Sambodhi 2005 Vol 28

Author(s): Jitendra B Shah, K M Patel
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 32

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SUDARSHAN KUMAR SHARMA
emptiness etc. and finally a butcher house or shambles gave room to the etymoloty of "śūnāyām dārayati iti vā or Sūnāyām dadāti dārayativā, or Sūpamdadātitiva i.e. one dissecting the animals for food in an isolated place or one offering food from an isolated place far removed from the normal place of residence insusceptible to the smoke screens etc. or one offering the meat curry or vegetable soup. Atharvaveda Vratyakaṇḍa (XV) refers to the Vratyas sprung from the three varṇas and their inter mixture but not taking to the ceremony of the investiture with the thread and other sacraments followed Mahabharata (XII. 296. 7-9) and Manusmrti X. 5, Mahabharata (XII. 296. 7-9) refers to Atirathas, Ambasthas, Ugras, Vaidehakas, Švapākas, Pulkasas, Stenas, Niṣādas, Sūtas, Magadhas, Āyogavas, Karaṇas and Canḍālas. Apart from the mention of Vrätyas - as the offsprings of the intercasts unions i.e. Brāhmaṇa father and Ksatriya mother,' Kṣatriya father and Vaiśya mother, Vaisya father and Śūdra mother, Ksatriya father and Śūdra mother etc. Manu follows suit in his Smṛti X 8-398 and Yajnavalkya does so in his Smrti IT-4. 90-95. In verse 96, Yajñavalkya has illustrated the point that a Niṣādi is produced by a Brāhmaṇa from a Śūdrafemale; she (i.e. the Niṣādī) if married by a Brāhmaṇa, produces a certain girl; even she (i.e. the girl) if married by a Brāhmaṇa produces another (girl)-in this manner the sixth (girl) produces the seventh Brāhmaṇa (male) 10.
जात्युत्कर्षो युगे ज्ञेपः सप्रेम पञ्चमेऽपि वा । व्यत्यपे कर्मणाम् साम्यम् पूर्ववच्चाधरोत्तरम् ॥
Mahabharata11 XII 296.27 emphasises the status of Śūdra far from being degraded though immune from the performance of sacraments.
SAMBODHI
न चापि शूद्रः पततीति निश्चयो, न चापि संस्कारमि हाईतीति वा । श्रुतिप्रवृत्तं न च धर्ममश्नुते,
न चास्य धर्मे प्रतिषेधनं कृतम् ॥
The insciptions equally display a regular inter-mixture of aboriginal, regional, and Aryan elements with Yavanas, Śakas Gurjaras, Kuṣānas, Hūņas and other tribes Indianised as such12. The Suūdra varna having taken most of the situations in the Hindu populace, the element of untouchability not come to the fore before the early centuries of the Christian era and the theory of Seventh male Brāhmaṇa as predominating throughout, the Brahmanas and śūdras continued to remain the main burden of society till such time the various off-springs of the Anuloma and Pratiloma marriages took to avocations of detestable norm and that