Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c13.385

c13.385

Yājñavalkya states that an elderly śūdra deserves respect.⁴ Unlike the early lawgivers, he does not insist that vaiśya and śūdra guests should be made to work and then fed with the servants. He provides, however, that guests should be received and fed in the order of their varṇas.⁵ But his provision that a guest should not be turned away in the evening and should be offered whatever is available⁶ is not confined to the members of any particular varṇa. The Dharmasūtra rule of providing food to caṇḍālas at the end of the Vaiśvadeva ceremony is repeated during this period,⁷ and slaves, śvapacas and beggars are added to this list.⁸