Question

Here is an excerpt from the inscription, which is in Sanskrit: Some are intensely attached to music (so) pleasing to the ear; others, being proud of (the authorship of) a hundred excellent biographies, are conversant with wonderful tales; (others), filled with humility, are absorbed in excellent religious discourses; … some excel in their own religious rites; likewise by others, who were self-possessed, the science of (Vedic) astronomy was mastered; and others, valorous in battle, even today forcibly cause harm to the enemies.

Do you think the silk weavers were following the occupation laid down for them in the Shastras?

Answer 1

No, the silk weavers were not strictly following the occupational rules laid down for them in the Shastras. According to Brahmanical texts, artisans and weavers belonged to the Shudra or Vaishya categories and were expected to focus solely on their crafts or manual labour.

1. Diverse Intellectual Pursuits
   • Music and Arts: Many were deeply invested in learning music and listening to pleasing sounds.
   • Literature and Writing: Some became authors, writing biographies and mastering wonderful folk tales.
   • Vedic Astronomy: They studied complex sciences like astronomy, which was typically reserved for the upper Varnas.
2. Religious Authority
   • Scriptural Discourses: They actively engaged in high-level religious discussions rather than just serving others.
   • Performing Rites: Some excelled in performing complex religious rituals on their own.
3. Military Involvement
   • Valorous in Battle: Several weavers took up arms and fought bravely to defeat enemies, adopting the role of the Kshatriyas.

Conclusion: This inscription serves as prime historical evidence that the Varna rules in early Indian society were flexible in practice. People organised into guilds (shrenis), like these silk weavers, often had the economic power to pursue wealth, learning, and social status far beyond what the Shastras prescribed.