The Social and Military Position of the Ruling Caste in Ancient India, as Represented by the Sanskrit Epic c2.s5.37

c2.s5.37

∗ These points, incidentally touched on already, may be illustrated by the following: ‘the daily allowance and (monthly) wage of the army to be paid as stipulated and at the time agreed upon’ (kaccid balasya bhaktaṃ ca vetanaṃ ca yatho’citam, saṃprāptakāle dātavyaṃ dadāsi na vikarṣasi, ii. 5. 48, and the same in R. ii. 109. 41); ‘support the wives of those that for your sake have gone to death’ (ii. 5. 54 : cf. xii. 86. 24; cf. also Nītipra. vi. 106–107); ‘one must not engage in business affairs with a king’s soldier’ (rājabhṛtyaḥ . . . senājīvī ca . . . vyavahāreṣu varjanīyāḥ, v. 37. 30). The rules for booty have been given above. Ease and pleasure were the fruits of peace. Compare the Greek’s account (Diodor. xli. : πέμπτον δὲ στρατιωτικὸν, εἰς τοὺς πολέμους εὐθετοῦν, τῷ μὲν πλήθει δεύτερον, ἀνέσει δὲ καὶ παιδιᾷ πλείστῃ χρώμενον ἐν ταῖς εἰρήναις Τρέφεται δ’ ἐκ τοῦ βασιλικοῦ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθος τῶν στρατιωτῶν καὶ τῶν πολεμιστῶν. ἵππων τε καὶ ἐλεφάντων. Arrian, Ind. xii., fills this out a little : πέμπτον δὲ γένος ἐστὶν Ἰνδοῖσιν οἱ πολεμισταὶ, πλήθει μὲν δεύτερον μετὰ τοὺς γεωργοὺς, πλείστῃ δὲ ἐλευθερίῃ τε καὶ εὐθυμίῃ ἐπιχρεόμενον· καὶ οὗτοι ἄσκηται μούνων τῶν πολεμικῶν ἔργων εἰσί. He adds that they make their own arms and have servants to attend them in camp, and proceeds : αὐτοὶ δὲ ἔστ’ ἂν μὲν πολεμέει δέῃ πολεμέουσιν, εἰρήνης δὲ γενομένης εὐθυμέονται· καὶ σφιν μισθὸς ἐκ τοῦ κοινοῦ τοσόσδε ἔρχεται ὡς καὶ ἄλλους τρέφειν ἀπ’ αὐτοῦ εὐμαρέως. Compare Strabo, above p. 124.