India as Known to Panini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashtadhyayi c8.s5.31

c8.s5.31

SERVANTS—In Pāṇini a new word *kiṁkara* (III.2.21) unknown in the Vedic and Brāhmaṇa literature denotes a domestic servant. The *Gaṇa-pāṭha* mentions several classes of them, *e.g.* (1) *parichāraka* (attendant), (2) *parishechaka* (one helping in bath), (3) *utsādaka* (one who helps in toilet), (4) *udvartaka* (one who rubs the body with unguents), (5) *snātaka* (II.2.9 and VI.2.151, *yājakādi* group), (6) *pralepikā* (a female servant who applies paste to the body), (7) *vilepikā* (a female servant who applies unguents before bath), (8) *anulepikā* (a female servant who applies them after bath), (9) *anuchāraka* (an assistant), (10) *maṇi-pālī* (a female to keep charge of jewellery, IV.4.48), (11) *dvāra-pālī* (a female doorkeeper), (12) *daṇḍa-grāha* (bearer of staff) and (13) *chāmara-grāha* (bearer of fly-whisk, IV.1.146). Most of these servants formed part of the establishment in the king's household and were in the service of aristocratic or high families as stated in the *Arthaśāstra* and the *Kāmasūtra*. In the *sūtras*, Pāṇini mentions *dauvārika*, chamberlain (VII.3.4), *vaivadhika*, carrier of load (IV.4.17) and *udaka-hāra* or *udahāra* water-carrier (VI.3.60).