History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c41.s19: The Kalivarjas.
History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c41.s19
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The Kalivarjas.
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A minute study of the Kalivarjas which we give in an Appendix will reveal to us the fact that some of these prohibitions came into vogue in this very sub-period, though some must have been introduced in older times. We have already shown that the prohibition of suicide by burning or leaping from a precipice referred to by Al-Beruni as a special provision must have come into vogue about 1000 A. D. For in the previous sub-period we have historical evidence of devout Hindus destroying themselves by burning on a pyre.
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Kumārila himself in this way is said to have put an end to his life by ascending a pyre (700 A. D.) and Kumāragupta is also described in an inscription (Vol. I p. 97) as burning himself to death in a pyre of cowdung cakes. So also the prohibition of marriage outside of caste or Anuloma Asavarṇa marriage clearly belongs to this sub-period, as we can be sure from the instance of Rājaśekhara marrying a Kshatriya wife (circa 940 A D.). Again Sanyāsa seems to have been prohibited during the Buddhist period as also Agnihotra. Both appear to have been resuscitated after Kumārila and Śankara; and they are still pra tised though by a very few Brahmins only. They are thus contradictory provisions in the Kalivarjas on the subject. Secondly, while some of the Kalivarjas are reasonable and clearly prompted by a sentiment of humanity, or moral purity such as the prohibition of cow-sacrifice (go-medha), horse-sacrifice (aśvamedha) or human sacrifice (purushamedha), there are many prohibitions which can only be attributed to the growth of bigotry. The ideas of purity of caste increased so far among all castes and especially among Brahmins that not only marriage but food and even water was prohibited with any person outside the caste. Nay in some sub-sections of Northern Brahmins such as the Kanojias, water and food from a stranger but of the same caste is prohibited. In South India even the shadow of an untouchable is looked upon as polluting. In the previous sub-periods Brahmins could take food from Kshatriyas and Vaiśyas and certain Śūdras (Vol. II p. 185). This was now prohibited by a Kalivarja text. But interdining among Brahmins and Kshatriyas or Vaiśyas does not seem to be prohibited by any text; but the practice gradually ceased, probably in this sub-period owing to bigotted notions of caste purity.
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PROHIBITION OF RECONVERSION.
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(But the greatest harm caused by such bigotted notions of purity of caste was the prohibition of reconversion which came into practice even in Al-Beruni's days and without any provision in the Kalivarja texts. It seems that Al-Beruni had a talk with some learned Brahmin on the subject; for he clearly says that there is a penance prescribed for the purification of persons "carried away into a Moslem country as slaves and returning" and he actually describes the penance; but adds that the Brahmin remarked that such persons were never taken back into the caste (Sachau Vol. II p. 163). Such was the state of public opinion even in Al-Beruni's days; it is needless to state that in the course of this sub-period and later this bigotted sentiment of the Hindus must have gathered strength and persons forcibly converted had no help but to remain in the religion forced upon them. 'Once a convert always a convert' became the maxim of intolerant Hinduism and we know that thousands of Hindus have consequently, most often without their fault, become irretrievably Mahomedans and Christians.
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NOTE:—AL-BERUNI'S ENUMERATION OF FASTS AND FESTIVALS.