Historical Elements in the Matsya Purana
by Chaitali Kadia | 2021 | 91,183 words
This page relates 鈥楳ixed Caste (Varna Sankara)鈥� of the study on the historical elements of the Matsya-purana: one of the eighteen Mahapuranas which are Sanskrit texts that have preserved the cultural heritage, philosophy, religion, geography, etc of ancient India. This Matsyapurana was originally written in 20,000 verses and deals with topics such as architecture, ancient history, polity, religion and philosophy.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Mixed Caste (Var峁嘺 Sa峁卥ara)
In Indian society there are people of not only these four castes but also other castes. The word 鈥�Sankara 鈥� has been used to refer to all these other races or castes. Which means a mixture of other nations that are formed in marriage. The word 鈥�Sankara 鈥� in 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈 (MS-5/89, 10/40) refers to a combination or mixtures of 痴补谤峁嘺蝉 . This thinking was born out of various issues such as hypogamy. Like 惭补苍耻蝉尘峁泃颈 , in some chapters of Matsya 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 , the word 鈥�Sankara 鈥� has been used as a unification of castes. For example, the 驰补测腻迟颈 and Devay膩ni episodes, where 顿别惫补测腻苍墨 expresses here desire to marry 驰补测腻迟颈 to her father and Guru 艢耻办谤补c膩rya proposes such a to 驰补测腻迟颈, 驰补测腻迟颈 seeks a bridegroom from 艢耻办谤补 so that there is no hybridization due to this marriage.[1] In the case of 鈥�Sankara 鈥� (hybrids), like other castes, had the same right of rebirth in 艢颈惫补辫耻谤补 after death in the 础惫颈尘耻办迟补办峁迟谤补 .[2] There are various hybrid castes names found in the Matsya 笔耻谤腻峁嘺 such as Suta, Parasava, 惭腻驳补诲丑补, Kaivarta and Culika and others (MP-212/14; 48/104, 108; 50/75, 76).
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Matsya 笔耻谤腻峁嘺鈥揅hapter 6/45