An ancient Sudra account of the origin of castes.

• Author: Converse, Hyla S.

The account of the origin of castes that I am reporting was part of the traditional lore recited in the early 1920s in classical Sanskrit poetry a sudra bhat belonging to a sudra enclave of a Hindu village near Khanewal and Mian Chanu in the Multan District of the Punjab. The area later became part of Pakistan, and there are no Hindus there now. The recitation was heard and partially noted down by Dr. Clyde B. Stuntz who was working in the area. I came to know of the account through a personal communication from Dr. Stuntz in 1963, when he heard of my interest in early Hinduism.

Dr. Stuntz had received a M.A. degree in Indo-Iranian Languages and Literature from Columbia University. He easily understood the bhat's Sanskrit and was able to identify it as early classical in form, indicating that this oral tradition was of ancient origin. The old bhat who recited the story of how castes began, as well as other stories and genealogies of his sudra group, was unable to read or write and did not understand Sanskrit as a language. But he had carefully and accurately memorized his precious accounts of the past, and he knew the general meaning of what he had memorized. He sadly complained that the younger people were no longer willing to undertake the arduous discipline of learning and transmitting their own oral tradition. He feared that when he died, all of his lore would be lost. A year or so later, when Dr. Stuntz returned to the village, hoping to spend more time with the old bhat and take down his recitation more fully, the old man had died, and no one in the village had learned his lore.

Thus, all that remains of this ancient body of genealogies and stories of the mythic past is this one account which I am reporting. This sudra account of the origin of castes differs entirely from brahmanical ones, for it finds the source of sudra servitude not in a primeval mythic ritual of creation, but in mythic history and an act of original injustice and betrayal.

2. THE STORY

   The story itself was simple and straightforward:

   There was once a great and powerful man who ruled

   over all the land. He had four sons, all of whom were

   intelligent and gifted. When the man died he left his undivided

   property to all four sons. For a time they lived

   contentedly together, sharing the work and the wealth.

   Then the second son went off, with other warriors, to

   seek adventure and further riches. He asked his youngest

   brother to take care of his share of responsibilities

   ...