Indian Antiquary Vol 60

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 272

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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
DECEMBER, 1931
by others' here ? According to Manu there are only four varnas, and no fifth. The issue of a Brahman by a Kshatriya wife cannot be a Sudra according to any smriti. Who were, then, the Pratihdras born of Bhadra ? They were wine-drinkers. Were they thus Sadras, or others,' i.e., foreigners, according to Mr. Vaidya ?
Prof. Bhandarkar wrote: "The marriage of a Brahman with a Kshatriya woman, with the result as related in this inscription, is curious, and can only be accounted for as being of foreign importation." What he mainly questioned was whether the issue of a Brâhman by a Kshatriya wife could be a Kshatriya. Now let us see how far Messrs. Ojha and Vaidya have been successful in answering this question. Both have quoted the following verse from Manu, which says that the issues will be like (sadrića) father but a little inferior, owing to the inferior status of the mother :
"Strishurananlara-jálásu dvijair=utpáditân sutan
Sadrišán=eva un=āhur=måtri-dosha-vigarhitán ! (x. 6). This did not help them at all. So Mr. Vaidya has taken this opportunity to give in a nutshell a history of the development of the caste system in India, and at the same time imputed to Prof. Bhandarkar something which he never said. "Morcover the marriage," says Mr. Vaidya, "of a Brahman with a Kshatriya woman is not curious." This the pro. fessor never said ; on the other hand he admitted that this was allowed by the smriti. Mr. Vaidya then says: “The race being the same, caste in ancient times among the Aryans was merely occupational. Hence Brahmins often married Kshatriya wives. In oldest times their progeny was treated as of the Brahmin caste. By degrees, however, caste became rigid and the progeny of such marriages was treated as intermediate between Brahmins and Kshatriyas. In further process of rigidification of caste the progeny followed the caste of the mother. Such was the case in about the sixth century A.D." Scholars will note how precise Mr. Vaidya is about the time limit, the sixth century A.D.,' obviously to include just that time when Harichandra flourished. But can be cite from any smriti not later than the sixth century, that the progeny of a Brahman by a Kshatriya wife, obtained by regular marriage ceremony with mantras, would be Kshatriya ? The verse quoted above from Manu shows that, though they were just inferior to the Brahman, they were yet just superior to the Kshatriya in rank.
Rai Bahadur G. H. Ojhâ, on the other hand, has quoted from other smritis in support of his contention. But he too does not appear to have attained better success. He has quoted some of the comments of the Mitakshard on verse 91, Chap. I, of the Yajñaralkya-smpili, which says that according to Sankha the issue begotten by a Brahinan on a Kshatriya wife will be Kshatriya. But has he verified this from Sankha? We ask because we could not find it in the Sankha-samhitá published in Bengal. On the other hand, the verge of the Yajñaralkyasmsiti, to which the comment refers, says that such issues will be Murddhábhishiktas, as
Viprad Murddhábhishikto hi Kshatriyâyam višah striyam
Ambashthah Sudryám Nishado jatah Para savo=pi-va! The Mahâmahopadhyâya then quotes the following from the Auéanasa-emsili -
Nripayim vidhindi vipraj=játo nripa ili smritaḥ But we will invite his attention to two more verses from the same smriti, quoted below, which are contrary to this statement.
Vidhind Brahmanah prápya ngipayán=tu 80-mantrakam |23 Jatah su(sa)warna ity=uklah s-anuloma-dvijah emritah | Nripayam viprataś=chauryyat samjáto yo Bhishak emritah Abhishikta-nsipasy=ājñām paripályet=tu Vaidyakam || 26
4 Ind. Ant., Vol. XL (1911), p. 24. 6 Hist. Med. Hindu Ind.. Vol. 1, pp. 85-86. " Rajputine killiheis, Vol. I, p. 149, u.