The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c14.85

c14.85

Along with the "proper" Brāhmaṇas we meet with another sort whom I might call "worldly" Brāhmaṇas and by whom I believe that the Brāhmaṇa caste was chiefly represented in the eastern lands in Buddha's time. As the reason for this supposition, there is for me the circumstance that of one of the Brāhmaṇas hitherto described and conforming to the Brahmanical ideal, it is said with emphasis that he belongs to the north, or is of northern extraction, *i.e.*, is an *udicca brāhmaṇa*¹ (I. 324, 356, 361, 373, 406, 431, 436, 450, 494, 505 ; II. 83 ; III. 232 ; V. 193, 227). By these *udicca brāhmaṇas* we have, in my opinion, to understand Brāhmaṇas living in Kâsi or Magadha land who traced their descent to Brāhmaṇa families living north-west of the centre of Buddhism, somewhere in the regions of Kuru and Pañcâla, attached great importance to this descent and tried by a strict observance of the caste-prescriptions to prove that they were true members of their caste. The pride with which the Brāhmaṇa, in reply to the Caṇḍāla’s question to which caste he belonged, says, “I am a Brāhmaṇa from the north-west,” (*ahaṃ udicco brāhmaṇo* II. 83), corresponds to the suspicion which seizes him that he has probably violated the caste-prescriptions. In the Mangala Jātaka (I. 371 sq.) such an *udicca brāhmaṇa* is placed in direct opposition to a worldly Brahmana. The latter, a *sāṭakalakkhaṇa brāhmaṇa*, i.e., a Brāhmaṇa who can read the future from signs which are found in articles of clothing, learns one day that a dress which was kept in a box and which he wants to wear, is eaten by a mouse. He reflects "If this dress which is eaten by a mouse remains in the house, there will be very great misfortune, for it is a very bad omen. Also one cannot possibly give it to a child or a slave, for whoever wears this brings ill-luck to the whole of his surroundings. I will throw it into a cremation ground, but I will not give it to any of my slaves, for he may desire to have it and keep it with him and thereby bring mischief. I will make it over to my son." He calls his son and after he has explained the thing to him, he enjoins him not to touch the cloth but to carry it with a stick and throw it away into the cremation ground; after this, he should wash his whole body and return. Shortly before the son reached the cremation ground, the Bodhisatta reborn as *udicca brāhmaṇa* had gone there and sat near the gate. As the young man threw down the cloth, he took it up. The young Brāhmaṇa narrated this to his father and the latter went to the Bodhisatta and pressed him to throw away the cloth, as otherwise he would be ruined. The udicca brāhmaṇa, however, taught him that a cloth thrown into the cremation ground was good enough for him, that he did not believe in premonitory signs and that no wise man should cherish such superstitions.