UbhayavIryas

[Balaji Hebbar]

Nanda  Chandran  wrote:
>Even in the ancient days of YAgnavalkya, Janaka and AshtAvakra, >debating seems to be confined only to the higher classes, predominantly >brAhmana, with the occasional kshatriya thrown in.

This  is  indeed  true.  That  is  the  reason  why  the  Brahmins  and
Kshatriyas  are  referred  to  as  the  UbhayavIryas.  The  brahmin  was
the  "SharmA"  ("spiritual  protector")  and  the  KShatriya  the
"VarmA"  ("physical  protector").  Sometimes  their  roles  also
interchanged  such  as  BhIShma  trying  to  behave  like  a  brahmin
and  DroNA,  AshvatthAmA  etc.  behaving  like  KShatriyas.  ParashurAma
and  VishvAmitra  would  be  other  examples.

Regards,
B.N.Hebbar