Hindu Administrative Institutions c6.s4.9

c6.s4.9

Here we are concerned with the divisions and the orders that existed. Though the unfailing source of undated history which is tradition asserts that society came into being accompanied by these four divisions or communities of people yet it cannot be denied that caste arose long after the creation of man. With the establishment of this fourfold classification, to keep up orderliness in society and to preserve harmony, the seers and sages of old framed codes and laws enjoining on the particular classes to follow their *svadharma*. This conception of *svadharma* is a sound economic principle judged by modern notions of economic science. It at once knocks on the head the current principles of individual freedom, the struggle for existence, and the survival of the fittest. Ancient India had never to face these serious problems staring us now in the face. By healthy conventions, India solved these problems. Every individual was made to realize his responsibility and duty to himself, his family, community, state and ultimately to God. He is born in this broad world with three debts, duty to the elders or departed ones (पितृऋणं), duty to the sages and seers (ऋषिऋणं) and duty to God (देवऋण). He must absolve himself of these three debts if his aim is the liberation of his soul by means of supreme knowledge (ज्ञान). The first step is *karma* or *dharma*, transgression of which would lead to serious consequences. In the *Mokṣadharma* portion of the *Śanti Parvan* it is said¹ ‘animated by lustful enjoyments, devoid of commiseration, full of passion and wrath, and fond of daring, adventure and departed from *svadharma*, the Brahmans acquired the quality of the Kṣatriyas.’ Again those Brahmans² who take to agriculture and cattle rearing and do not attend to their proper duties acquire the quality of the Vaiśyas.’ And yet again those who indulge in cruelty and untruth,³ are avaricious, and take to all sorts of livelihood, full of *tamas* quality, and are fallen from the righteous path, acquire the quality of Sudras.’