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A CRITICAL STUDY OF PAUMACARIYAN The PCV refers to Candālas (26. 64) and grants them the right of attaining deliverance. Kautilya lays down that they should live in the vicinity of the cemetery grounds (2. 4. 31).
Caste-flexibility:--The professional (caste) rigidity was not observed in its extremity as there are instances of persons following the pursuits of other castes. Vaivasvat as the name indicates was a Brahmin who was a teacher of archery (25. 18). Under him thousands of pupils from various parts of India received training in the science of archery. Bhargava is referred to as an adept in archery (isatthāgamakusalo 77. 83) and his son Śrīvardhita was a valorous fighter. His (viņņāņalāghava) academic attainments were so high that he was made the king of Potanapura by Kararuha, the ruler of Puşpāvatirņanagara (77. 75-88). Rudrabhäti, a notorious Brahmin became the chief of the Kágonanda tribe of the Vindhya forest (34.37). Brāhmana Indhana and Pallava are mentioned to be following the pursuits of a farmer (58.4). Madhupingala, a Purohita son, after having eloped with a princess lived on the profession of a wood-gatherer (26. 9). All these instance indicate that the Brāhmaṇas followed other pursuits also. Mere receiving of gifts and begging alms would not have fulfilled the necessities of the Brahmins, hence they took to other professions also. These types of Brahmins are called as Ksatra-brahmins and Vaisya-brahmins in the Dharmaśāstrasi and Manu has openly sanctioned that Brahmins can, if the circumstances so require, live by the means of a Kşatriya or Krşigorakşam (10. 81-83).
Ātmaśreyas, a gļhapati's son ( i. e. Vaisya) was on account of his idleness expelled from his house. He obtained a medical ring and with the help of it he earned his livelihood. He cured a queen and acquired great favour from the king (48. 90). Arka whose caste is not mentioned (but not Brāhmin or Kșatriya) was expelled from his home town by the people. He then lived on the profession of a wood-gatherer but later on his friend king Acala made him the ruler of Śrávasti 88. 18; 22, 34).
These are the literary evidences which indicate flexibility in following the professions of other castes. How far it was true in actual life of the society of our period can be corroborated by the inscriptional evidences of the Vākātaka-Cupta-age. It is recorded that Brāhmaṇas became rulers, entered army, followed trade, worked as architects and goverment servants. Kşatriyas followed commercial and industrial pursuits also. These are the cases of accepting those professions
1. Histary of Dharmasastras, Vol. II, Pt. VI, p 130
