The Four-Varṇa System in which Brāhmaṇas are placed at the highest rank was formed in the Later Vedic age. After that Brāhmaṇas have retained this rank as the leaders of the orthodox Hindu culture. During these ages their position has not been stable, and has been endangered repeatedly by the rise of unorthodox religions and by foreign invasions. One of the reasons by which Brāhmaṇas succeeded to overcome these difficulties lies in the flexibility of their varṇa. Brāhmaṇas, while asserting their ideal, sometimes show a realistic attitude for compromise which is essentially opposed to the ideal. This flexibility of the Brāhmaṇa varṇa is clearly shown in the āpad-dharma (the law for times of distress). Under this provisional law, Brāhmaṇas could make a living by occupations which were theoretically unlawful, i.e. occupations of Kṣatriyas, Vaiśyas, or even Śūdras. And also, under this law Brāhmaṇas could teach the Veda to or officiate at rituals for those who were not recognized as lawful Āryas (dvijas). Āpad-dharma has been used as a very useful means to dissolve the contradiction between the ideal of the varṇa system and the realities of everyday life. Through this provisional law, not only the Brāhmaṇa varṇa but also the varṇa system as a whole has been maintained through the ages. In this paper, āpad-dharma of Dharmasūtras is discussed. Manu-smṛti and other later law books are used as supplementary sources.
