sUta

[Dr.RM.Krishnan]

At 9/27/99 12:43:00 PM, you wrote:
>> In the MBh,  "sUta" refers both to a bard and to a
>> charioteer of mixed caste.  How are these two functions
>> associated -- or are they?  Has anyone done work on this?
>> Thanks for any help you can give here!
>>
>> Patricia Greer
>
>According to Artha/s-astra 3,7.31, the s-uta as Bard is different from the s-uta
>being a person of mixed caste (k.satriya father and br-ahma.na mother).
>Otherwise, among modern bardic castes, a tradition of pratiloma origin is still
>alive.
>
>Ludo Rocher in his book on the Pur-a.nas (1986, History of Indian Literature)
>refers to some literature on the s-uta--issue (p.53ff).
>
>
>Dr.Heinz Werner Wessler
>Bergstr. 27A
>D-53844 Troisdorf
>Tel./Fax: +49-228-455125
>
If we take 'sUta' to be a prakrit word, then it should correspond to 'sUtra' in Sanskrit. Early Aryan society considered
both bards and charioteers of mixed caste a sUdra, if my understanding is correct. Karna was considered sUtra in the
epic and hence he was not considered a kshatriya. Dhuriyodhana gave him a kingdom; others grudgingly forgot the
sUtra issue atleast in front of him.

With regards,
RM.K.