Page:The history of caste in India.pdf/128

 as possible, or it may be content with a varna of lower standing. We see such facts now and we have no reason to suppose that they were any different at the times of our writer.

To-day a person cannot go into a higher caste, but may fall from a high station, or a person may lose his caste and may mingle in disappointment among lower castes, which are not very particular about the matter. These phenomena probably existed in the period under consideration. I have already given the quotation where a list of Kshatriya castes are spoken of having suffered in status by not consulting Brāhmana.

People belonging to the category of those who suffered in status were of different varieties. There were those who fell on account of their mixing with low castes or of neglect of sacred rites. There were also