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Mahābhārata • Parva 13 (Anuśāsanaparva) • Adhyāya 48

Anuśāsanaparva Adhyāya 48

अनुशासनपर्व • अध्यायः 48

Anuśāsanaparva Adhyāya 48 of the classical Mahābhārata with 50 verses.

Total: 50 Verses • Citations: MBh 13.48.1–50 • 250 Lexicon Terms • Page 1 of 2 (Verses 30 shown)
अर्थाश्रयाद्वा कामाद्वा वर्णानां वाप्यनिश्चयात् । अज्ञानाद्वापि वर्णानां जायते वर्णसंकरः ॥
English Translation
Yudhishthira said The intermixture of castes is brought about through inducements offered by richies, or through mere lust, or through ignorance of the true order of birth.
तेषामेतेन विधिना जातानां वर्णसंकरे । को धर्मः कानि कर्माणि तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह ॥
English Translation
What, O grandfather, are the duties of persons who are born in the mixed classes and what are the acts laid down for them? Do you describe them to me.
चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य कर्माणि चातुर्वर्ण्यं च केवलम् । असृजत्स ह यज्ञार्थे पूर्वमेव प्रजापतिः ॥
English Translation
Bhishma said In the beginning, the Lord of all creatures created the four castes and laid down their respective duties, for the sake of sacrifice.
भार्याश्चतस्रो विप्रस्य द्वयोरात्मास्य जायते । आनुपूर्व्याद्द्वयोर्हीनौ मातृजात्यौ प्रसूयतः ॥
English Translation
The Brahmana may take four wives, one from each of the four castes. In two of them, he takes birth himself. Those sons, however, who are begotten by him on the two other inferior, (viz., Vaishya and Shudra), are inferior, their position being settled not by that of their father but by that of their mothers.
परं शवाद्ब्राह्मणस्यैष पुत्रः; शूद्रापुत्रं पारशवं तमाहुः । शुश्रूषकः स्वस्य कुलस्य स स्या;त्स्वं चारित्रं नित्यमथो न जह्यात् ॥
English Translation
The son begotten by a Brahmana upon a Shudra wife is called Parashva, meaning one bom of a dead body for the Shudra woman's body is as inauspicious as a dead body. He should serve the persons of his (father's) race. Indeed, it is not proper for him to renounce the duty of service that has been laid down for him.
सर्वानुपायानपि संप्रधार्य; समुद्धरेत्स्वस्य कुलस्य तन्तुम् । ज्येष्ठो यवीयानपि यो द्विजस्य; शुश्रूषवान्दानपरायणः स्यात् ॥
English Translation
With all means in his power, he should maintain his family. Even if he happens to be elder in age, he should still dutifully serve the other children of his father, who in age may be younger to him, and give them whatever he may succeed in acquiring.
तिस्रः क्षत्रियसंबन्धाद्द्वयोरात्मास्य जायते । हीनवर्णस्तृतीयायां शूद्र उग्र इति स्मृतः ॥
English Translation
A Kshatriya may take three wives. In two of them, he takes birth himself. His third wife being of the Shudra caste, is considered as very inferior. The son that he begets upon her is called an Ugra.
द्वे चापि भार्ये वैश्यस्य द्वयोरात्मास्य जायते । शूद्रा शूद्रस्य चाप्येका शूद्रमेव प्रजायते ॥
English Translation
The Vaishya may take two wives. In both of them, he takes birth himself. The Shudra can take only one wife, from his own caste. The son begotten by him upon her becomes a Shudra.
अतो विशिष्टस्त्वधमो गुरुदारप्रधर्षकः । बाह्यं वर्णं जनयति चातुर्वर्ण्यविगर्हितम् ॥
English Translation
A son who takes birth under circumstances other than those mentioned above, is considered as a very inferior one. If a person of a lower caste begets a son upon a woman of a superior caste, such son is regarded as outside the pale of the four pure castes. Indeed, such son becomes an object of derision with the four principal castes.
अयाज्यं क्षत्रियो व्रात्यं सूतं स्तोमक्रियापरम् । वैश्यो वैदेहकं चापि मौद्गल्यमपवर्जितम् ॥
English Translation
If a Kshatriya begets a son upon Brahmani woman, such son, without being included in any of the four pure castes, comes to be considered as a Suta, The duties of a Suta consist in reciting eulogies and encomiums of kings and other great men. The son begotten by a Vaishya upon a woman of the Brahmana, order, is known as a Vaidehaka. Their duties consist in taking charge of bars and bolts for protecting the privacy of women of respectable families. Such sons have no purifying rites laid down for them.
शूद्रश्चण्डालमत्युग्रं वध्यघ्नं बाह्यवासिनम् । ब्राह्मण्यां संप्रजायन्त इत्येते कुलपांसनाः । एते मतिमतां श्रेष्ठ वर्णसंकरजाः प्रभो ॥
English Translation
If a Shudra knows a woman belonging to the foremost of the four castes, the son that is begotten is called a Chandala. Endued with a dreadful disposition, he must live in the outskirts of cities and towns and his duty is that are a or। of the public executioner. Such sons are always considered as wretches of their race. These, O foremost of intelligent persons, the offspring of intermixed castes.
बन्दी तु जायते वैश्यान्मागधो वाक्यजीवनः । शूद्रान्निषादो मत्स्यघ्नः क्षत्रियायां व्यतिक्रमात् ॥
English Translation
The son begotten by a Vaishya upon a Kshatriya woman becomes Bandi Magadha. His duties are eloquent recitations of praise. The son begotten through transgression, by a Shudra upon a Kshatriya woman, becomes a Nishada and his duties consist in the catching of fish.
शूद्रादायोगवश्चापि वैश्यायां ग्रामधर्मिणः । ब्राह्मणैरप्रतिग्राह्यस्तक्षा स वनजीवनः ॥
English Translation
If a Shudra happens to know a Vaishya woman, the son begotten upon her comes to be called Ayogava. The duties of such a person are those of a carpenter. The Brahmana should never accept gifts from such a person. They are not entitled to possess any kind of riches.
एतेऽपि सदृशं वर्णं जनयन्ति स्वयोनिषु । मातृजात्यां प्रसूयन्ते प्रवरा हीनयोनिषु ॥
English Translation
Persons belonging to the mixed castes beget upon wives taken from their own castes children invested with their position. When they procreate children in women taken from other inferior castes, such children become inferior to their fathers, for they become invested with the position of their mothers.
यथा चतुर्षु वर्णेषु द्वयोरात्मास्य जायते । आनन्तर्यात्तु जायन्ते तथा बाह्याः प्रधानतः ॥
English Translation
Thus as regards the four pure castes, persons beget children invested with their own position upon wives taken from their own castes as also upon them that are taken from the castes immediately below their own. When, however, offspring is begotten upon other wives, they are regarded as invested with a position that is, principally, outside the pale of the four pure castes.
ते चापि सदृशं वर्णं जनयन्ति स्वयोनिषु । परस्परस्य वर्तन्तो जनयन्ति विगर्हितान् ॥
English Translation
When such children beget sons in women, taken from their own classes, those sons take the position of their fathers. It is only when they take wives from castes other than their own, that the children they beget, become invested with inferior position.
यथा च शूद्रो ब्राह्मण्यां जन्तुं बाह्यं प्रसूयते । एवं बाह्यतराद्बाह्यश्चातुर्वर्ण्यात्प्रसूयते ॥
English Translation
As an example of this it may be said that a Shudra begets upon a woman belonging to the inost superior cast a son that is outside the pale of the four castes, by uniting with women belonging to the four principal castes, begets offspring that is further degraded in point of position.
प्रतिलोमं तु वर्तन्तो बाह्याद्बाह्यतरं पुनः । हीना हीनात्प्रसूयन्ते वर्णाः पञ्चदशैव ते ॥
English Translation
From those outside the pale of the four castes and those again that are further outside that limit, children multiply on account of the union of persons with women of classes superior to their own. Thus, from persons of inferior position classes spring up, altogether fifteen in number, that are equally low or still lower in dignity.
अगम्यागमनाच्चैव वर्तते वर्णसंकरः । व्रात्यानामत्र जायन्ते सैरन्ध्रा मागधेषु च । प्रसाधनोपचारज्ञमदासं दासजीवनम् ॥
English Translation
It is only from sexual union with women of persons who should not have such union with them that mixed castes originate. Among the classes that are thus outside the limit of the four principal or pure castes, children are begotten upon woman belonging to the class called Sairindhri by men of the class called Magadha.
अतश्चायोगवं सूते वागुरावनजीवनम् । मैरेयकं च वैदेहः संप्रसूतेऽथ माधुकम् ॥
English Translation
The occupation of such children is the adorement of the bodies of kings and others. They are well acquainted with the preparation of unguents, the making of garlands, and the manufacture of articles used for the decoration of the body. Though free by the position that belongs to them by birth, they should live like servants. From the union of Magadhas of a certain class with women of the caste called Sairindhri, another caste originates, called Ayogava. Their business consists in the making of nets. Vaidehas, by knowing Sairindhri women, beget children called Maireyakas whose business is the manufacture of wines and spirits.
निषादो मुद्गरं सूते दाशं नावोपजीविनम् । मृतपं चापि चण्डालः श्वपाकमतिकुत्सितम् ॥
English Translation
From the Nishadas originate a caste called Madgura and another known by the name of Dasas whose business is plying boats. From the Chandalas originates a race called Shvapaka whose business lies in keeping guard over the dead.
चतुरो मागधी सूते क्रूरान्मायोपजीविनः । मांसस्वादुकरं सूदं सौगन्धमिति संज्ञितम् ॥
English Translation
The women of the Magadhi caste, by union with these four castes of wicked nature, produce four others who live by deceitful means. These are Mangsa, Svadukara, Kshaudra, and Saugandha.
वैदेहकाच्च पापिष्ठं क्रूरं भार्योपजीविनम् । निषादान्मद्रनाभं च खरयानप्रयायिनम् ॥
English Translation
From the Vaideha originates cruel and sinful caste that lives by practising deception. From the Nishadas again originates the Madranabha caste whose members are seen to ride on cars drawn by asses.
चण्डालात्पुल्कसं चापि खराश्वगजभोजिनम् । मृतचेलप्रतिच्छन्नं भिन्नभाजनभोजिनम् ॥
English Translation
From the Chandalas originates the caste called Pukkasa whose members are seen to eat the flesh of asses, horses and elephants. These are clad in clothes, procured by stripping human corpses. They are again seen to eat off broken earthenware.
आयोगवीषु जायन्ते हीनवर्णासु ते त्रयः । क्षुद्रो वैदेहकादन्ध्रो बहिर्ग्रामप्रतिश्रयः ॥
English Translation
These three castes of very low origin, are born of women of the Ayogava caste (by fathers taken from different castes). The caste called Kshudra originates from the Vaidehaka. The caste called Andhra which lives in the outskirts of towns and cities, also originates (from the Vaidehakas).
कारावरो निषाद्यां तु चर्मकारात्प्रजायते । चण्डालात्पाण्डुसौपाकस्त्वक्सारव्यवहारवान् ॥
English Translation
Then, again, the Charmakara, knowing woman of the Nishada caste, begets the class called Karavara. From the Chandala, again, originates the caste known by the name of Pandusaupaka whose business is to make baskets and other things with cleft bamboos.
आहिण्डिको निषादेन वैदेह्यां संप्रजायते । चण्डालेन तु सौपाको मौद्गल्यसमवृत्तिमान् ॥
English Translation
From the union of the Nishada with a woman of the Vaidehi caste, originates one who is called by the name of Ahindaka. The Chandala begets upon a Saupaka women a son who does not differ from the Chandala in position or occupation.
निषादी चापि चण्डालात्पुत्रमन्तावसायिनम् । श्मशानगोचरं सूते बाह्यैरपि बहिष्कृतम् ॥
English Translation
A Nishadi woman, by union with a Chandala, produces a son who lives in the outskirts of villages and towns. Indeed, the members of such a caste live in crematoria and are considered by the very lowest orders as incapable of being classed among them.
इत्येताः संकरे जात्यः पितृमातृव्यतिक्रमात् । प्रच्छन्ना वा प्रकाशा वा वेदितव्याः स्वकर्मभिः ॥
English Translation
Thus do these mixed castes originate from improper and sinful union of fathers and mothers belonging to different castes. Whether they live hidden or openly, they should be known by their occupations.
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