Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c13.228

c13.228

But in comparison to the members of the higher varṇas the śūdras continued to have a lower standard of living. The housing rules laid down by Varāhamihira provide that a brāhmaṇa should have a house of five rooms, a kṣatriya of four, a vaiśya of three and a śūdra of two. In every case the length and breadth of the main room should vary in the order of the superiority of the four varṇas.⁴ Such a rule may have been observed only by orthodox brāhmaṇas, but it shows that members of the lower varṇas were not expected to enjoy better housing conditions.