Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c12.s6.35

c12.s6.35

¹ See the account of social divisions of Ancient India in my *Local Government in Ancient India*. Cf. Max Müller [*Lectures on the Origin of Religion*, p. 350 f.]: "We find the old Indian Society divided, first of all, into two classes, the *Āryas* or nobles born, and *Śūdras*, the servants or slaves. Secondly, we find that the Āryas consist of Brāhmaṇas, the spiritual nobility, the Kshatriyas or Rājanyas, the military nobility, and the Vaiśyas, the citizens... A much more important feature, however, of the ancient Vedic society than the four castes consists in the four āśramas or stages. A Brāhmaṇa, as a rule, passes through four, a noble man through three, a citizen through two, a Śūdra through one of these stages [*Āryavidyā-sudhānidhi*, p. 153].... As soon as the child of an Ārya is born, nay, even before his birth, his parents have to perform certain *saṁskāras*. As many as twenty-five *saṁskāras* are mentioned, sometimes even more. Śūdras only were not admitted to these rites; while Āryas who omitted to perform them were considered no better than *Śūdra*. (According to Yama, Śūdras also may receive these sacraments *up to the upanayana* but unaccompanied by Vedic verses)."