong reprobation by the advocates of the casteless society, the institutions have survived even to these days, albeit in a degenerate form However, the exigency of the context does not allow us to deal with the merits and demerits of these institutions. Hence, we proceed with comparative study of the Brahmanical and the Jaina sources regarding their respective approach to the institutions
As is known to us, Jainism, in its early stages, was highly critical of the institutions of class and order in gencral and of the superiority of the Brāhmana varna? in particular. A study of the Jaina canonical works shows that this protestant religion was not at all in favour of Brahmanical pretention to supremacy simply on birth ground 3 We also meet with instances which poriray this Varna as bereft of all human qualities, addicted to all vices and given to every sort of moral turpitude • This hatred of the Brāhmana class was so strong that some of the post-canonical Carita-writers were tempted to
leg Ultarā, chap 12 where Hariesa, a Sovāga by birth, is said to have
entered a sacrificial enclosure of a Brāhmana teacher and preached him
the real form of sacrifice (yajña) 2 This class is often referred to as dhujjat (dhigjāti) "condemned caste"
cf LAI, P 140 3 Uttarā, chap 25 W 19.34 The canon referring to the characteristics
of a real Brāhmana sums up with the remark that one becomes a
Brāhmana by action (Kammuna bambhano hor) 4 PPC, 4 65-66, RPG, 4.87-88
