The Social and Military Position of the Ruling Caste in Ancient India, as Represented by the Sanskrit Epic c2.s4.17

c2.s4.17

† Compare xii. 207. 41-45, for the disesteem felt for foreigners; xiv. 73. 25, for the distinction between Kirātas, Yavanas, with other barbarians, and Aryans; or vi. 9. 61, etc.; and xiii. 48 and 49 for the whole account of the mixed castes. The recoil from strangers is not much greater, however, than that of high caste from low caste in the developed state: ‘equals with equals : let priests talk with priests; warriors, with warriors; men of the people, with men of the people; slaves, with slaves,’ xii. 210. 11-12. Yet in a moral sense even the mixed castes are better than the pure if the latter do not do as they ought, iii. 180. 25-36. The high estimation in which certain foreigners, such as the Yavanas, were held is wholly due to the military point of view (see below). Aside from this accident they were all despicable, no matter whence they came, although the Madrakas were chief in positive unholiness and in the anti-Aryan character of their civilization. The Northerners in general were as bad as the rest. The sole exception is that of the storied Northern Kurus. These were looked upon as occupying an earthly Hyperborean paradise. The flank of Mount Meru is in one place given as their home (*dakṣiṇena tu nīlasya meroḥ pārçve tatho 'ttare*, vi. 7. 2), but they are regarded as real people of the North in most cases, with laws more conservative than the Southerners (as in i. 122. 7), and blessed with a typical felicity (as in the first passage, and R. ii. 103. 26) : so blessed in fact that while some happy heroes go at death to Indra’s heaven, others go to the Northern Kurus (xv. 33. 13 ff.), as a sort of earthly heaven. A gate sixteen *yojanas* wide used to be blocked up and prevent their passage; but they can now pass through (iii. 231. 98). It is evident that they were half-real, half-mythical to the Epic poets. Other foreigners are simply barbarians, on a par with the Dasyus, which latter race may be blessed only by changing its way of life and becoming an adherent of Aryan rules (xii. 135. 22, etc.). Rather noteworthy is the *tutoyer* (*tvaṁkāra*) of a seer by a slave in iii. 137. 5-6, and by a Cāṇḍāla (*tam uvāca sa cāṇḍālo maharṣe çṛṇu me vacaḥ*, xii. 141. 55. Compare 85, *bhavān*, and conversely, Viçvāmitra to the Çvapaca *bhavān* in 66, *tvam* in 80) though the custom is to exchange ‘thou’ with ‘sir’ without ceremony. But the rule is that, though persons younger or of the same age may be addressed with ‘thou,’ neither ‘thou’ nor the real name should be said to those that are better (older). Compare xii. 193. 25 (*tvaṁkāraṁ nāmadheyaṁ ca jyeṣṭhānām arivarjayet*, etc.)