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Origin of Untouchability (IV)
THE DHARMASHASTRAS AND UNTOUCHABILITY
Upendranath Roy
We
We already discussed the antiquity of untouchability. mentioned Manu and Apastamba there but did not base ourselves on them. There are reasons for the precaution. First, due to interpolations that took place from time to time, it is difficult to ascertain the date of a passage in the Dharmasastras and conclusions based on such a passage do not pass beyond doubt. Secondly, most of what we find in the Dharmashastras is ambiguous and disputed and therefore demands separate treatment. Now we are in a position to discuss it.
Ambedkar believes untouchability had not come about during the days of the Dharmasastras. Briefly' he opines as follows:
1. The words Antya, Antyaja, Antyaväsin and Bahya occur in the Dharmasutras and Smṛtis but it is not clear which the groups referred to by those terms are.
2. The word "Aspṛśya" occurs in the Vişņu Dharmasutra and the Katyayana Smrti but there is no indication as who they
are.1
3. There were no untouchables in the age
of the Dharmaśāstras in the present sense of the term. There were certain Communities which were deemed impure at the time. They were avoided by the Brahmanas and their touch caused pollution on a ceremonial occasion only.
4. The 'Impure' class of the Dharmashästras is not the same as the untouchable of modern India.
Terms under Dispute
The term 'Aspṛśya' used by Visņu and Katyayana does mean 'untouchable' etymologically but as the 'Aspṛśya' groups are not specified therein, Ambedkar exploits the opportunity to raise two questions were they the same as untouchables in modern India ? Did the term connote the same thing in the age of the Dharma. śăstras as it does today? He answers both in negative. The terms Bahya and Antya occur in the Dharmasastras but it is not stated
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