DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.635#0032
THE CASTE SYSTEM 19
Sudras, the Brahmins alone are now made up of over
a hundred castes, each with different customs, and
neither intermarrying nor. eating together.
Though it may be urged that the caste system has
helped to perpetuate many gross superstitions and
revolting customs, it was nevertheless admirably
adapted for the purpose of preventing Aryan culture
and civilization from being entirely swallowed up in
the whirlpool of contending races which confronted
them in the early period of their development. The
Aryan race, indeed, has been so modified by its Indian
environment that probably the pure Aryan stock no
longer exists, but Aryan culture and Aryan philosophy
form the cement which now binds Hindu society to-
gether from one end of India to the other.
The means by which the Aryans handed down to
posterity their great storehouse of spiritual wisdom, .
learning, and science, together with their national epics J
and social regulations, were not the least remarkable
of their political ideas. For many centuries after
Sanskrit had ceased to be spoken by the people, and
a written language had come into common use, the
ever-increasing accumulations of Sanskrit learning were
preserved by an extraordinary system of memorizing,
aided by elaborate and most scientific methods of
grammar and etymology, which extended to the count-
ing of each verse, word, and syllable, and took note
of the pronunciation, accent, and intonation of the
sacred texts.
The most stringent laws were enacted to prevent
the Vedas from being corrupted by common use.
Manu says, " He who acquires without permission the
Veda from one who recites it, incurs the y-uilt of
(B483) D
Sudras, the Brahmins alone are now made up of over
a hundred castes, each with different customs, and
neither intermarrying nor. eating together.
Though it may be urged that the caste system has
helped to perpetuate many gross superstitions and
revolting customs, it was nevertheless admirably
adapted for the purpose of preventing Aryan culture
and civilization from being entirely swallowed up in
the whirlpool of contending races which confronted
them in the early period of their development. The
Aryan race, indeed, has been so modified by its Indian
environment that probably the pure Aryan stock no
longer exists, but Aryan culture and Aryan philosophy
form the cement which now binds Hindu society to-
gether from one end of India to the other.
The means by which the Aryans handed down to
posterity their great storehouse of spiritual wisdom, .
learning, and science, together with their national epics J
and social regulations, were not the least remarkable
of their political ideas. For many centuries after
Sanskrit had ceased to be spoken by the people, and
a written language had come into common use, the
ever-increasing accumulations of Sanskrit learning were
preserved by an extraordinary system of memorizing,
aided by elaborate and most scientific methods of
grammar and etymology, which extended to the count-
ing of each verse, word, and syllable, and took note
of the pronunciation, accent, and intonation of the
sacred texts.
The most stringent laws were enacted to prevent
the Vedas from being corrupted by common use.
Manu says, " He who acquires without permission the
Veda from one who recites it, incurs the y-uilt of
(B483) D