Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c13.353

c13.353

But concessions made to śūdras did not bring about the complete cessation of internal conflict between the varṇas. There are at least nine verses in the Śānti Parvan stressing the necessity of combination and harmony between the first two varṇas,⁴ which probably indicate some combined opposition on the part of the vaiśyas and śūdras. It is complained that at one stage the śūdras and vaiśyas, acting most wilfully, began to unite themselves with the wives of brāhmaṇas.⁵ There are several references which suggest that the śūdras were especially antagonistic to the existing order. The Anuśāsana Parvan avers that śūdras are destroyers of the king, and hence a wise ruler should not be complacent towards this danger.⁶ A long passage of the Aśvamedhika Parvan, which partly reproduces a similar passage from the Vasiṣṭha Dharmaśāstra, characterises the śūdras as hostile, violent, boastful, short-tempered, untruthful, extremely greedy, ungrateful, heterodox, lazy and impure.⁷