Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c13.79

c13.79

The *Śānti Parvan* repeats the myth that the śūdra was created by Prajāpati as the *dāsa* of the three other varṇas.² And hence he is required to practise the *dāsa-dharma*.³ But this does not mean that all the śūdras were slaves. On account of the prevalence of slavery⁴ some of the śūdras may have been slaves. But they were not slaves employed in producing activities. Although Nārada mentions fifteen kinds of slaves,⁵ both he and Bṛhaspati make it clear that they are employed only in impure work.⁶ This consists in sweeping the gateway, the privy, the road, removing the leavings of food, ordure, wine etc. and rubbing the master's limbs or shampooing the secret parts of his body.⁷ On the other hand those engaged in producing activities, namely agricultural labourers or porters, are looked upon as doing pure work.⁸ Therefore there is hardly any evidence of slaves being employed in production, either by individuals or by the state, such as we find in the pre-Mauryan and Mauryan periods.