Chapter 57 - Origin of mixed castes

Once upon a time there was a prince whose name was Vena. In his childhood this Vena delighted in cruel sports. He used to seize little innocent children by force, and throw them down into the river, after tying up their hands and feet with rope. To perpetrate this and other similar inhuman deeds was his daily occupation.

At last, when the people were sick of his cruelties, they complained to the king, his father.

The king was so shocked at the news that he left his kingdom in disgust, and went to live in a forest. The result was that anarchy prevailed for a time, and the Munis^[1], with a view to put an end to it, were obliged to install the irreligious Vena as their king.

No sooner did he become a king than he interdicted the duties prescribed by the scriptures for the different castes and orders, and had proclamations issued by beat of drum that it was improper to perform religious ceremonies, sacrifices, charities, and such other acts.

The Brahmanas went in a body to the king, and represented to him the evils which were calculated to arise from the line of action he had adopted. They pointed out that chastity would entirely disappear from the kingdom, and promiscuous intercourse of men and women would create a confusion in the castes, and open the door to all sorts of sins, and, therefore, to hell. Vena replied that he was determined to create a confusion of castes and see what evils, resulted therefrom. The Brahmanas, consequently, went away disappointed.

Vena forced Brahmana girls to marry Kshatriya and Vaisya boys, and Kshatriya and Vaisya girls to marry Brahmana boys. He, in short, mated men and women of all the four castes promiscuously, with the result that innumerable-mongrel castes sprang into existence. Thereafter he mated the mongrel castes together and made confusion worse confounded.

Vena’s high-handedness gave rise to various-mixed castes which were subsequently subdivided into three classes, viz., the superior, the intermediate, and the inferior.

The superior elass consisted of twenty castes which sprang up from the mating of the four pure^[2] (i.e. Vedic) castes together. They were as follows:—

(1) Karana (or the writer caste) born of a Vaisya father and a Sudra mother.

(2) Ambashtha (or the physician class) whose father was a Brahmana and mother a Vaisya.

(3) Grandhavanika (dealer in perfume), (4) Kamsya Vanika (dealer in metal) and (5) Sankha Vanika (dealer in conches) were also similarly descended.

(6) Ugra Kshatriya, and Rajputa were descended from a Brahmana father and Sudra and Vaisya mothers respectively.

(8) Kumbhakara (potter) and (9) Tantuvaya (weaver) were born of Brahmana fathers and Kshatriya mothers.

(10) Karmakara (artisan) and (11) Rasa (an agriculturist) had Brahmana fathers and Sudra mothers.

(12) Magadha (professional bards), and (13) Gopa (engraver or painter) were born of Vaisya fathers and Kshatriya mothers.

(14) Napita (barber) and (15) Modaka (sweetmeat maker) were descended from Kshatriya fathers and Sudra mothers. (16). Barajivi was born of a Brahmana father and a Sudra mother.

(17) Suta (chariot-driver) had a Kshatriya for a father and a Brahmana woman for a mother.

(18) Malakeara (dealers in flowers), (19) Tambuli (dealers in betel leaves) and (20) Tailika (dealers in betel nuts) were born of Vaisya fathers and Sudra mothers.

The intermediate Varna sankaras (mixed castes) are the following:—

(1) Taksha (carpenter) and (2) Rajaka (washerman) were descended from Karana fathers and Vaisya mothers (3) Svarnakara (goldsmith) and (4) Suvarnavanika (dealer in gold) were born of Ambashtha fathers and Vaisya mothers.

(5) Abhira (cowherd) and (6) Taila Karaka (oil-presser) were descended from Gopa fathers and Vaisya mothers (7) Dhivara (fisherman) and (8) Saundika (wine-seller) had Gopa fathers and Sudra mothers.

(9) Nata (actors) and (10) Savaka were born of Mala-Kara fathers and Sudra mothers.

(11) Sekhara and (12) Jalika (fowler) were descended from Magadha fathers and Sudra mothers.

The inferior mixed castes are the following:—

(1) Grihi was born of a Suvarnakara father and a Vaidya mother.

(2) Kudaba’s father was Savarnavanika and mother a Vaidya woman.

(3) Chandala’s father was Sudra and mother a Brahmana woman.

(4) Vadura was descended from an Abhira father and a Gopa mother.

(5) Churmakara (shoe-maker) was born of a Taksha father and Vaisya mother.

There were some other mixed castes besides the above.

The astrologers are descended from a Devala Brahmana whom Garuda had brought from Sakadvipa and who was therefore called Sakadvipi.

A son was born from the body of Vena whose name was Mlechchha. This Mlechehha was the father of Palinda, Pukkasa, Khasa, Yavana, Sumba, Kamboja, Savara, Kshara, &c.

The Rishis were enraged at the conduct of Mlechchha’s sons and determined to kill Vena. They accordingly went to him in a body, and, casting an angry look on him, killed him at once by incantations.

Thereafter they rubbed the arms of Vena and produced King Prithu and his wife. His birth marked a new era and his sound administration instilled new life into the earth. Gods, cows and Brahmanas began to live happily again.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Sages.

[2]:

i.e. Brahmana, Kshatriya, Vaisya and Sudra.