The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c10.19

c10.19

This account, borrowed from the incidents of everyday life, too circumstantial to be considered a purely fictitious example, an evidence of the haughtiness of the members of the ruling class in their dealings with the Brâhmaṇas, seems to me of no less weight than the later, (III. 1.24) more theoretical discussions between Buddha and Ambaṭṭha relating to the question whether a son born of the union of a Khattiya’s son with a Brâhmaṇa girl was legitimate or not. The young Brâhmaṇa must accept the answer that a son born of such a mixed marriage would get his seat and water among the Brâhmaṇas, that he would participate in the sacrifices and in the meals, that he would be instructed and that he could marry their women, but that, on the other hand, the Khattiyas would never take him up into their caste. For on his mother’s side, he is not of equal rank with them. Similarly, should the two castes look upon a son born of the union of a Brâhmaṇa’s son and a Khattiya’s daughter; here also the Brâhmaṇas should look upon him as of equal rank, while the Khattiyas cannot regard him as their equal, on account of his not being of the same rank on his father’s side. Even this Ambaṭṭha has to admit that the Brâhmaṇas, when they have driven one of their members for any cause out of the kingdom or town and disgraced him, cannot take him back into their society but can safely allow a Khattiya excommunicated from his caste to participate in meals, in sacrifice and in instruction, and even to marry amongst them. "Consequently, O Ambaṭṭha," cries out Buddha at the end of the discourse, "even when a Khattiya has fallen into the lowest depths, he is still the best and the Brâhmaṇas are (in comparison with him) low," and adds the verse which occurs repeatedly in Buddhistic Suttas: "The Khattiya is considered the highest by men who attach value to family" (Khattiya seṭṭho jane tasmim yo gottapaṭisârino).