Maintainance of dharma.—How was dharma maintained? The ceremonial part of dharma which was necessarily performed with the aid of Brāhmanas was easily maintained, e. g.: The determination of the proper time for initiation of a certain caste. Here the Brāhmana was the person with whom the decision lay.[1]
Again the king was supposed to maintain dharma which the priest may declare to him. There was in general an understanding among the people, that dharma would be maintained not only by the kings, but also by the gods. The masses thus obeyed a large number of injunctions of dharma to avoid terrors of the future life. The transgressor would go to one or more of the twenty-one hells (iv, 87–90) or would be condemned to be born in the womb of lower animals (iii, 104) or barbarians. Not only himself but his ancestors (iii, 64-5, 92) or their manes (vi, 249) and descendants also would suffer. Adversity and diseases (xi, 49) would harass them who adhered to conduct not approved of by dharma as retribution for their sins.
- ↑ It should not be supposed that the people for whom the ceremonies may be performed by the Brāhmanas were always content with the decision which the Brāhmana might give. They often had aspirations of adopting a ceremonial belonging to a superior varna, Nor should it be supposed that the Brāhmanas with the fear of losing the patronage would always do what their patrons would say. When a certain caste called itself Kshatriya or Vaishya, the question must have been referred to a council of Brāhmanas, and what that council decided must have been accepted. If a Brāhmana did not abide by the decision he was ostracized. It is a mistake to suppose that the Brähmanas were always easily influenced by money to perform any kind of ceremony. Even to-day I know of a Brāhmana of character sufficiently independent to give up all his Jahagir of 40,000 rupees a year and refuse to perfom Vedokta çeremonies in the family of Shivaji.
