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Vol. XXI, No. 3
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Varņa System for several castes by labelling them as Vrātyas 23 Thus Nața, Karaņa, Khasa and Dravida are called Ksatriya Vrātyas which may explain the fact that the Natas are not included in the untouchables throughout the country, Similarly, some of the alien groups were favoured for admission into the Varna System and a myth was invented to the effect that the Shakas, the Pahlavas, the Chinas, the Kirātas, the Daradas and the Khasas were Kșatriyas who had become Vrsalas by giving up the Vedic rituals and dissociating themselves from the Brāhmanas. 2 Thus recognising the supremacy of the Vedas and of the Brāhmaṇas was deemed sufficient for acquiring a position in the varņa system,
People outside the Varna System were not called untouchables, Antyajas or slaves by Manu He called them Dasyus 25 So all the Varņa Sankaras and Antyajas ought to be considered a part of the Sbūdra varņa according to Manu. Many used the term 'Apa pātra' for the Chandālas and the Shva pachas. 26 That the term 'Apa pātra' is used for untouchables will be shown in the next chapter. It is remarkable that Manu does not call the untouchables the fifth varna nor does he place them outside the four varnas. As we shall see in the next chapter he includes the untouchables in the Shüdra varna and divides the Shūdras in two categories, namely, the Sat-Shūdras (good Shüdras) and the Antyajas or Antyas (untouchables). This is revealed from Manu's rules regarding evidence. Manu says the twice-born of equal rank are two testify for the twice-born, the good Shūdras for the Shūdras and the Antyajas for the Antyajas.27 PATANJALI
Patanjali, the well-known grammarian, preceded Manu. He composed his work during the reign of Puşyamitra Shunga So he belongs to the second century before Christ. While discussing the grammatical rules of Pānini, his "Mahābhaşya' provides valuable information about the social life of Ancient India. The Mahābhāsya shows the use of the term "Shūdra' in a broad sense (i.e. inclusive of the unt, uchables) was not an innovation on the part of Manu. Rather, the term had been used in that sense for centuries before Manu.
There were in the days of Patanjali several castes in the Shūdra varna. Those who worked for wages were all included in the Shüdra varņa, Kātyāyana speaks of the Mabās hūdra caste too. According to Käshika', the 2 bhiras are called Manäshüdra. The Dhivars men) to were included in the Shūdras. The author of the Bhāsya too calls the Abhiras, the Shüdras. The Rathakaras (chariot-mākers) were ranked the highest among the Shūdras. The weavers, potmakers,
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