Indian Antiquary Vol 60

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

Page 274

244
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
DECEMBER, 1981
be able to find any incentive, but our scriptures and traditions furnish ample evidence to show that foreigners and even low castes in batches became Brahmans, not by severe austerities like those of Visvamitra, but by a simple process of purification, namely the fire of a funeral pyre, or by putting on a sacred thread. We have already shown in our “Some Additional Notes, etc.,"referred to above, by quotation from the Mahabharata that the foreigners (dasyus) were absorbed into the four varnas. There is a tradition among the Mastana or Anavala Brahmans that at one time Rama wanted some Brahmans. As there was a dearth of Brahmans, 18,000 hillmen were converted into Brâhmans by investing them with sacred threads. Other traditions 10 of similar nature are not wanting. The Sahyldri-khanda of the Skanda-purina will also supply some. The Mastâna Brahmane, also called Anåvalês, are still cultivators. The Desais represent the higher section of these Brahmans.11 By-the-by, Mr. Vaidya, speaking of the Jâts, says: "Though treated as Sūdras by modern opinion owing to their being agriculturists, and the practice of widow marriage, eto." (Vol. I, p. 87). If agriculture and widow marriage are the criterions of Sûdradom, how could these Mastâna Brahmans, who had been cultivators, become Brahmans and remain as such? Is the marriage of widows unknown even now among some of the Brahmans and Rajpûts? The Rajgors, otherwise callod Rajagurus, the priests of the Rajpût chiefs, allow widow marriage and eat with Vânias and Kanbis.12 The thing is that these foreigners, when they became kings and were hinduized, required the services of priests, artisans, menials, etc., and they were primarily supplied from among their own tribe. This was a clear incentive to some of the foreign tribes to become Brahmans also. The process is still going on in society. We shall cite an example from Bengal. There is a sect named Jugi (Yogi). They are all also called Natha, as all of them use the surname of Natha. They were originally the disciples of Matsyêndranatha and Gorakshanatha, who made converts from all castes, high or low. They did not conform to the rites and customs of the ordinary Hindus, and were a religious sect by themselves. They did not observe caste, and they used to bury their dead even up to rocent times. Now they burn their dead and observe rites and customs like other Hindus, As no Brahmans will officiate at their ceremonies as priests, some among them learn mantras, put on the sacred thread and officiate as priests. They are called Blon Jugi or Jugir Baon, i.e., Brahman of the Jogis. In other respects they are like the ordinary Jugis. They will eat with the latter, and have matrimonial connections with them. Some of them have been following this profession for generations. Very recently some Jogis have set up a claim to be of pure Brahman origin and say that through the tyranny of king Vallalasena they were degraded.
Mr. Vaidya further says: “We need not stop to see whether Gurjara, the Sanskrit word, has been coined from Gujar by Sanskritists, though apparently there is no reason why they should have done so, for they could have pronounced Gujar as well as Gurjara, or whether Gujar, Gujar, Gurjara names still surviving are the natural Prakrit forms coming out of an original Sanskrit word Gurjira." (Vol. I, p. 84.) Does Mr. Vaidya mean to say that difficulty of pronunciation was the only reason for sanskritizing a foreign word for adoption into the Sanskrit language ? Both Mr. Ojha and Mr. Vaidya have throughout changed the name Harichandra found in the inscription into Harischandra. Was it because they could not pronounce it, or was it to give it a Sanskrit look and correct it according to the Sanskrit grammar? Hari' was perhaps the name of the man, and 'Chandra' his surname. Brahmans with the surname Chandra' are found in the Tippera copper-plate grant of Lokanatha 13 and the Neulpur grant of Subhakaradeva 14 of about the eighth century. Any philologist will be able to tell Mr. Vaidya how and for what reasons foreign words have been adopted into the Sanskrit language and given & derivation from Sanskrit roots. Difficulty of pronunciation was not the reason.
Another argument of Mr. Vaidya to prove that foreigners could not gain the status of Kshatriyas within a hundred years of their coming into India, is that caste was not so Ind. Ant., Vol. I, p. 142.
10 Crooke's Tribes and Castes of the N.W.P. and Oudh, Vol. II, p. 146. 11 Bomb. Garr., Vol. IX, F. 1. pp. 4-6. 13 Ibid., p. 17. 13 Ep. Ind., Vol. XV. p. 312. Ibid., pp. 7-8.