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316
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1877.
no doubt, find a reference to a fact which the praised as righteous and pious. Yet in two Brahmans of later times would perhaps have speeches in the eighth book (or Karnaparvan, proferred to ignore, viz., that in former times vv. 1836ff. and 2028ff., addressed by Karna men of their caste had received instruction to Salya), the Bå hikas, Madras, Gânfrom Kshatriyas. For Manu allows & dhåras, and other tribes of the Panjab, are student to learn the Veda from one who is strongly censured for the dissoluteness of their not a Brahman only in cases of calamity or manners. Some extracts on this subject have necessity. (See my former article, p. 252a, at been adduced from the latter passage in Origithe bottom.) But would they be likely to refer nal Sanskrit Texts, vol. II. pp. 482f. to antiquated practices often, and especially in The tribes in question are there described as the case of such as they had come decidedly to the lowest of men, unfit to be associated with, disapprove, like polyandry ?
as faithless to their friends, liars, dishonest, as The particular question to be now settled is assembling males and females and slaves prowhether the Pân dus and their relatives are miscuously, and eating fish and the flesh of represented to us in the Mahabharata as alto- kine, drinking spirits, screaming, laughing, the gether belonging to tribes whose entire prac- women as dancing undressed and drunk, and as tices were of such a character as harmonized unrestrained in their sexual intercourse (vv. with pure Hindu ideas of later ages.
1836-1851). An old Brahman, who had lived Pándu, the father of the five brothers, is in the country, gives a long account in a similar related in that poem to have had two wives, strain, depicting the people as shameless in Prith â or Kunti Mahabharata, 4415ff.), their cohabitation, as having no Vedas, or and Madri (Mahab. i. 4429ff.). Pân du, religious knowledge, or sacrifices, &c. (vv. however, having been doomed by the curse of 2038ff.). In vv. 20814f., we have the follow& sage to die in the embraces of his wife (vv. ing important statement:-"A certain virtuous 4588f.), resolves to relinquish family life and woman, having been formerly carried away from become an ascetic (vv. 4597f.), and goes to the the Aratta (country), and violated by robbers, forest (4615), but accompanied by his wives uttere, this curse : 'Because yo violate me, (4630). The two wives, however, bear sons a young female, who have relatives, the women to different gods : Kunti three sons to of your tribe shall become licentious. Never, Dharma, Váyu, and Indra respectively (vv. vilest of men, shall ye be freed from this dread. 4765ff., 4772, and 4791), and Mädri two ful sin.' Wherefore their sisters' sons, and not sons to the Asvins (vv. 4850f.). I
their own) sons, (are) the heirs of their proMadri was the sister of Saly a, king of the
perty."|| Madras. In two passages (Satapatha Brah- ." Satt purd krita kdchid Arattat kila dasyubhih mana, xiv. 6. 3.1, and xiv. 6. 7. 1=Brihadáran
adharmatas chopaydtd sd tan abhyasapat tatah yaka Upanishad, pp. 569 and 611 of the Cal
baldm bandleumarin yan mdm adharmenopagach
chata cutta text, and pp. 194 and 199 of the English
tasmda ndryo bhavishyanti bandhakyo vai kulasya translation) mention is made of Kapya Pa
cha tanchala, a Brahmanical teacher, as living
na chaipasmat pramokshadhwam ghordt pápán narain their country, and nothing is said against dhamdhl the manners of the people. Again, in the ! tasmát tesham bhágahardh bhdgineydh na súna third book of the Mahabharata (vv. 6620f.) Asva pati, a king of the same country, is The last words appear clearly to refer to a
Compare Kumarila Bhatta's censure of Buddha, who in the appendix to his Rådjatarangint, vol. I. p. 507, was a Kshatriya, for assuming the office of a teacher, and
thus, -"Oui, vous, derniers des hommes, purifiez-vous de thereby encroaching on the province of the Brahmans: ce crime affreux. Sinon, ce ne seront pas vos fils, mais Orig. Sansk. Texts, vol. I. pp. 509f.
ceux de vos soeurs, qui seront vos héritiers." The original, I See Prof. Monier Williams's Indian Epic Poetry,
however, has nothing answering to sinon, nor has it any
substantivo verb in the future tense. Troyer adds this pp. 94, 860.
note, which I translate from the French This custom See also the translations of Prof. H. H. Wilson and
of succession" (.e., of sisters' sons being man'obeira" is Messrs. Troyer and Fauche referred to in a note below. found among the Nairs, and other tribes in which polyan
|| This line has, I find, been translated by Professor H. dry reigns." In M. Bauche's translation of the verse, HI. Wilson, in his Essay on the Hindu History of Cashmir which runs as follows:-"Ne veuilles pour expier ce crime (Asiatic Researches, vol. XV. p. 109), ne follows:-"On this abominable, et pour cette impénitence n'ayos ni fila, ni account their heirs are their sisters children, not their neveu qui soient les héritiers de vos biens," the concluding own." The entire verse has been rendered by M. Troyer words do express the true sense.
vah."
