2-05-07 Vargas

Dharma- Sutra Rajanya

Raja Danda
Guru Nirukta
Brahmachari Grihya-Sutra
Purohita Upanayana
Mantras Vrtya-Stoma
Ratha Gotra
Parishad Saptapadi
Gramani Nagnika
Sthapati Maklawa
Smriti Sati

Vedic Age
 The higher in caste, the more responsibilities
o No one higher than raja
 Raja responsibilities continued
• Protect minors
• Respect gurus (teachers)
• If soldier dies, he must protect their family
• Support/protect Brahmachari (students of
Brahma)
• Protect fruit bearing trees
o After Raja, Purohita (high priest) is 2nd highest
 Recites mantras (holy scriptures) by memory
 Goes into battle with Raja on ratha (horse drawn
chariot)
o Parishad- council of 10 advisors
 most practical, able men in kingdom
 advice often sought/accepted
 Taxation
o Farmer paid between 1/10th and 1/6th
o Goldmine owners/cattle raisers- 1/5th
o Merchants- 1/20th
o People who produce roots, fruit, herbs, honey, meat, grass,
firewood- 1/6th
o Carpenters, blacksmith, artisans, shippers etc- one day in a
month work free
o Traders- 1/10th
o Tax exempt
 Priests (who perform functions)
 Women
 Ascetics
 Students
  Teenagers (not working yet)
 Old men
 Blind, deaf, dumb
 Ill
 Feet washers of sudra class
 On battle field
o Cannot use poison arrows
o Never kill helpless adversary
o Losing opponent must show humility
 Jump off chariot/horse and eat grass/vegetables to
show he’s sorry
• “Sorry I acted like an animal”
 concept of election goes back to Vedic Age
o Gramani- village head
 Raja appointed people to make sure gramani was not
corrupt
o Sthapati- judge in village; made sure gramani was doing
right

 Vargas- “common law”

 Unwritten law
 When in doubt, turn to
o Vedas
o Smriti (tradition)
o Those with experience with interpreting Vedas
 If authorities of equal force are disputing, either
maybe followed at pleasure

 Those who broke law repeatedly suffered ultimate punishment:

exile.

 Rajanya- extention of Raja’s legal authority (temporary)

 When Raja/Purohita had no time to handle legal cases

 No prisons at this time

 Physical chastisement by public flogging with danda (stick)
o Very humiliating; good deterrent
 If lower castes murder upper- death
 If upper castes murder lower- heavy fine
o Corruption of castes becoming evident

 Drinking liquor in some communities seen as capital punishment.

 Women’s rights
 No rights of inheritance by rules of Nirukta
o Males, usually eldest, got everything
 Primogeniture

 Socio-Economic Rules
 Comes from Grihya-Sutra
o Caste system rules
 Joint family evolved
• had same profession; common budget
• male dominated
o Upanayana- “baptism” of Hindus
 Must do this, could lose caste if you don’t
 If didn’t penance after a few generations got it back
• Vrtya-Stoma