“Certainly the king should not slay a Brahman, even if he be occupied in crime of every sort.”
“A Brahman may take possession of the goods of the Sudra[1] with perfect ease of mind, for, since nothing at all belongs to this Sudra, as his own, he is one whose property may be taken away by his master. The leavings of food should be given to him, and the old clothes.”
“If a man of low birth assault one of the twice-born castes with violent words he ought to have his tongue cut out.”
“If he lift up his hand or his staff against him he ought to have his head cut off.”
“The dwelling of Chandals[2] and Swapacas[2] should be outside the village; their clothes should be the garments of the dead, and their food should be in broken dishes.”
These are only a few out of many, and some of the laws are too cruel to quote here. Yet though all that is written in the old law of India, men have often risen there, who tried to break through the rules of caste, and there are other ancient writings that show that all Hindus have not believed in these differences between man and man.
“Small souls inquire, ‘Belongs this man
To our own race, or class, or clan?’
But larger-hearted men embrace
As brothers all the human race.”