Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c11.246

c11.246

It has been shown earlier that Pāṇini seems to have included the caṇḍālas in the śūdra varṇa. But Kauṭilya does not consider them as śūdras.⁸ They have no place in the fourfold varṇa system. Thus, according to Kauṭilya, damage done to the animals and birds of the caṇḍālas and forest tribes should be punished with half the fine of that done to the similar possessions of the members of the four varṇas.⁹ In addition to the four varṇas Kauṭilya mentions the caste of the antavasāyins,¹⁰ who seem to be identical with the caṇḍālas, for the latter lived outside villages near the burial grounds.¹¹ It is laid down that, if the caṇḍāla touches an ārya woman, a fine of a hundred paṇas shall be imposed on him.¹² This may imply that no such fine will be imposed if he touches a śūdra woman. Similarly the tank of water used by the caṇḍālas could not be used by anybody else.¹ So there is no doubt that the caṇḍālas continued to be regarded as untouchables. But the same cannot be said of the other mixed castes such as the pārāśavas and the niṣādas. For Kauṭilya provides for the share of the pārāśava son in the case of the brāhmaṇa father having no other issue.² The Arthaśāstra introduces us to a new avocation of the caṇḍāla. He is to be engaged in whipping a transgressing woman in the centre of the village.³ He may be also asked to drag with a rope, along the public road, the bodies of such men and women as commit suicide by various methods.⁴