Introduction xxxvii growing popularity of the Saivagama tradition which is open to all irrespective of castes, ocog Io IESVIH STessdraed od upang Ag.is a staunch follower of this Saiva tradi- tion. He accepts that even the animals are eligible for emancipation and cites the example of Gajendra- mokṣa of the Puranas. According to him the words strī, Vaisya and Südra found in the verse #t fear etc. (ch. IX, 33) are not to be taken in the sense of female and the respective castes; rather they denote respec- tively 'the ignorant', 'those who are engaged in diffe- rent vocations, like agriculture etc.' and 'those who do not have any claim for performing Vedic rituals'. Further, Ag. treats the compound word papayonayah (those who are of sinful birth) of the same verse as an independent Noun indicating animals, birds and reptiles. And he mocks at all the other commentators like Bhaskara who treat that expression as an Adjec- tive qualifying the Nouns, strī, Vaisya and Sudra, which according to them signify female and the respective castes. Ag.refutes their views as being ridden of petty caste-prejudices ¹ 1. Cf. ब्राह्मणा: क्षत्रिया वैश्या शूद्राचान्येऽथवा प्रिये । सर्वे ते सनधर्माणः शिवधर्मे नियोजिताः ॥ -Svacchandatantra (KSS), II. p 239. tobuli 15 2. See Ag.'s observation af etc. in GS, ch. IX, 33-35 Cf. also यस्थ कस्थविज्जन्तोरिति नाव जात्यपेक्षा काचित in 20 IPV, II, p. 276. bidaid 3. It is to be noted that Bhaskara is not alone in this respect. Sankara, Ramakantha etc., also do the same. 4. See fa etc. in the GS, ch. IX, 33-35. 22= who it Stands for 9
