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160 INDIA. AS DESORIBBU, IN BARLY TEXTS •food to a very large number of people. The Somadatta-Jataka, on the other hand, relatos the story of a poor Brāhmaṇa farmer who bimself ploughed his field and whose son was a pādamülika or menial in a royal court, The Jătakas record other instances where the Brāhmaṇa farmers drove the plough with their own hands.
In the Mahāsutasoma-Jätaka, we see that a wealthy Brāhmaṇa was engaged in trade. He Darried on trade between the east-end and west-end of India, transporting his goods in 500 wagons. We read also of ordinary Brahmaņa tradesmen andhawla ho roamed about in the country,
wares. The Phandana-Játou. As the story of a Brāhmana who took to profession of a carpenter (vaddhaki), collecting wood from the forest and making wagons for sale. In a rare instance, we find that a Brāhmaṇa youth who lived in a frontier village, earned his livelihood by selling the hunted beasts. The roason, as suggested by Fick, was purely economio.
1 Sutta-nipāta, Kasi-Bharadvaja Sutta; Samyutta, i, p. 171t.; E. J. Thomas, The Life of Buddha, p. 117. » Jataky, ü, p. 86.
Ibid., iü, p. 162; iv, p. 278. * Ibid., v, p. 471. Ibid., ii, p. 18.
8 Ibid., iv, p. 207. 7 Ibid., di, p. 200.
& Fick, op. cit., p. 247.
