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BAHUBALI
143 family on her marriage, but not so the man! So far as the upper classes (Brāhmaṇas, Kshatriyas and Vaisyas) are concerned, the discussion is almost a purely academical one, except in so far as the general prejudice against traders has everywhere led the aristocracy to close the doors of society against them. Many instances are to be found in the Purāņas of Vaisyas marrying Kshatriya girls and even the daughters of Brāhmaņas. The difficulty is only experienced in dealing with the cases of inter-marriage between Sudras and the higher Varnas. But the examples of Bharata and Chandra Gupta show what the practice used to be in the past.
On returning to his capital, Bharata demanded submission from his own brothers, which was naturally refused. But all of them, excepting Bāhubali, felt that they could not face Bharata on the battle-field, and renounced the world, placing their sons on their thrones in their own places to avoid the humiliation. Bāhubali, on the other hand, hurled open defiance at the Emperor and challenged him to a fight. Bharata was indignant at what he regarded as unbrotherly conduct of Bāhubali, and marched against him at the head of a large army. The two armies :at last came face to face with each other. But be-fore the commencement of open hostilities, the
