History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v2.c28.s1.91

v2.c28.s1.91

Lastly, we may notice an important Sūtra from Kātyayana Laugākshi; अथ हैके मानवलेकमार्षेयं सार्ववर्णिकं प्रवृणीते । कस्य हेतोरिति । मानव्या हि प्रजा इति । तदेतन्नोपपद्यते । न देवैर्न मनुष्यैरार्षेयं प्रवृणीते ॥ तदेतदन्यत्र ब्राह्मणक्षत्रियाभ्यामितरासां प्रजानामुक्तं भवति । "Some say that only one Pravara should be used for all Varṇas or castes viz., Mānavya, for all are born from Manu. But this is not proper. For you are to recite your Pravara neither by gods nor by men (a sūtra of Āpastamba), but by Vedic Rishis or composers of hymns, (Manu being a man cannot be a Pravara). This is spoken of other people except Brahmins and Kshatriyas." This Sūtra distinctly places Brahmins and Kshatriyas on the same level. It shows that Kshatriyas had still generally kept up the memory of their gotra and Pravara like the Brahmins and were bound by the same rules. It may be added that even according to the Purāṇas gods, Rishis and men are distinct categories. Such Kshatriyas who had kept up the memory of their Pravara Rishis were probably called in later times Brahma-Kshatra. i.e., Kshatriyas who were endowed with Brahma i.e., who had kept up their connection with the Vedic Rishis. The epithet ब्रह्मक्षत्रकुलीन thus is applied to the Paramāras in one inscription. It means in our view that this family is one of those Kshatriyas who have Mantrakṛits for their ancestors. The Paramāras are of the Vasishtha gotra and are supposed to be even born of Vasishtha and hence they are वसिष्ठेतक्षत्रण कुलीनाः. The explanation is often given that Brahma-Kshatra may be explained आदौ ब्राह्मणः पश्चात्क्षत्रियः and there is no objection even to accept this meaning, since the Kshatriya families having gotra and Pravara were certainly looked upon as born from Brahmins, whether directly or by adoption. And this adoption may have taken place even in Vedic times. Thus a careful study of the Sūtras relating to gotra and Pravara leads us to the conclusion that Kshatriyas have gotra and Pravara of their own which are the same as those of Brahmins and that the Pravara Rishis contain many names of noted Kshatriya kings, there being a time, as indeed the Mahābhārata distinctly asserts, when the Varṇa difference was not rigid, when in fact there was only one Varṇa, the Aryans of India.