at this period and that it probably never was. There is no statement in the text which would give us any ground to infer that a person who was not born a Brāhmana, could become one by austerities, or by any other method.[1] It is significant that our writer has given us many examples of lowering one's status, but he has not given examples of a caste raising it. There is only one reference to a raising of caste: if a Shūdra female marries a man of the highest caste, and if then the female offspring again marries a man of the highest caste, and so on for seven generations, then the children would obtain Brāhmanahood (x, 64).
To take this statement very seriously would lead us into an error. We may admit that the rule was valid enough during the period. Whether valid or not make: no difference. The conditions of the rule are such that no actual case of it may fairly be supposed ever to have occurred. In short, the rule sets up what are practically impossible conditions. Even now this rule is supposed to hold good. But do any cases like this ever happen? Does any body of people keep record of such cases ? The writers of the olden times were always limited in their means of observation, and society was still more indiscriminate. This rule does not imply things as they were, but as they ought to have been. The progeny of indiscriminate marriages may either form a caste of itself or may snuggle itself into a higher caste, as soon
- ↑ Here it is necessary to remind the reader that as there were pretenders to Kshatriyahood, there were pretenders to Brāhmanahood. By making pretenses to Brāhmanahood people no doubt gain some status, though they may have no chance of mixing with standard Brāhmanas, as the latter would never acknowledge such pretensions.
