Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v2.c17.s1.7

v2.c17.s1.7

Manu, who is our main authority on the subject, has minutely delineated the duties pertaining to every one of the four castes. He has laid down their mutual obligations, and, further he has allowed them a latitude, in the matter of adhering to their own duties in ordinary times and of assuming the functions of their inferiors on extraordinary occasions, which is especially seen in the social activities under Vijayanagara. The apparent diversity of the four *varṇas*, which seems to be a prominent feature of the system, was according to Manu, by no means a source of conflict between them. In the following regulations he tells us, firstly, about the interdependence of the Brahmans and the Kshatriyas, and, then, about the importance of the Vaiśyas and the Śūdras in the social order. "When the Kshatriyas became in any way overbearing towards the Brāhmaṇas, the Brāhmaṇas themselves shall duly restrain them, for the Kshatriyas sprang from the Brāhmaṇas. Fire sprang from water, Kshatriyas from Brāhmaṇas, iron from stone, the all-penetrating force of those (three) has no effect on that whence they were produced. Kshatriyas prosper not without Brāhmaṇas, Brāhmaṇas prosper not without Kshatriyas; Brāhmaṇas and Kshatriyas, being closely united, prosper in this (world) and in the next".¹ Then, again, Manu says: "The Brāhmaṇa is declared (to be) the root of the sacred law and the Kshatriya its top."² This explains why in the Institutes of Gautama we have the following: "It has been declared in the Veda: 'Brāhmaṇas, united with Kshatriyas, uphold gods, manes, and men.'"³ About the importance of the third varṇa Manu says: "For when the Lord of creatures (Prajāpati) created cattle, he made them over to the Vaiśya; to the Brāhmaṇa and to the king, he entrusted all created beings."⁴ Further we have the following as regards the interdependence of the Vaiśyas and the Śūdras: "(The king) should carefully compel Vaiśyas and Śūdras to perform the work (prescribed) for them; for if these two (castes) swerved from their duties, they would throw this (whole) world into confusion."⁵ The Hindu society, therefore, according to the ancients, was divided into a number of component parts, each of which, while it had some specific duties to perform, was also required to work for the common purpose—the realization of the Dharma. Therefore "one may detect beneath the outer garb of dogma a keen appreciation of the principle of specialization and division of labour as well as that of the organic unity of society."¹