The Religion and Philosophy of the Veda and Upanishads v1.c27.s7.64

v1.c27.s7.64

In this ritual we find the fully developed form of what is already known to the Rigveda, the choosing of the priests by the offerer, who must satisfy himself as to their capacities, if for no other reason than that, while he attains the fruit of the sacrifice, all the errors of the priests fall upon him, so that they can if they like ruin him at any moment by making deliberate blunders, as the Brāhmaṇas tell them how to do if they so wish. In their turn they are entitled to ask the sacrificer questions and to make sure that he is a proper person to sacrifice for, and that other priests have not already been engaged in the offering and left it unfinished by reason of disagreement with the sacrificer. The point is of interest, as illustrating how firmly organized the Brahmans were on the best trade-union models. The sacrificer must be of the three highest castes; exceptions are of the rarest character, and mainly concern the makers of chariots, Rathakāras, who seem to have occupied at quite an early date a peculiar position, not included in the third caste but still distinctly superior to the Çūdras, a fact which suggests that they were of inferior origin to the three castes, but by skill too important and useful to be neglected.³