Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c13.2
Śūdras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c13.2
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c13.2
The Smṛtis of Viṣṇu, Yājñavalkya, Nārada, Bṛhaspati and Kātyāyana¹ constitute the main source for the study of the position of the śūdras in this period. Of these the *Yājñavalkya* seems to have been the most important because of the authority it came to enjoy in Northern India in subsequent times. Perhaps its provisions reflect more faithfully than do the other Smṛtis the developments in society during the Gupta period. This law-book either undoes or ignores the extremist measures of Manu against the śūdras, and provides the punishment of branding and banishing even for the brāhmaṇas.²