History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c99.337

v7.c99.337

Brāhmaṇa or Brāhmaṇas (vide under gifts, pātra, priests); all brāhmaṇas were not priests, are not priests in modern times and all temple priests are not always brāhmaṇas 936; every b. was not a proper recipient for gifts in ancient Indian times 937; difference of view on killing an ātatāyin b 817n, gifts (religious) to be made acc. to śāstras, Manu and other Smṛtis only to pātra (deserving) br. who has learning, character and tapas, 937; gifts made to brāhmaṇa not learned in Veda or who is avaricious or deceitful were deemed fruitless by Manu and to lead donor to hell 938; had no power to raise taxes like *tithes* nor was there a regularly paid hierarchy of priests and bishops as in England, 937, high ideal placed before br of plain living, of giving up active pursuit of riches, of devotion to study, pp 936-38, 1637, how importance of birth as a brāhmaṇa arose 1639-40, lores to be studied by a learned brāhmaṇa, acc. to Gautama Dh. S. 818; maintaining themselves by practising astrology were unfit for being invited to perform rites for gods or for śrāddha dinner acc to Manu 527, Manu and others provided that in rites for pitṛs the learning and character of b. should be carefully scrutinized, but Purāṇas did away with this, particularly at Gayā 930-32; of Mathurā are like gods, says Varāhapurāṇa 932, Mahābhārata emphasizes that good character makes a brāhmaṇa 100n; milk is vrata of, 18, most Br. studied only one Veda or a part of it, 1182. only br. were entitled to drink Soma beverage in Vedic sacrifices 853; performed solemn Vedic sacrifices like Vājapeya 1029, reasons or basis of the veneration paid to brāhmaṇas for over three thousand years, 1640; result of threatening or striking or injuring (with blood from wound) a brāhmaṇa declared in Tai. S., which is interpreted in two ways by different writers, 1544-45; substantial sources of income were only three, viz. teaching, officiating as priests at sacrifices of others and receiving gifts made voluntarily which were fitful, variable and precarious, 937, 1638-39; to learn *vidyā* from a kṣatriya was unnatural or unusual in Upaniṣad times, 864; to be fed in all vratas, 39, tribute paid in passing to the ancient brāhmaṇa ideal by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru 1640; vast Vedic and classical literature was cultivated, preserved and propagated mostly by brāhmaṇas with arduous labour and the Ṛgveda was preserved by them with unparalleled care, 936, 1637-38; were asked to study Veda and subsidiary lores without any eye to motives of profit as a duty and to understand it, to teach the Veda without demanding a fee beforehand, to perform sacrifices and to make gifts, 937; who is not a Vaiṣṇava is declared as a heretic by Padmapurāṇa and Vṛddha-Hārīta 976; Yāj. provides that even a learned br. should refuse gifts and that the king should donate to learned brāhmaṇas, land, houses and marriage expenses or br. should approach a king or rich person for their 'Yogakṣema' 936.