釋氏要覽 1.13

1.13

一者剎帝利（謂弈世君王種）。二者婆羅門（秦言外意謂淨行志道其種。別有經書。世世相承。或在家出家。苦行而多恃己術。自我慢人）。三者毘舍（或云吠舍。謂商賈之種）四者首陁（或云成達羅。謂田農之種）。我佛釋迦牟尼世尊即剎帝利之種也。長阿含經云。賢劫初成未有日月。是時光音天人下生。皆有身光。飛行自在。無有男女尊卑親疎之別。食自然地味。因食此物。乃身光滅神通亡。貪心始萌。復生地餅地膚地脂之味食。乃諸惡湊集。男女始形。地生粳米。朝刈暮生。亦無糠糩。時人貪心增長。皆預取厚藏。米遂不生。乃各占田土。學耨種業。自此姦盜滋彰。無決斷者。中有一人。容質瓌偉。世所欽信。眾議立為民主。號摩訶三摩曷羅闍（此云大平等主）各願輸賦供億（此祖稅之始）故命氏剎帝利（此云土田主謂初分土田各有諍訟使主之）。

The first is Kṣatriya (referring to the lineage of hereditary rulers). The second is Brāhmaṇa (translated into Chinese as 'pure actions', referring to those with pure conduct whose resolve is on the Way; this lineage has separate scriptures and books passed down generation after generation; whether householders or having undertaken pravrajyā, they practice austerities and mostly rely on their own arts, being arrogant towards others). The third is Vaiśya (also called Feishe, referring to the lineage of merchants). The fourth is Śūdra (also called Chendaluo, referring to the lineage of farmers). Our Buddha Śākyamuni, the World-Honoured One, was of the Kṣatriya varṇa. The Dīrgha Āgama states that at the initial formation of the auspicious kalpa, there were no sun or moon. At that time, beings from the Ābhāsvara heaven were born below; all had radiance from their bodies and flew freely, without distinctions of male or female, noble or base, close or distant. They ate the natural taste of the earth. Because they ate this substance, their bodily radiance vanished and their supernatural powers were lost; greedy thoughts began to sprout. Again there arose tastes of earth-cake, earth-skin, and earth-fat which they ate, whereupon various evils gathered, and male and female physical forms first appeared. Non-glutinous rice grew from the earth, harvested in the morning and regrown by evening, without husk or chaff. The people of that time grew in greedy minds and all took in advance and hoarded abundantly; consequently, the rice ceased to grow. They then individually claimed fields and lands, learning the work of weeding and planting. From this point on, treachery and theft proliferated, and there was no one to make judgments. Among them was one man of magnificent appearance and stature, whom the world admired and trusted. The multitude discussed and established him as the master of the people, styled Mahāsaṃmata-rāja (translated here as 'Great Master of Equality'). Each pledged to pay taxes to provide an abundance (this was the beginning of ancestral taxation). Therefore, his clan was named Kṣatriya (translated here as 'Master of Lands', referring to his being made master when disputes arose upon the initial division of lands).