Hindu Law and Custom (Recht und Sitte) c9.80

c9.80

In verbal and real injuries (*vāk and daṇḍapāruṣya*) particular attention is paid to the castes of the insulter and the insulted; the sentence is fixed according to Varṇa and Jāti (Y. 2, 206). Thus a Kṣatriya will be fined 100 paṇas if he abuses a Brahman and 200 paṇas if he actually assaults him; a Vaiśya shall pay 1 1/2 times as much as the Kṣatriya; on the other hand a Brahman who insults a Kṣatriya pays only 50, for insulting a Vaiśya only 25, and for insulting a Śūdra nothing at all (Gaut. 12, 8-13 etc.).