Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c10.361

c10.361

A passage from Āpastamba, however, favours the education of the śūdra in Vedic literature. While stating that a student should pay the fee to the teacher for the teaching of the Veda, he declares that the latter can accept it either from an ugra or a śūdra, under all circumstances.⁸ This may indicate an earlier state of things, when the śūdra was admitted to Vedic education. But later this was denied to him, not only by Gautama and Vasiṣṭha but also by Āpastamba himself. The Veda being the source of the law (dharma), as a natural corollary Vasiṣṭha declares that a śūdra is neither worthy of receiving any advice nor the contents of law.⁹ Apparently such a dictum was meant to keep the śūdras in complete ignorance of the law by which they were governed.