Dear Patrick,

     In continuation of Ashok's suggestion, I want to point out that there is an expression in Marathi अठरा पगड जाती "18 types of Jātis".  Some of the Jātinirṇaya texts produced by Marathi Pandits may have some local listings similar to what Ashok has given.  I have one or two such texts, and will check if they have any list of 18 Jātis.

Madhav

On Sat, Oct 5, 2013 at 7:47 PM, Ashok Aklujkar <ashok.aklujkar@gmail.com> wrote:

Patrick,

There may be regional variations and overlaps but in Maharashtra they are (according to one dictionary, with approximate translations):

taamba.ta 'coppersmith,'
paatharava.ta 'stone-cutter,'
lohaara 'ironsmith,
sutaara 'carpenter,'
sonaara, 'goldsmith,
kaasaara 'bangle-maker &/or seller,'
kumbhaara 'potter,
gurava ' local non-brahmin priest,'
dhanagara 'sheep-keeper.'
gava.lii 'milkaman,'
vaa.nii 'grocery merchant,'
Jaina,
ko.s.tii 'weaver,'
saa.lii,
citaarii 'painter (= picture artist?),''
maa.lii 'flower-grower &/or seller,'
telii 'oilman,'
ra:ngaarii 'painter  (of walls etc.).

If Deva.n.na-bha.tta is an author from Maharashtra-Karnataka area, his intended list should be largely similar, although his rajaka, if intended in the sense 'washerman,' as distinct from 'one who colors cloth (with indigo etc.)', is not there. In the other sense, it could be covered by ra:ngaarii or citaarii .

I would be interested in knowing any different explanations or listings you get.

a.a.


On 2013-10-05, at 12:12 PM, Patrick Olivelle wrote:

Friends:

Devaṇṇabhaṭṭa in his Smṛticandrikā (Mysore edition, p. 40; Gharpure ed. p. 18) commenting on the term śreṇi says:

śreṇyo rajakādyaṣṭādaśahīnajātayaḥ |

-- 
Dr.T.Ganesan
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French Institute of Pondicherry
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