Page:The history of caste in India.pdf/166

 "On marrying a man of higher caste a Kshatriya bride must take hold of an arrow (the bridegroom taking hold of the other end of the arrow instead of her hand), a Vaishya bride, of a goad, and a Shūdra female, of the hem of the bridegroom's garment" (iii, 44-5).

Regarding the position of wives of different varvas in the family our text advises :

"If twice-born men wed women of their own and of other (lower castes) the seniority, the honor, and the habitation of those wives must be settled according to the order of the varna."

"Among all twice-born men the wife of equal caste, alone, and not a wife of a different caste by any means shall personally attend her husband and assist him in his daily sacred rites" (ix, 85, 86).

From this meagre information it should not be inferred that a free marriage existed between people of the same varna. Our text simply tells us that the writer did not have any objection to one of the Shūdra tribe marrying with another Shūdra tribe. It is just possible that one caste may not marry with another caste though they both may be called Shūdra by the Brāhmanas. Even to-day there are hosts of castes which the Brāhmanas called Shūdras intermarriage between which will cause the former no unhappiness. There are differences and distinctions between various castes which Brähmanas call Shūdras, but Brāhmanas never recognized these differences.