History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c96.s1.55.3

v7.c96.s1.55.3

10 says 'there is no (real) distinction between the varṇas, (since) the whole world is of Brahmā, since it was formerly created by Brahmā, and has had the system of varṇas on account of the various actions (of men)'; Śānti (189. 4 and 8) avers 'that man is known as brāhmaṇa in whom are seen truthfulness, generosity, absence of hate, absence of wickedness, shame (restraint for avoiding wrong-doing), compassion and a life of austerity; if these signs are observed in a śūdra and are not found in a brāhmaṇa, then the śūdra is not a śūdra (should not be treated as a śūdra) and the brāhmaṇa is not a brāhmaṇa. A similar passage occurs in Vanaparva 216. 14-15 (quoted above in note 1640 pp 1005-6 and compared to Dhammapada 393, translated on p. 1005). When the wrangles between Vaiṣṇavas and others were at their highest the Bhāgavatapurāṇa (VII. 9. 10) avers that a cāṇḍāla who is a devotee of Viṣṇu is superior to a brāhmaṇa who is not a devotee of Viṣṇū. Apart from the specific qualities required to be possessed by the members of each of the four varṇas, all Dharmaśāstra works attach the highest importance to certain moral qualities and enjoin them on all men Manu X 63, Yāj I. 22, Gaut. Dh S. VIII. 23-25, Matsya 52. 9-10 (quoted above on p. 1023 n. 1652) prescribe for all Varṇas a brief code of morals, such as ahiṁsā, truthfulness, non-stealing (i e. no wrongful taking of another's property), purity and restraint of the senses.