HINDOO STAN. 
123 
to the Carmacara and Tallica daffes, if the authority of 
the Tuntra prevails. 
S. Magadha, born of a Gfhatriya girl by a man of the 
commercial clafs, has, according to the Saftra, the pro- 
feflion of travelling with merchandile; but, according 
to the Purana and Tantra, is an encorfiiaft. From parents 
of thcfe dalles fprung the Gopa or Gop, if the Purana 
may be believed; but the Tantra del'cnbes the Gopa as 
a true Sudra, and names Gopajivi, or Goaria-Gop, a 
mixed clafs, ufnig the lame profeffion, and fpringing 
from Tantravaya Manibphdha ciaffes. 
g, and io. Voidcha , and Ayogava. The occupation of 
the firft, born of a JBrahmeni, or Brahmin girl, by a man 
of the commercial clafs, is waiting on women ; the fecond, 
born of a Vaifya woman by a man of the fervile clals, 
lias the profeffion of a carpenter. 
it. CJhatlri, or CJhatta, fprung from a fervile man by a, 
woman of the military clals, is employed in killing and 
confining Inch animals as live in holes. The fame origin 
is al'cribed by the Purana to the Carmacara, or fmitli, 
and the Data, or mariner. The one is mentioned in the 
Tantra without fpecifying the dalles from which he fprung; 
and the other has a different origin, according to the 
Saftra and Tantra. 
12. All authorities concur in deriving the Chandala 
from a Sudra father and Bralimeni mother. His profeffion 
is carrying out corpfes, and executing criminals; and 
officiating in other abjeft employments for public fervice. 
A third let of Hindoo dalles originate from the inter¬ 
marriages of the firft and fecond let; a few only have 
been named by Menu; and, excepting the Abhira, or 
milkman, they are not noticed by the other authorities. 
But the Purana names other dalles of this let. 
A. fourth let is derived from intercourfe between the 
feveral ciaffes of the fecond let; of thefe alio few liave 
been named by Menu ; and one only of the fifth fet, 
fpringing from intermarriages of the fecond and third 
let; and another of the fixth fet, derived from intercourfe 
between ciaffes of the fecond and fourth fet. Menu adds 
to thefe ciaffes four Ions of outcafts. 
The Tantra enumerates many other ciaffes, which are 
placed in lower lets, and al'cribes a different origin to 
fome of the ciaffes in the third and fourth lets. Thefe 
differences, however, appear to "be rather fanciful-; and, 
except the mixed dalles named by Menu, the reft leem 
to be terms.for profeflions rather than ciaffes; and they 
lhould be conlidered as denoting companies of artifans, 
rather than distinct races. The mode in which Amera 
Sinha mentions the mixed ciaffes, and the profeffions of 
artifans, fupports this conjecture. 
However, the J’atimala exprefsiy ftates the number of 
fcrty-two mixed ciaffes, fpringing from the intercourfe of 
a man of inferior clafs with a woman of Superior clafs. 
Though, like other mixed dalles, they are included 
under the general denomination of Sudra, they are con 
■ffdered as molt abject, and molt of them now experience 
the fame contemptuous treatment as the abject mixed 
ciaffes mentioned by Menu. According to the Rudray- 
amala, the domeftic priefts of twenty of thefe dalles are 
degraded. “Avoid,” fays the Tantra, “the touch of 
the Chandala, and other abjeft ciaffes ; and of thole who 
eat the flelh of kine, often utter forbidden words, and 
perform none of the prefcribed ceremonies; they are 
called Molechcka, and, going to the region of Yavana, 
have been named Yavanas. 
“ Thele feven, the Rajaca, Ceerniacara, Nata, Banida, 
Caiverta, and Medabhilla, are the lall tribes. Whoever 
affociates with them undoubtedly falls from his clafs; 
whoever bathes or drinks in wells or pools which they 
have can fed to be made, mull be purified by the five pro¬ 
ductions of kine; whoever approaches their women, is 
doubtlefs degraded from his clafs. 
“ For women of the Nata and Capala ciaffes, for prolti- 
tutes,' and for women of the Rajaca and Napata tribes, a 
man lbaukl willingly make oblations, but by no means 
dally with them.” 
According to the Rudrayamala, the Nata and Natica 
are diltinft; but the profeflions are not dii’criininated in 
that Tantra. If their diitinfl occupations, as dancers and 
aftors, are accurately fupplied, dramas muff be" of very 
early date. 
The Pundraca, and Patt.afutracara, or feeder of fiik- 
worms, and filk-twifter, deferve particular notice; for it 
has been laid, that lilk was the produce of China foiely 
until the reign of the Greek emperor-Juftinian, and that 
the laws of China jealoully guarded the excluiive pro¬ 
duction. The frequent mention of iiik in the mo ft 
ancient Sanlkrit books, might not, indeed, fully dilprove 
that opinion; but the mention or a Hindoo clafs, whole 
occupation it is to attend liik-worrns, may be fafely admit¬ 
ted as proof, if the antiquity of the Tantra be eltablifhed, 
The Tantras are certainly referred to in very ancient 
compofitions. 
How far every individual is bound, by original inlti- 
tutions, to adhere rigidly to the prcffgffion of his dais, 
may merit fome notice. The regular means of fubfntence 
for a Brahmana, or Brahmin, are, aflilting in ali laerifices, 
teaching the Vedas,'and receiving gifts; for a CJhatriya v 
or Khatri, bearing arms; for a Vaifya, merchandife, 
attending on cattle, and agriculture; for a Sudra, fervile 
attendance on the higher ciaffes. The,molt commendable 
are, refpeftively for the four ciaffes, teaching the Veda, 
defending the people, commerce, or keeping herds or 
flocks, and fervile attendance on the learned aud virtuous 
priells. 
A Brahmin, unable to fubfift by his duties, may live 
by the profeffion of a foldier ; if he cannot get a fubfiffence, 
by either of thefe employments, he may apply to tillage, 
and attendance on cattle, or gain a competence by traffic, 
avoiding certain commodities. A Cihatriya, in diitre'V, 
may fubfift by all thefe means ; but he mult not have 
recourfe to the higheft functions. In feafons of diitfeis, 
a further latitude is given. The practice of medicine, 
and other learned profeflions, painting and other arts, 
work for wages, menial fervice, alms, and ufury, are 
among the modes of fubflltence allowed to the Brahmana 
and Cfnatriya. A Vaifya, unable to fubfift by his own 
duties, may defeend to the fervile afts of a Su'dra. And 
a Sudra, not finding employment by waiting on men of 
the higher ciaffes, may fubfift by handicrafts ; principally 
following thole mechanical occupations, as joinery and 
mafonry; and practical arts, as painting' and writing; by 
following of which he may ferve men of fuperior ciaffes; 
and, although a man of a lower clafs is in general reflrifted 
from the acts of a higher, clafs, the Sudra is e'xprel'sly 
permitted to become a trader or a hufbandman. 
Betides the particular occupations affigned to each of 
the mixed ciaffes, they have the alternative of following 
that profeffion which regularly belongs to the clafs from 
which they derive their origin on the mother's fide ; thole, 
at ieaft, have fuch an option, who are born in the direEl 
order of the ciaffes, as the Murd’habifhicta, Ambaftit’ha, 
and others. The mixed ciaffes are ail'o permitted to 
fubfift by any of the duties of a Sudra ; that is, by menial 
fervice, by handicrafts, by commerce, or by agriculture.. 
Hence it appears that almoft every occupation, though - 
regularly it be the profeffion of a particular clafs, is open, 
to molt other ciaffes; and that the limitations, far from 
being rigorous, do, in fact, referve only one peculiar pro¬ 
feffion, that of the Brahmana, which con-filts in .teaching, 
the Veda, and officiating in religious ceremonies,. 
The regular ciaffes were lufliciently numerous; but: 
the fub-divifiohs of ciaffes have further multiplied dif- 
tin&ions to an endlels variety. The fubordinate dif- 
tinflions may be belt exemplified from the Brahmana 
and Cayaft’ha ; becaufe fome of the appellations, by which 
the different races are diftinguifhed, will be familiar to 
molt readers acquainted with India. 
The Brahmanas of Bengal are defeended from five- 
priefts, invited from Canyacubja, by Adifura, king of 
Gaur, who is faid to have reigned about three hundred 
years before Chriit. Thefe were Bhatta Nerayna, of trie 
family 
