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CHAPTER I VARNA. CASTE AND MARRIAGE CHAPTER I Varna. Caste and Marriage The Hindu social system has its roots in the Varna system developed and cherished by the Aryans. Approximately six thousand years ago, before the invasion of the Aryans,in India there were number, of clans like Dravid, Asura, Rakshasa, Wanar, Daitya, Danava, Naga, Nishada, Kirata, Kaiwarta, Oasa, Dasyu, Pulinda, Shake, Andhra, Yavana, Pani, Kamboja, Parada,Palhava and Khasa, etc. Through marriage, and in some cases by conquer- -ing, all the above mentioned non-aryans were aryanised; and thus, they were brought under the social fold of the Aryans. In the earliest possible period of the Aryans there was only one Varna. According to merit (Guna) and Karma the same Varna was divided into four; and that the Varna was not determined by birth. We have abundant evidence to prove that Varnas were not determined by birth. One of the sons of Manu named Vamdev had four sons who belonged to different Varnas. After a great penance Kashyapa had two sons named Vatsar and Asita. Vatsar begot two sons - Naidhruva and Raibhya. This Raibhya begot sons who were Shudras; and who were well versed in Vedas. It means even Shudras were born to Brahmins; and they had a right to learn Vedas. Bharata's son named Bharadwaj 4 was a Rishi. This shows that Brahmins could be born even in 1, Mahabharata, Vanaparva, Adhyaya 181. 2« Matsyapurana, A.4, Shloka 28. 3. Kurmapurana, A.19, Shlokas 1,2. 4, Vayupurana, A.99, P.156-157. — 2 — Kshatriya family. In Bhargava dynasty sons were born who were 5 belonging to four Vamas, All these references clearly illuminate the point that in the beginning Vamas were not determined by birth but by one's merit and Karma. During the Vedic period Varna system was well establish- -ed. We find a reference in Purusha Sukta that the Brahmin, Kshatriya, Vaishya and Shudra are said to have sprung from the mouth, arms, thighs, and feet of Purusha respectively. This shows that the composer of the hymn regarded the division of society into four classes to be very ancient. The system of the four Vamas had taken such deep roots that it was appli- -cable even to Gods. Agni and Brhaspati were regarded as Brahmins among the Gods; Indra, Varuna, Soma, Yama as Khatriyas; Vasus, Rudras, Vishvedevas and Maruts as Vaishyas; and Pushan as Shudras. Similarly Vedic passages regard Brahmins as spring, the Kshatriyas as summer and the Vaishyas as rainy season. The Varna system developed during Vedic period was maintained almost in the same form during the period of Brahmana Aranyakas and Upanishadas. But during the period of Dharma- -shastra and Dharmasutra the Varnas broke down into different castes. Various theories have been developed regarding the origin of castes. Nesfield regards occupation as the exclusive basis of caste differentiation. We find that during the Vedic 5. Harivamsha, Shloka, 32. 6. Rigveda, 10th Mandala, 90.12 — 3 — and post-Vedic periods, i.e., upto the period of Dharmasutras, number of professions did exist. But they were merely professions. A person who undertook the particular profession was not known by it; but by the Varna to which he belonged. Risley relies mainly on theories of race and hypergamy to explain the caste system, which he clearly regards as primarily due to colour differences and to a system of hypergamy result­ ing therefrom. Ibbetson and Ghurey maintain that Brahmins were at the root of the development of caste system. They exploit- -ed their position and degraded all occupations except their own and that of the ruling class. The origination of caste system seems to be in the intermarriages of four Varnas. There were in all eight combina- -tions: two basic and six derived. All writers of Dharmashastra state that there were four Varnas arranged in a descending scale of social status and that marriage between a male of high- -er Varna with a female of lower Varna was permissible. The union between a male of lower Varna with a female of higher Varna was reprehensible and not permitted. Though latter marriages were not permitted, they did take place even during the rule of Dharraashastras and Dharmasutras. It means, in the beginning, among Varnas two basic combinations were prevalent: Anuloma and Pratiloma. (1) Anuloma unions - When male of a higher Varna married a female of lower Varna, the offspring was known as belonging to Anuloma union bearing status different from the parents.The offspring of a union between Brahmin and Kshatriya female was — 4 ~ known as Murdhavasikta. Anbashtha was the name of the p offspring of Brahmin and Vaishya female. The offspring of a union between Brahmin and Shudra female was known as Nishada Q or Parasava, Mahishya was the offspring of a union between Kshatriya male and Vaishya female. The offspring of a unioi between a Kshatriya and a Shudra female was known as Ugra. Karana was the last Anuloma offspring of a union between Vaish' 12 male and Shudra female. (2) Pratiloma unions - This is the second type of basic marriage combination where a male from the lower Varna married a female of higher Varna, There were in all six castes arisin< out of Pratiloma combinations. The offspring of a union between Shudra and Vaishya female was known as Ayogava, 13 Ksha- was a name ascribed to an offspring of a union between Shudra 14 and a Kshatriya female. When Shudra married a Brahmin femal( 15 their offspring was known as Chandala, The offspring of a union between Vaishya and a Kshatriya female was known as Magadha, Vaideha was the offspring of a union between Vaish' 17 and a Brahmin female. The offspring of a union between 18 Kshatriya and a Brahmin female was known as Suta, 7. Yaj I 91; Gaut IV 17. 8. Manu 10-8; Yaj I, 91; Baud.Dh.S.I.9-3; Ushanas - 31. 9. Manu 10-8; Yaj I, 91; Baud Dh.S.I.9-3; Vas. 18-8. 10. Yaj 1.92; Gaut. IV-17. 11. Manu 10-9; Yaj I. 92; Kaut III-7; Baud Dh.S.I.9.5. 12. Ibid 10. 13. Manu 10-92; Yaj 1-94; Gaut.IV-15; Kaut. III-7. 14. Ibid 14. 15. Manu 10-12; Yaj. 1-93. 16. Manu 10-11; Yaj 1-94; Gaut.IV-15; Kaut,II1-7. 17. Manu 10-12; Yaj 1-93+ Vishnu Dh.S.16-6. 18. Ibid 17 and Baudh. Dh.S. 1-99. — 5 — Anuloma and Pratiloma marriages resulted in twelve basic castes. Here trend of varied unionship did not cease; but it continued with multifarious unions. These various unions may be called as derived combinations or unions from the two basic ones: Anuloma and Pratiloma. We may enumerate them as follows: (3) Marriage between an offspring of a Anuloma union and an individual belonging to any one of the four basic Varnas: For example, Abhira is the name attributed to the 19 child of the union of a Brahmin with an Ambashtha girl. 20 Pukkasa was the offspring of a Nishada with a Shudra girl, Avrut is the offspring of a union between Brahmin with Ugra 21 female. Kukkutaka was the offspring of Shudra with Nishada 22 girl. Here Ambashtha, Nishada and Ugra are Anuloma offsprings. (4) Marriage between an offspring of a Pratiloma union and an individual belonging to any one of the four principal Varnas: For example, the offspring of a union between Brahmin 23 and Ayogava female is called Dhigvana. The offspring of Pulkasa with Brahmin female is called Rajaka. The offspring 19. Manu 10-15. 20. Manu 10-18; Baudh. Dh.S.1.9-14. 21. Ibid 19. 22. Ibid Manu 20. 23. Manu Ibid 19. 24. Vaikhanas 10-15. — 6 — 25 of a Suta with a Brahmin female is known as Venuka. The offspring between Vaideha and Shudra female was called Aghasika. Ayogava, Pulkasa, Suta and Vaideha all are the offsprings of Pratiloma union. (5) Marriages amongst Anulomas: The Offspring of a union between Mahishya and a Karan 27 female was called Rathakara, (6) Marriages amongst Pratilomas: The offspring of a Chandala with a Vaideha female wa 28 called Pandusopaka, Likewise the offspring of a Vaideha 29 with Ayogava female was known as Maitreya. (7) Marriages among males born of Anulama union and female born of Pratiloma union: The offspring called Margava is from the union betweei 30 Nishada and Ayogava female. The offspring between Nishad 31 and Vaideha female was called Ahindaka. (8) Marriages among males born of a Pratiloma union and females born of Anuloma union: The union between Kshatr and Ugra female gave birth ti 32 an offspring called Shwapaka. Vena was the offspring of 33 union between Vaideha and Arabashtha female. The offsprin of a Vaideha with a Nishada female was called Meda; and th^ offspring of a Chandala with a Nishada female was called Antyavasayina,3 5 In this combination Kshatr, Vaideha and 25. Ushnas, 4. 26. Vide Kane's History of Dharraashastra, Vol.2, Chapt.2. 27. Yaj 1.95. 28. Manu, 10-37. 29. Manu, 10-33. 30. Manu, 10-34. 31. Ibid 28. 32. Manu, 10-19. 33. Ibid 31. 34. Manu, 10-36. 35. Manu, 10-39. Chandala are the male offsprings of Pratiloma union. Thus various doubly, sometimes even triply, mixed marriages took place; and in each case, it resulted in separate caste having specified status. Today we see that, because of such marriages, each of the principal Varnas had been gradually divided into various castes and sub-castes. Difference of country, occupation, sect, and such other factors helped these multiple divisions.

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