1902.] S. C. Vidyabliusana — The Vratya and Samkara theories of Caste, 87 



Skyfchia, Serike, China, Dardistan, Nepal, Sikkim, Behar, Orissa 

 Northern Bengal, Southern India, Bhagalpur, etc., have all been called 

 Vratyas or non-observers of Vedic rites. 



In the first paragraph of this paper the distinction between a pure 

 caste and a Vratya caste has already been indicated. It now remains 

 to give a short account of the sacrifice by which a Vratya could be 

 admitted into a pure caste. In the Tandya-pancavim9a Brahmana of 

 the Sama-veda this sacrifice called Vratya-stoma has been described at 

 length. It is of various kinds, of which two may be mentioned here. 

 The first called Hina-vratya was a sacrifice that was performed for the 

 conversion of the unfranchised people, and the second called Gara-gir was 

 that for the re-admission of the degraded ones. In the Latyayana ^lautra- 

 sutra of the Sama-veda, Chap. 8, Sect. 6, it is stated that a Vratya-stoma 

 could be performed by a learned and pure Brahmana at the requisition 

 of at least thirty-three Vratyas. When such a sacrifice was performed 

 the Vratyas, having secured the rights and privileges of the twice-borji 

 castes, might afterwards learn the Vedas, perform sacrifices, receive 

 presents and dine with Brahmanas without being required to submit 

 to penance. This is a very brief account of the Vratja theory. 



In later Sanskrit works the word Vratya is very seldom found. 

 The term that repeatedly occurs here is Samkara. According to tradi- 

 tion Samkara signifies those castes that are said to have been produced 

 by a mixture of different castes. As the mixture can take place in in- 

 numerable ways the number of mixed castes is unlimited. Thus the 

 four original castes by intermarriage can give rise to twelve mixed 

 castes. These twelve by mixture among themselves and with the four 

 oiiginal castes may produce hundreds of other castes. In this way the 

 mixed castes may be multiplied infinite-fold. This is a very brief state- 

 ment of the traditional theory. My own theory about the Samkara is 

 quite different. In my opinion the Vratya people having entered the 

 hierarchy of Brahmanas were called Samkara. Those who did not 

 follow the Vedic rituals in the beginning were designated as Vratyas 

 and these afterwards having observed those rites and being admitted 

 into the Bra'imanic society were called Samkara. Thus the Nisada 

 described in the Latyayana prautasutra of the Sama-veda as an abori- 

 ginal tribe has been mentioned in the Manu-samhita as a mixed caste 

 born of a Brahmana father and fudra mother. The Abhiras who, ac- 

 cording to the Visiiu-purana (Book IV, Cliap. 24) conquered Magadha 

 and reigned there for sevei-al hundred years, have been mentioned in 

 the Manu-sariihita as a mixed caste born of a Brahmana father and 

 Ambastha mother. The Karana, Paundiaka, Malla, etc., have been re- 

 garded by Manu as Vratya Ksatriyns. Bat in later Sanskrit works they 



