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Social thought of Yajnavalkya-(1)
145
emotional adjustments required by disappointmeut, death and disaster,"13
and
"As between one socisty and another society, it seems that the priest. receives the highest rank in medieval type of social order. Here there is enough economic production to afford a surplus, which can be used to support a numerous and highly organized priesthood; and yet the populace is unlettered and therefore credulous to a high degree.."14 Dharmanistha or its absence, sense of duty and responsibility or otherwise, would also play their part and Yajoavalkya, following Manu, accepts the descending status-crder in the learned brahmins-the Srotriyasas Acarya, Upadhyaya, Ṛtvija, etc. This is of course a different type of order from castes in the class, but later it merged in castes. But, with all this, first the learned brahmins and then the brahmins in general are of the highest social status. But then, sub-castes in brahmins, in dvija limits. by Anuloma unions become the deciding facter followed by the Pratiloma unions in the same limits. The same truth would apply to Ksatriyas, Vaisyas and particularly the Südras. In Yajnavalkya, one decisive factor in social status and stratification is de minance in power and in government. There has been a rivalry, right from the days of the Vedas, between brahmins and Ksatriyas for secial dominance. In this, mostly brahmins have won. But the two castes and classes ever stood united in keeping the Vaisyas and Sudras on a lower status As compared to Manu, the status of Ksatriyas, mainly as Rajanya has gone far higher in Yajnavalkya. In the Ksatriyas, mainly royalty and royal families are on a high status. That is the reason why he with Manu accepts the special priviledges of the royal caste in particular and Ksatriyas in general. The ministers of kings are mostly learned brahmins. Again, through dharma that he up holds, the Purohita' is almost a minister. Judges in courts are also mostly brahmins. It has happened that even though the Ksatriya is the ruler, the defacto status of brahmins was higher in the society. We have proof of incidents in which kings would go to deep forests to seek advice and guidance of brahmin Rsis; on the other side we have examples of brahmins like Kautilya who installed Candragupta on the kingly throne and then. retired to forest life and lived in a hut. It can be stated that in the days of Yajnavalkya, the status of the Ksatriya was better than in the days
of Manu,
Even at the risk of repetition, it should be stated that economic status high or low, has not become a determinant of social status in the
13. 'Human Soclety', Kingsly Davis, p. 373
14. Ibid p. 372.
Samobodhi XI-19
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