1902.] S. C. Yidyabhusana —Vratija and Samkara Theories of Gaste. 173 
in the beginning been living organisms became by and by dead crystals, 
and there came a time when even the Vratya-stoma became insufficient 
for the incorporation of outsiders. At this stage each tribe of unfran¬ 
chised people, after being admitted into the Hindu society, formed a 
caste of its own. In this way innumerable castes (wrongly called 
Sarnkara or mixed) became formed. In the present age of civilization 
the so-called Samkara castes are in their turn tending towards mergence 
in the four original castes and each man is trying to trace his descent 
from the earliest Brahmana, Ksatriya, Yai^ya, or fudra forefather. It 
is probable that in course of time the entire Hindu population of India 
will be absorbed in the four original castes for whom alone duties, etc., 
were prescribed by S'astras. But the defect of the matter lies in the 
fact that the fourfold classification of castes does not completely suit 
the present condition of the Hindu society. 
From what we have found here it is evident that the traditional 
Samkara process of birth exists in mere theories, but does not corre¬ 
spond to actual facts. No caste ever came into existence in the way 
presupposed by the traditional theory. I do not include here among the 
Samkaras those people who in the early stage of the Hindu society 
were born from parents of different castes; for, they did not contitute 
a fifth caste, but used to become incorporated in the caste of their father. 
It is, however, undeniable that even in the present day there are some 
rare instances of the father and mother being of different castes, but in 
those cases the children get the rank of either of the parents. In 
Darjeeling I met with several instances in which the Brahmaua father 
and Chatri mother gave birth to children that were Chatris, but I never 
met with a single instance in which a Brahmana father and Chatri 
mother gave birth to a child that produced a third caste. Though the 
Samkara process of birth is an absolute myth, it must be admitted 
that the theory of Samkara castes expounded in the Brahmanic 
Sastras is indeed very grand. The Brahmana legislators by 
tracing the four original castes from the different limbs of 
Brahma the Supreme Being and then deriving all other castes from a 
mixture of the four thoroughly established the unity and common 
footing of all the members of the Hindu society. All castes, from 
Brahmans to Chandalas, are shown to be directly or indirectly 
connected with the Supreme Being and the gradations of honour 
existing among the members of different castes are also duly maintained. 
But it should be obseryed here that the Yratya theory was very much 
simpler, for it assumed only four classes of people. The Yratya people, 
having performed the Yratya-stoma, could freely mix with members of 
the four pure and original castes on terms of equality. 
