Chapter 13.48

Verse 1 View Details

अर्थाश्रयाद्वा कामाद्वा वर्णानां वाप्यनिश्चयात् । अज्ञानाद्वापि वर्णानां जायते वर्णसंकरः ॥

Yudhishthira said The intermixture of castes is brought about through inducements offered by richies, or through mere lust, or through ignorance of the true order of birth.

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Verse 2 View Details

तेषामेतेन विधिना जातानां वर्णसंकरे । को धर्मः कानि कर्माणि तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥

What, O grandfather, are the duties of persons who are born in the mixed classes and what are the acts laid down for them? Do you describe them to me.

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Verse 3 View Details

चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य कर्माणि चातुर्वर्ण्यं च केवलम् । असृजत्स ह यज्ञार्थे पूर्वमेव प्रजापतिः ॥

Bhishma said In the beginning, the Lord of all creatures created the four castes and laid down their respective duties, for the sake of sacrifice.

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Verse 4 View Details

भार्याश्चतस्रो विप्रस्य द्वयोरात्मास्य जायते । आनुपूर्व्याद्द्वयोर्हीनौ मातृजात्यौ प्रसूयतः ॥

The Brahmana may take four wives, one from each of the four castes. In two of them, he takes birth himself. Those sons, however, who are begotten by him on the two other inferior, (viz., Vaishya and Shudra), are inferior, their position being settled not by that of their father but by that of their mothers.

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Verse 5 View Details

परं शवाद्ब्राह्मणस्यैष पुत्रः; शूद्रापुत्रं पारशवं तमाहुः । शुश्रूषकः स्वस्य कुलस्य स स्या;त्स्वं चारित्रं नित्यमथो न जह्यात् ॥

The son begotten by a Brahmana upon a Shudra wife is called Parashva, meaning one bom of a dead body for the Shudra woman's body is as inauspicious as a dead body. He should serve the persons of his (father's) race. Indeed, it is not proper for him to renounce the duty of service that has been laid down for him.

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Verse 6 View Details

सर्वानुपायानपि संप्रधार्य; समुद्धरेत्स्वस्य कुलस्य तन्तुम् । ज्येष्ठो यवीयानपि यो द्विजस्य; शुश्रूषवान्दानपरायणः स्यात् ॥

With all means in his power, he should maintain his family. Even if he happens to be elder in age, he should still dutifully serve the other children of his father, who in age may be younger to him, and give them whatever he may succeed in acquiring.

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Verse 7 View Details

तिस्रः क्षत्रियसंबन्धाद्द्वयोरात्मास्य जायते । हीनवर्णस्तृतीयायां शूद्र उग्र इति स्मृतः ॥

A Kshatriya may take three wives. In two of them, he takes birth himself. His third wife being of the Shudra caste, is considered as very inferior. The son that he begets upon her is called an Ugra.

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Verse 8 View Details

द्वे चापि भार्ये वैश्यस्य द्वयोरात्मास्य जायते । शूद्रा शूद्रस्य चाप्येका शूद्रमेव प्रजायते ॥

The Vaishya may take two wives. In both of them, he takes birth himself. The Shudra can take only one wife, from his own caste. The son begotten by him upon her becomes a Shudra.

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Verse 9 View Details

अतो विशिष्टस्त्वधमो गुरुदारप्रधर्षकः । बाह्यं वर्णं जनयति चातुर्वर्ण्यविगर्हितम् ॥

A son who takes birth under circumstances other than those mentioned above, is considered as a very inferior one. If a person of a lower caste begets a son upon a woman of a superior caste, such son is regarded as outside the pale of the four pure castes. Indeed, such son becomes an object of derision with the four principal castes.

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Verse 10 View Details

अयाज्यं क्षत्रियो व्रात्यं सूतं स्तोमक्रियापरम् । वैश्यो वैदेहकं चापि मौद्गल्यमपवर्जितम् ॥

If a Kshatriya begets a son upon Brahmani woman, such son, without being included in any of the four pure castes, comes to be considered as a Suta, The duties of a Suta consist in reciting eulogies and encomiums of kings and other great men. The son begotten by a Vaishya upon a woman of the Brahmana, order, is known as a Vaidehaka. Their duties consist in taking charge of bars and bolts for protecting the privacy of women of respectable families. Such sons have no purifying rites laid down for them.

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Verse 11 View Details

शूद्रश्चण्डालमत्युग्रं वध्यघ्नं बाह्यवासिनम् । ब्राह्मण्यां संप्रजायन्त इत्येते कुलपांसनाः । एते मतिमतां श्रेष्ठ वर्णसंकरजाः प्रभो ॥

If a Shudra knows a woman belonging to the foremost of the four castes, the son that is begotten is called a Chandala. Endued with a dreadful disposition, he must live in the outskirts of cities and towns and his duty is that are a or। of the public executioner. Such sons are always considered as wretches of their race. These, O foremost of intelligent persons, the offspring of intermixed castes.

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Verse 12 View Details

बन्दी तु जायते वैश्यान्मागधो वाक्यजीवनः । शूद्रान्निषादो मत्स्यघ्नः क्षत्रियायां व्यतिक्रमात् ॥

The son begotten by a Vaishya upon a Kshatriya woman becomes Bandi Magadha. His duties are eloquent recitations of praise. The son begotten through transgression, by a Shudra upon a Kshatriya woman, becomes a Nishada and his duties consist in the catching of fish.

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Verse 13 View Details

शूद्रादायोगवश्चापि वैश्यायां ग्रामधर्मिणः । ब्राह्मणैरप्रतिग्राह्यस्तक्षा स वनजीवनः ॥

If a Shudra happens to know a Vaishya woman, the son begotten upon her comes to be called Ayogava. The duties of such a person are those of a carpenter. The Brahmana should never accept gifts from such a person. They are not entitled to possess any kind of riches.

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Verse 14 View Details

एतेऽपि सदृशं वर्णं जनयन्ति स्वयोनिषु । मातृजात्यां प्रसूयन्ते प्रवरा हीनयोनिषु ॥

Persons belonging to the mixed castes beget upon wives taken from their own castes children invested with their position. When they procreate children in women taken from other inferior castes, such children become inferior to their fathers, for they become invested with the position of their mothers.

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Verse 15 View Details

यथा चतुर्षु वर्णेषु द्वयोरात्मास्य जायते । आनन्तर्यात्तु जायन्ते तथा बाह्याः प्रधानतः ॥

Thus as regards the four pure castes, persons beget children invested with their own position upon wives taken from their own castes as also upon them that are taken from the castes immediately below their own. When, however, offspring is begotten upon other wives, they are regarded as invested with a position that is, principally, outside the pale of the four pure castes.

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Verse 16 View Details

ते चापि सदृशं वर्णं जनयन्ति स्वयोनिषु । परस्परस्य वर्तन्तो जनयन्ति विगर्हितान् ॥

When such children beget sons in women, taken from their own classes, those sons take the position of their fathers. It is only when they take wives from castes other than their own, that the children they beget, become invested with inferior position.

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Verse 17 View Details

यथा च शूद्रो ब्राह्मण्यां जन्तुं बाह्यं प्रसूयते । एवं बाह्यतराद्बाह्यश्चातुर्वर्ण्यात्प्रसूयते ॥

As an example of this it may be said that a Shudra begets upon a woman belonging to the inost superior cast a son that is outside the pale of the four castes, by uniting with women belonging to the four principal castes, begets offspring that is further degraded in point of position.

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Verse 18 View Details

प्रतिलोमं तु वर्तन्तो बाह्याद्बाह्यतरं पुनः । हीना हीनात्प्रसूयन्ते वर्णाः पञ्चदशैव ते ॥

From those outside the pale of the four castes and those again that are further outside that limit, children multiply on account of the union of persons with women of classes superior to their own. Thus, from persons of inferior position classes spring up, altogether fifteen in number, that are equally low or still lower in dignity.

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Verse 19 View Details

अगम्यागमनाच्चैव वर्तते वर्णसंकरः । व्रात्यानामत्र जायन्ते सैरन्ध्रा मागधेषु च । प्रसाधनोपचारज्ञमदासं दासजीवनम् ॥

It is only from sexual union with women of persons who should not have such union with them that mixed castes originate. Among the classes that are thus outside the limit of the four principal or pure castes, children are begotten upon woman belonging to the class called Sairindhri by men of the class called Magadha.

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Verse 20 View Details

अतश्चायोगवं सूते वागुरावनजीवनम् । मैरेयकं च वैदेहः संप्रसूतेऽथ माधुकम् ॥

The occupation of such children is the adorement of the bodies of kings and others. They are well acquainted with the preparation of unguents, the making of garlands, and the manufacture of articles used for the decoration of the body. Though free by the position that belongs to them by birth, they should live like servants. From the union of Magadhas of a certain class with women of the caste called Sairindhri, another caste originates, called Ayogava. Their business consists in the making of nets. Vaidehas, by knowing Sairindhri women, beget children called Maireyakas whose business is the manufacture of wines and spirits.

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Verse 21 View Details

निषादो मुद्गरं सूते दाशं नावोपजीविनम् । मृतपं चापि चण्डालः श्वपाकमतिकुत्सितम् ॥

From the Nishadas originate a caste called Madgura and another known by the name of Dasas whose business is plying boats. From the Chandalas originates a race called Shvapaka whose business lies in keeping guard over the dead.

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Verse 22 View Details

चतुरो मागधी सूते क्रूरान्मायोपजीविनः । मांसस्वादुकरं सूदं सौगन्धमिति संज्ञितम् ॥

The women of the Magadhi caste, by union with these four castes of wicked nature, produce four others who live by deceitful means. These are Mangsa, Svadukara, Kshaudra, and Saugandha.

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Verse 23 View Details

वैदेहकाच्च पापिष्ठं क्रूरं भार्योपजीविनम् । निषादान्मद्रनाभं च खरयानप्रयायिनम् ॥

From the Vaideha originates cruel and sinful caste that lives by practising deception. From the Nishadas again originates the Madranabha caste whose members are seen to ride on cars drawn by asses.

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Verse 24 View Details

चण्डालात्पुल्कसं चापि खराश्वगजभोजिनम् । मृतचेलप्रतिच्छन्नं भिन्नभाजनभोजिनम् ॥

From the Chandalas originates the caste called Pukkasa whose members are seen to eat the flesh of asses, horses and elephants. These are clad in clothes, procured by stripping human corpses. They are again seen to eat off broken earthenware.

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चण्डालात् | पुल्कसं | च + अपि | खर + अश्व + गज + भोजिन्
मृ + चेल + प्रतिच्छद् | भिद् + भाजन + भोजिन्

Verse 25 View Details

आयोगवीषु जायन्ते हीनवर्णासु ते त्रयः । क्षुद्रो वैदेहकादन्ध्रो बहिर्ग्रामप्रतिश्रयः ॥

These three castes of very low origin, are born of women of the Ayogava caste (by fathers taken from different castes). The caste called Kshudra originates from the Vaidehaka. The caste called Andhra which lives in the outskirts of towns and cities, also originates (from the Vaidehakas).

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Verse 26 View Details

कारावरो निषाद्यां तु चर्मकारात्प्रजायते । चण्डालात्पाण्डुसौपाकस्त्वक्सारव्यवहारवान् ॥

Then, again, the Charmakara, knowing woman of the Nishada caste, begets the class called Karavara. From the Chandala, again, originates the caste known by the name of Pandusaupaka whose business is to make baskets and other things with cleft bamboos.

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Verse 27 View Details

आहिण्डिको निषादेन वैदेह्यां संप्रजायते । चण्डालेन तु सौपाको मौद्गल्यसमवृत्तिमान् ॥

From the union of the Nishada with a woman of the Vaidehi caste, originates one who is called by the name of Ahindaka. The Chandala begets upon a Saupaka women a son who does not differ from the Chandala in position or occupation.

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Verse 28 View Details

निषादी चापि चण्डालात्पुत्रमन्तावसायिनम् । श्मशानगोचरं सूते बाह्यैरपि बहिष्कृतम् ॥

A Nishadi woman, by union with a Chandala, produces a son who lives in the outskirts of villages and towns. Indeed, the members of such a caste live in crematoria and are considered by the very lowest orders as incapable of being classed among them.

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Verse 29 View Details

इत्येताः संकरे जात्यः पितृमातृव्यतिक्रमात् । प्रच्छन्ना वा प्रकाशा वा वेदितव्याः स्वकर्मभिः ॥

Thus do these mixed castes originate from improper and sinful union of fathers and mothers belonging to different castes. Whether they live hidden or openly, they should be known by their occupations.

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Verse 30 View Details

चतुर्णामेव वर्णानां धर्मो नान्यस्य विद्यते । वर्णानां धर्महीनेषु संज्ञा नास्तीह कस्यचित् ॥

The duties have been laid down in the scriptures of only the four principal castes. About others, the scriptures are entirely silent. Among all the castes, the members of those castes that have no duties assigned to them by the scriptures, need entertain no fears as to what they do.

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Verse 31 View Details

यदृच्छयोपसंपन्नैर्यज्ञसाधुबहिष्कृतैः । बाह्या बाह्यैस्तु जायन्ते यथावृत्ति यथाश्रयम् ॥

Persons unaccustomed to the performance of sacrifices or for whom sacrifices have not been laid down, and who are deprived of the company and the instructions of the pious, whether classed among the four principal castes or out of their limit, by uniting themselves with women of other castes, led not by considerations of virtue but by uncontrolled lust, cause numerous mixed castes to originate whose occupations and houses depend on the circumstances connected with the irregular unions from which they spring.

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Verse 32 View Details

चतुष्पथश्मशानानि शैलांश्चान्यान्वनस्पतीन् । युञ्जन्ते चाप्यलंकारांस्तथोपकरणानि च ॥

Having recourse to such places where four roads meet, or crematoria, or hills and mountains, or forests and trees, they build their houses. The ornaments they wear are made of iron.

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चतुष्पथ + श्मशान | शैल + च + अन्य | वनस्पतीन्
युञ्जन्ते | च + अपि + अलंकार + तथा + उपकरण | च

Verse 33 View Details

गोब्राह्मणार्थे साहाय्यं कुर्वाणा वै न संशयः । आनृशंस्यमनुक्रोशः सत्यवाक्यमथ क्षमा ॥

Forsooth, by assisting kine and Brahmanas, and practising the virtues of abstention from cruelty, compassion, truthfulness of speech, and forgiveness, and, if it is necessary, protecting others by sacrificing their own lives, persons of the mixed castes, may acquire success. I have no doubt, o king that these virtucs become the causes of their success.

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Verse 34 View Details

स्वशरीरैः परित्राणं बाह्यानां सिद्धिकारकम् । मनुजव्याघ्र भवति तत्र मे नास्ति संशयः ॥

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Verse 35 View Details

यथोपदेशं परिकीर्तितासु; नरः प्रजायेत विचार्य बुद्धिमान् । विहीनयोनिर्हि सुतोऽवसादये;त्तितीर्षमाणं सलिले यथोपलम् ॥

He who is gifted with intelligence, should, taking everything into consideration, beget children according to the scriptural injunctions, upon women that have been declared as proper or fit for him. A son begotten upon a woman belonging to a degraded caste, instead of rescuing the father, brings him to grief even as a heavy burden brings to grief a swimmer desirous of crossing a pool of water.

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Verse 36 View Details

अविद्वांसमलं लोके विद्वांसमपि वा पुनः । नयन्ते ह्युत्पथं नार्यः कामक्रोधवशानुगम् ॥

Whether a man is learned or otherwise, lust and anger are natural tendencies of humanity in this world. Women, therefore, may always be seen to drag men into the wrong path.

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Verse 37 View Details

स्वभावश्चैव नारीणां नराणामिह दूषणम् । इत्यर्थं न प्रसज्जन्ते प्रमदासु विपश्चितः ॥

The disposition of women is such that man's contact with her produces misery. Hence, wise men do not allow themselves to be excessively attached to women.

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Verse 38 View Details

वर्णापेतमविज्ञातं नरं कलुषयोनिजम् । आर्यरूपमिवानार्यं कथं विद्यामहे नृप ॥

Yudhishthira said There are men who belong to the mixed castes, and who are of very impure birth. Putting respectable appearance, they are, in sooth, disrespectable. On account of those external signs we may not be able to know the truth about their birth. Are there any signs, O grandfather, by which the truth may be known about the origin of such men?

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Verse 39 View Details

योनिसंकलुषे जातं नानाचारसमाहितम् । कर्मभिः सज्जनाचीर्णैर्विज्ञेया योनिशुद्धता ॥

Bhishma said A person who is born of an irregular union shows various features of disposition. One's purity of birth, again, is to be determined from one's acts which must resemble the acts of those who are admittedly good and pious.

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Verse 40 View Details

अनार्यत्वमनाचारः क्रूरत्वं निष्क्रियात्मता । पुरुषं व्यञ्जयन्तीह लोके कलुषयोनिजम् ॥

A disrespectable conduct, acts opposed to those laid down in the scriptures, crookedness and cruelty, and abstention from sacrifices and other scriptural acts that lead to merit, show one's impurity of birth.

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Verse 41 View Details

पित्र्यं वा भजते शीलं मातृजं वा तथोभयम् । न कथंचन संकीर्णः प्रकृतिं स्वां नियच्छति ॥

A son inherits the disposition of either the father or the mother. Sometimes he inherits the dispositions of both. A person of impure birth can never succeed in concealing his true nature.

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Verse 42 View Details

यथैव सदृशो रूपे मातापित्रोर्हि जायते । व्याघ्रश्चित्रैस्तथा योनिं पुरुषः स्वां नियच्छति ॥

As the cub of a tiger resembles its father and dam in form and in stripes or spots, so a person cannot but show the circumstance of his origin.

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Verse 43 View Details

कुलस्रोतसि संछन्ने यस्य स्याद्योनिसंकरः । संश्रयत्येव तच्छीलं नरोऽल्पमपि वा बहु ॥

However secret may one's birth be, if that birth happens to be impure, its character or nature is sure to show itself slightly or largely.

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कुल + स्रोतस् | संछन्ने | यस्य | स्याद् | योनि + संकर
संश्रि + एव | तद् + शील | नरो | ऽल्पम् | अपि | वा | बहु

Verse 44 View Details

आर्यरूपसमाचारं चरन्तं कृतके पथि । स्ववर्णमन्यवर्णं वा स्वशीलं शास्ति निश्चये ॥

A person may for purposes of his own, choose to follow an insincere path, practising such conduct as seems to be pious. His own nature, however, in the matter of those acts that he does, always announces whether he belongs to a good caste or to a different one.

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Verse 45 View Details

नानावृत्तेषु भूतेषु नानाकर्मरतेषु च । जन्मवृत्तसमं लोके सुश्लिष्टं न विरज्यते ॥

Creatures in the world are gifted with various kinds of disposition. They are, again, seen to be employed in various kinds of acts. Amongst creatures thus engaged, there is nothing that is so good or valuable as pure birth and righteous conduct.

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Verse 46 View Details

शरीरमिह सत्त्वेन नरस्य परिकृष्यते । ज्येष्ठमध्यावरं सत्त्वं तुल्यसत्त्वं प्रमोदते ॥

If a person be born in a low caste, good understanding originating from a study of the scriptures fails to rescue his body from low acts. Absolute goodness of understanding is of different degrees. It may be high, middling, and low. Even if it appears in a person of low birth, it disappears like autumnal clouds without producing any result. On the other hand, goodness of understanding which, according to its measure, has ordained the position in which the person is born, shows itself in his deeds.

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Verse 47 View Details

ज्यायांसमपि शीलेन विहीनं नैव पूजयेत् । अपि शूद्रं तु सद्वृत्तं धर्मज्ञमभिपूजयेत् ॥

If a person happens to belong to a superior caste but still if he happens to be divested of good conduct, he should receive no respect or worship. One may adore even a Shudra if he knows his duties and is of good conduct.

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Verse 48 View Details

आत्मानमाख्याति हि कर्मभिर्नरः; स्वशीलचारित्रकृतैः शुभाशुभैः । प्रनष्टमप्यात्मकुलं तथा नरः; पुनः प्रकाशं कुरुते स्वकर्मभिः ॥

A person proclaims himself by his own good and bad deeds and by his good or bad nature and race of birth. If ones' race of birth happens to be degraded for any reason, one soon raises it and makes it resplendent and famous by his deeds.

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Verse 49 View Details

योनिष्वेतासु सर्वासु संकीर्णास्वितरासु च । यत्रात्मानं न जनयेद्बुधस्ताः परिवर्जयेत् ॥

For these reasons the wise should avoid those women among these various castes mixed, upon whom they should not beget children.

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Chapter 13.48

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