Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c8.315

c8.315

The attempts at an etymological derivation of the term *śūdra* reflect the position of the fourth varṇa at the time they were made, and hardly help to elucidate the problem of the origin of the varṇa. The earliest attempt is to be found in the *Vedānta-sūtra* of Bādarāyaṇa, where the word is divided into two parts *śuk* ‘grief’ and *dra* from root *dru* ‘to rush’.⁵ While commenting on this passage Śaṅkara gives three alternative explanations why Jānaśruti¹ was called a śūdra; *viz*: (i) ‘he rushed into grief’ (*śucam abhidudrāva*), (ii) ‘grief rushed on him’ (*śucā vā abhidudruve*), and (iii) ‘he in his grief rushed to Raikva’ (*śucā vā raikvam abhidudrāva*).² Śaṅkara concludes that the word *śūdra* can be understood only by explaining the meaning of its components and not otherwise.³ Bādarāyaṇa’s derivation of *śūdra* and Śaṅkara’s gloss thereon have rightly been regarded as unsatisfactory.⁴ The Jānaśruti referred to by Śaṅkara is said to have ruled among the Mahāvṛṣas, a people who are mentioned in the *Atharva Veda* as living in north-western India. It is doubtful whether he belonged to the śūdra varṇa. Either he belonged to the Śūdra tribe, or to some other north-western people who were dubbed as śūdras by brāhmaṇical writers.