Shudras in Ancient India: A Social History of the Lower Order down to circa A.D. 600 c9.130

c9.130

A remarkable passage occurring in all the collections of the *Yajus* contains a prayer to Agni to confer brilliance on ‘our’ priests, warriors, vaiśyas and śūdras.⁶ The context, in which this passage occurs in the *Vājasaneyi Saṃhitā*, deals with formulas for the performance of the *vasordhārā*, a sort of consecration service of Agni as king. On this occasion the officiating priest (*adhvaryu*) recites formulas meant to bestow all temporal and spiritual blessings on the sacrificer. It is not clear, but may not be improbable, that the ritual is prescribed for the king, who prays to Agni to place lustre in all the varṇas of his subjects including the śūdras.