Part 4: Relation Among the Castes

It is laid down in the Dharmaśāstra that if a śūdra assumes a position of equality with the dvijas in taking, sitting, on a couch, he shall undergo corporal punishment.^[1] It is described by Bāṇa himself that his most intimate associates were his cousins Chandrasena and Mātṛsena, sons of his uncle from the wife of a śūdra caste.^[2] According to the Manusaṃhitā-“pārāśava means sprung from a brāhmaṇa and a śūdra female.”^[3]

Although there was a caste system at that time, the people could associate with different castes without ruining any serious risk of losing caste or position. After the death of Bāṇa’s father and mother, he led a wondering life and he had all types of friends and companies in his livelihood (although he was a brāhmaṇa), which came from different castes and from different occupations i.e.,

1. bhrātarau pārāśavau candrasenamatṛṣeṇau (they were the sons of his uncle from wives of the śūdra caste, p.19),
2. varṇakavi (panegyrist, p.19),
3. prākṛtakulaputra (prākṛt poets, p.19),
4. kātyāyanikā (the elderly widow dressed in the ascetics red-robes, p.19),
5. bhiṣakaputra (a young physician, p.19),
6. citrakāra (painter, p.19),
7. kalāda (goldsmith, p.19),
8. vāṃśika (a flute player, p.19),
9. kitaba (a gambler, p.19),
10. gāyana (a singer, p.19) etc.

It shows that there was no restriction for brāhmaṇa to mix-up between the different castes or peoples.^[4] Also he cannot forget to mentions that some brāhmaṇa did not mix-up with other castes of the societies^[5] in that time also. But, we have found the description of inter-caste marriages, which are permitted by the society and which was especially common.

From the description of his good number of friends who were from different castes, besides these friends such as—sairindhra,^[6] i.e., a dasyu begets on a āyogava (women) a sairindhra.^[7] According to the Saṅketa commentary-their professing was beautician also.^[8] One friend was mārdaṅgika^[9] i.e., who beats the mṛdaṅga,^[10] pustakavācaka^[11] i.e., who make the dolls;^[12] dhātuvādavida^[13] etc. implies there were many sub-castes at that time. Again, in then society, people gave the respect to the bāmana, badhira or such type of men; and they also enjoyed with other people without any hesitation.^[14]

From the above discussion it may be inferred that anuloma and pratiloma marriages continued in the then society. According to the Manusaṃhitās ons begotten by brāhmaṇas on their lawfully married vaiśya wives are called ambasthas; sons begotten by brāhmaṇas on their śūdra wives are called niṣādas or pārāśavas.^[15] It is seen in the Harṣacarita, there was no restriction making friendship between the higher caste and the lower caste. Bāṇa himself declared that he had making friendship with different classes of peoples such as—kātyāyanikā, tāmbūladāyaka, pārāśava, kalāda, lāsaka, nartakī, kṣapaṇaka, darduraka,maskarī, etc., although he was a brāhmaṇa in caste.^[16]

Again, we find the guilds (śreṇī) as occupational sub-castes in the Harṣacarita. Śreṇī is the term for a body of people belonging to the same caste and profession.

Here find the members of śreṇī are such as—

1. the goldsmith (hairika, p.19),
2. artisans (kalāda, p.19),
3. tāmbūlika (betel-seller, p.19),
4. dhātuvādavida (p.19) etc.

Therefore, Medhātithi, the commentator of On Manu mentions that occupational guilds did not cover wide area and śreṇī is a body of traders and others who follow the same profession^[17] and illustrates by mentioning tradesmen, artisans, moneylenders, coach-drivers and so forth.^[18]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Gautamadharmasūtra,XII. 40-42

[2]:

Harṣacarita, I. p.19

[3]:

śūdrāyāṃ brāhmaṇātjātaḥ, Manusaṃhitā,X.64

[4]:

saṃstite ca pitari mahatā śokena……..kuṭūhalavahalatayā ca vālasvabhāvasya,…. abhavaṃścāsya vayasā samānāḥ……..bhrātarau candrasenamatṛsenau, ……kātyāyanikā cakravākikā, …..citrakṛtvīravarmā,….gāyanau somilagrahādityau…….., Harṣacarita,I.p.19

[5]:

vivarjitajanapaṅktayaḥ, Ibid., I. p.18

[6]:

sairindhrī kurṅgikā, Ibid., I.p.19

[7]:

sairindhraṃ vāgurāvṛtiṃ sūte dasyūrāyogave, Manusaṃhitā,10.32

[8]:

prasādhanopacārajñā sairindhrī svavaśā smṛtā, Harṣacarita,p.74

[9]:

Ibid., I.p.19

[10]:

Amarakoṣa,II.10.13

[11]:

Harṣacarita,I.p.19

[12]:

Amarakoṣa,II.10.28

[13]:

Harṣacarita,I.p.19

[14]:

vilasadunmukhavāmanakabadhiravṛndaveṣtitāḥ… nanṛtu.., Ibid.,IV.p. 62

[15]:

brahmanādvaiśyakanyāyāmanvaṣṭho nāma jāyaye | niṣādaḥ śūdrakanyāyāṃ yaḥ pārāśava ucyate || Manusaṃhitā,X.8

[16]:

abhavaṃścāsya vayasā samānāḥ suhṛdaḥ sahāyaśca. tathā ca. bhrātarau pārāśavau candrasenamatṛseṇau, …. kātyāyanikā cakravākikā, …, tāmbūladāyakaścaṇḍakaḥ,……. kalādaścāmīkaraḥ, …..lāsakayuvā tāṇḍavikaḥ,… nartakī hariṇikā,… kṣapaṇako vīradevaḥ,….., dārduroko dāmodaraḥ,.. maskarī tāmracūḍaḥ, Harṣacarita,I.p.19

[17]:

Manusaṃhitā,VIII.2

[18]:

Ibid., VIII.41