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Institution of Class and Order
207
vows15, were honoured by Calnn Bharata with valuable gifts, and were invested wire Brahmasūtras oblained from the Nidhi called Padma 18
Thus, this ceremony was something like a sacrament which conferred on those religious-holders doja-hood 17
It is, however, remarkable to note that the author of the MP nowhere mentions the event as the origin of the Brāhmana Varna but he refers to it almost invariably as the origin of the Dorjasie (the twice-born classes) Thus, among the Duujas were rechoned all the pious persons drawn from the then existing lugher classes of householdais As such, this special class created by Bharata uas comprehensive of more th. n the term Brāhmana which denoted only one Porno That, in the present context Jinasena has used the term Duijn or Dorjanman in the sense of all the three higher classes, is evident from the fact that the sacraments said to have bern prescriped for those Dvijas arc made common to all the three higher l'arnas and not restricicd 10 the Brālimanas Thus, what emerges from the study of the MP 15 iliat Cakrin Bharala did not crca!e the Brahmana-vatna, but he simply introduced some mandatory sacraments' for the menibers of Ure already extant higher classes who thereby were to train and refine themselves for the proper discharge of the duties prescribed for cach Varna Hence the performance of those Samskaras was made obligatory for them Now as the ccrcmony of investiture with the sacred thread was supposed, as in the Bral.manical sources, 10 confer on the recipients of thc sacied thread a second spiritual birth, so they 15 ते तु स्वगत निद्धयर्थमीहमाना महान्वया ।
-VIP, 38 13a 16 तेपा कृतानि चिह्नानि सूत्र पद्माह्वयान्निधे । 3918.
-Ibid 38 21 17 Ibid , 38 44, 47ff 18 Ilid 38 3 (callerl Doijanman), 42, 47-49 19 These are classed under three heads called Garbhānvayal rigá, Diksän
dayatriya and Karlronvayal riya ,--MP 38 51 See thic follo ving chap
ter
