Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c8.323

c8.323

Brāhmaṇical traditions in the Purāṇas also connect the term *śūdra* with the root *śuc*, to be grieved. It is said that “those who grieved and ran, and were addicted to manual tasks, and were inglorious and feeble, were made śūdras.”⁷ But such explanations of the term śūdra rather reflect the position of the varṇa in later times than account for its etymological derivations. In this respect the Buddhist explanation of the term seems to be as fanciful as the brāhmaṇical. According to the Buddha, those who were of dreadful and mean conduct (*luddācārā khuddācārā ti*) came to be known as suddas, and thus the word sudda came into existence.¹ In the Buddhist lexicon of early medieval times *śūdra* became a synonym of *kṣudra*,² and on this basis it is suggested that *śūdra* is derived from *kṣudra*.³ Both derivations are philologically unsatisfactory, but are important as illustrating the ideas associated with the concept of the *śūdra* varṇa in ancient times. While the brāhmaṇical derivation betrays the miserable condition of the *śūdra*, the Buddhist tradition refers to his mean and inferior status in society. The derivations merely show how even etymological and linguistic explanations are influenced by prevailing social conditions. A recent writer derives the term *śūdra* from the root *śvi* ‘swell’ + the root *drā* ‘run’ and suggests that this term means ‘one who runs after gross life’; therefore according to him the *śūdra* is ‘an unintelligent fellow meant for manual labour.’⁴ It is extraordinary that he should have derived the term *śūdra* from two roots, and that too hardly without any old etymological basis. The meaning which he labours to ascribe to this term only betrays the traditional attitude towards the *śūdra*, but does not throw any light on his origin.