Vasudevahindi (cultural history)
by A. P. Jamkhedkar | 1965 | 134,331 words
This essay is an English study of the Vasudevahindi reflecting cultural history and traditions of the life of people in ancient and medieval India during the 6th century. The Vasudevahindi is a romantic and religious tale divided into two parts. The first part is attributed to Sanghadasa (6th century A.D.) and explores the wanderings of Dhammilla a...
7. The Candalas and Other Despised Classes
Apart from these four classes, there were others who formed a part of the city life but lived outside it' 3 4 These were known as the camdalas panas and mayamgas 5. The settlement of panas is referred to the Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa as 6 panniyavada. Law as they were regarded to be the panas and mayamgas 8 had no access to the court of the king or to the house of a respectable person; the possibility of their being offered a seat being very remote 9. They were also not allowed to take water from the city wells 10, probably due to the fear of pollutionll. 1. Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa, II. 62b. 2. In the Jatakas, Camdalas and Pukkasas are enumerated separately from the four classes, Mehta, op.cit., p.245. That they lived outside the city and indicated their arrival in the city by striking a piece of wood has been noted by Fa-hien, Giles, 21, in HCPP, Vol.III, p.483, Also MDS,X,51. 3. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa,155-56. 5. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa,100. 4. Ibid., 6. Ibid., 39. In the Jatakas it is camdalagamaka. See Mehta op.cit., p. 261. 7. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa,98. 8. Ibid. 156. 9. ibid. I 10. On next page. 11 . ,
167 They were completely out of the pale of the four fold class system. Naturally, marriage relations of a person from any class was out of question1. Ruppi, king of Bhoyakada, when suggested about the match of Pajjunna and his daughter, said in anger that in extreme case he would prefer a pana to Pajjunna as his son-in-law2. and dance. Panas appear to have been well-versed in music They entertained the people in Campa at the time of the saramahusava a3. Panas are also described to entertain people with songs by standing near a well (udatthana) + They moved accompanied by dog . They earned their livelihood by selling lyres (tamti) 6. They were also entrusted with the duty of beheading the criminals?. 10. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa,98. The panas are described as pleasing people with music, near a well. They entertained people, probably to get water. 11. Manu says that no one should allow them to have any contact 1. 2. with one's food and drinks (avapatra); MDS,X,51. ☑, Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa,156. See also MDS, 51-56. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa,99. 3. Ibid. 155-56. Refer also the story of two camd alas well-versed in dance and music in the Jatakas; Mehta op. cit.,262. 5, 6 and 7 on the next big 4. Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa,99.
168 Vasudevahindi by Sanghadasa also refers to the conversion of a 1 mayamga to Jainism and the Jaina monks visiting a settlement of panas while on a begging tour2. Men The other classes who lived outside the city were the hunters (soyariya) and the fishers (kevatta) forming their own settlements (vadaya) 3. The Vasudevahindi by Dharmadasa says that the camdalas or panas worked as executioners 4. They were regarded to be very low in social status and were loose in morals 5.