Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c31.40

c31.40

What the very early brahmans were is evidenced by what is said about their doings. They are sometimes connected with sacrifices, especially in late tales and late versions of older stories,² but what is constantly associated with them is *tapas*, ‘austerities’. ³ That was their chief pursuit and main exercise, and its efficacy was in their belief to acquire superhuman powers which would enable them to dominate the natural and supernatural worlds: hence it is often alleged that by *tapas* they (and other men also⁴) gained from the gods the boons they wanted, or that the gods were terrified and endeavoured to break their *tapas*. It was in that age what sacrifice became afterwards.⁵ Their reputation rested on their claim to possess ‘occult’ faculties and powers and the popular belief that they possessed them. Thus it appears that the original brahmans were not so much priests as ‘adepts’ in matters supernatural, ‘masters’ of magico-religious force, wizards, medicine-men.⁶ Their reputation gave them very high rank, equal to that of their princes. They do not appear to have constituted a caste then. It is said brahmans were united (*saṅgata*) with kṣatriyas originally,⁷ and as shown (p. 244) there was no difficulty in early times in kṣatriyas’ becoming brahmans. Thus it is intelligible that intermarriages took place between the brahmans and the early Aila royal family.¹