________________
152 INDIA AS DESCRIBED IN EARLY TEXTS
·
omens, calendar-makers, astrologers, appraisers, selectors of lucky sites for the erection of homesteads and buildings and edifices, architects, collectors of alms by diverse tricks and clever devices, story-tellers and ballad-reciters, landholders, traders, cattle-breeders, farmers, matchmakers and messengers. Although they belonged to a religious order, stood for the highest religious ideal, and were expected to live up to that ideal, in practice they appeared as hoarders of wealth and as persons who cared to live the aristocratic life of luxury and of pleasure and of ease and to witness and take part in all worldly amusements, games and sports, feasts and festivities.1
*~/A more correct picture of the Brahmin position in the Indo-Aryan society of the Age may be drawn on the basis of the Buddha's classification of the Brahmanas into five types: Brahmasamā, or those resembling the Brahmā; Devasama, or those resembling the gods; Mariyādā, or those respecting their ancient tradition; Sambhinna-mariyādā, or those disregarding their ancient tradition; and Brāhmaṇa-caṇḍālā, or those who lived a vulgar life. In the first category are placed the Brahmaṇas of high and pure birth through seven generations on both the father's and the mother's side, who
gha, i, p. 4f.; Dialogues of the Buddha, 1, p. 6f.
