History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c41.s10.1

v3.c41.s10.1

We will commence with the Vedas which were always looked upon as the revelation of the Hindn religion. Vedas were still learnt by heart especially by the Brahmins whose prime duty it was to preserve them. The following observations of Al-Beruni are important in this connection: "The Brahmins recite the Veda without understanding its meaning and in the same way they learn it by heart. Only a few of them learn its explanation and fewer still master its contents" (Sachan Vol. I p.128). This state continues to this day and there are very few Brahmins learned in the Vedas. The change from ancient or pre-Buddhistic times may be marked when almost every Brahmin and even Kshatriya and Vaiśya had necessarily to study the Veda. Al-Beruni proceeds to state that "the Brahmins teach the Veda to Kshatriyas, but they are not allowed to teach it even to Brahmins. The Vaiśyas and Śūdras are not allowed to learn it." The Vaiśyas, as said before, having turned Buddhists neglected the study of Veda and lost touch with it. The orhodox Kshatriyas still learnt the Veda and can learn it even now, though very few do it. But we have clear evidence here that the modern doctrine that there are no Kshatriyas in the Kali age had not yet arisen and Al-Beruni's statement not only proves the acceptance of the existence of Kshatriyas but also their right to study the Veda in the eleventh century. The dictum कलावाद्यन्त्योः स्थितिः arose in the fourteenth century, according to our view explained in Vol. II (Appendix) and this is a further confirmation of that view.