Kinship, Caste and class Test - 3

When something is described as didactic, it means it has the primary aim of imparting knowledge or moral principles to the audience. For example, a didactic poem might explicitly convey moral or philosophical lessons through its narrative or imagery. Similarly, a didactic piece of literature, art, or music is one that seeks to educate or enlighten its audience on a particular subject or theme.

Archaeologist B.B. Lal conducted excavations at Hastinapura in Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, during the years 1970-71. These excavations were significant in uncovering archaeological evidence related to the ancient city of Hastinapura, which is mentioned in ancient Indian texts like the Mahabharata. B.B. Lal's work at Hastinapura provided valuable insights into the historical and cultural developments of the region during ancient times.

The Brahmanas, who were the priestly class in ancient Indian society, played a significant role in enforcing the varna order, which classified society into four main social classes or varnas. One strategy they employed was to persuade people that their social status was determined by birth, emphasizing the hereditary nature of the varna system. This belief system, known as varna vyavastha, held that individuals were born into a particular varna based on their family lineage, with little to no opportunity for social mobility. By emphasizing the importance of birth in determining social status, the Brahmanas sought to reinforce the existing social hierarchy and discourage individuals from challenging or questioning their assigned roles within society.

Brahmanical practice from 1000 BCE onwards classified people in terms of gotra. Each gotra was named after a vedic seer. All those who belonged to the same gotra were regarded as the descendants of the particular vedic seer.

The Manusmriti laid down what it described as the duties of the chandalas. They were expected to live outside the village; use discarded bowls, with dogs and donkeys as their wealth. They were to wear the clothes of the dead, and eat out of broken dishes; wear ornaments of black iron, and wander constantly.

The Nisadas were the forest dwellers in ancient India. They lived in forests and depended on forest produce for their livelihood. Early Puranas, communities of the Nisadas are called the hunter community.

Panini was a Sanskrit philologist, grammarian, and revered scholar in ancient India, variously dated between the 6th and 4th century BСЕ.

Ekalavya belonged to the category of Nishada, Nishadas were a social group traditionally associated with hunting and archery, often depicted as forest dwellers or tribal communities in ancient Indian texts. Ekalavya's story, as narrated in the Mahabharata, portrays him as a skilled archer who learned the art of archery from a distance, observing the teachings of Dronacharya, a renowned guru, despite being denied formal training due to his low social status. His belonging to the Nishada community is significant in understanding the dynamics of social hierarchy and exclusion prevalent in ancient Indian society.

The institution of kinship was based on the choice of God: This statement is not a correct interpretation of Mahasammata. The concept of kinship being based on the choice of God suggests a divine or religious sanction for kinship, which contradicts the idea of leadership based on human choice.

V.S. Sukthankar was a most famous Sanskritist.Under the sukthankar a team prepared a critical edition of the Mahabharata.Collecting Sanskrit Manuscripts of the text. Written in a variety of scripts.Ultimately they selected the verses that were common to most versions.And published these in several volumes.