Sankāra Jāti Viveka
The lineages of the four varṇas continue with the off-springs of the parents belonging to the same varṇa.
Brāmhaṇyāṃ brāmhaṇāt jātaḥ saṃskṛto brāmhaṇō bhavet |evaṃ kṣatriyaviṭśūdrāḥ jṅeyāḥ svebhyaḥ svayōnijāḥ ||[1]
The child born from a brāhmaṇa mother and father is also a brāhmaṇa. Even a kṣtriya, vaiśya and śūdra caste is determined by the parent's varṇa, i.e. if the parents belong to the same varṇa, then the child also belongs to the same varṇa, if not he is considered to be sankāra-jāti.[2] Children from the parents belonging to different varṇas are categorized differently. They neither belong to the varṇa of father or mother. They are categorized into two groups namely:
- Anulōma jāti
- Pratilōma jāti
Anulōma jāti[edit]
A child born to a father belonging to a higher varṇa and mother to a lower varṇa, belongs to Anulōma jāti. Each and every combination is given a different name as follows:
- Mūrdhāvasakta. - The child born to a brāhmin father and a kṣatriya mother is called - mūrdhāvasakta.
- Ambaṣṭha - The child born to a brāhmin father and a vaiśya mother is called ambaṣṭha.
- Niṣda/pāraśuka - The child born to a brāhmin father and a śūdra mother is called niṣda/pāraśuka.
- Māhiṣya - The child born to a kṣtriya father and a vaiśya mother is called as māhiṣya.
- Ugra - The child born to a kṣtriya father and a śūdra mother is called ugra.
- Karaṇa - The child born to a vaiśya father and a śūdra mother is called karaṇa.
Pratilōma jāti[edit]
A child born to a father belonging to a lower varṇa and mother to a higher varṇa belongs to Pratilōma jāti. Each and every combination is given a different name as follows:
- Sūta - A child born to a kṣatriya father and a brāhmin mother is called sūta.
- Vaidehika - A child born to a vaiśya father and a brāhmin mother is called vaidehika.
- Chāṇḍāla - A child born to a śūdra father and a brāhmin mother is called chāṇḍāla.
- Māgadha - A child born to a vaiśya father and a kṣatriya mother is called māgadha.
- Kṣatta - A child born to a śūdra father and a kṣatriya mother is called kṣatta.
- Ayōgava - A child born to a śūdra father and a vaiśya mother is called ayōgava.