The punishment for theft differed from Varna to Varna. Who among the following was given the highest punishment?
- Brahmana
- Kshatriya
- Vaisya
- Sudra
According to the Manusmriti, the punishment for theft differed based on the varna (social class) of the thief and the value of the stolen item.
The Manusmriti also known as the Laws of Manu, is believed to be the first ancient legal text and constitution among the many Dharmashastras of Hinduism
For a Brahmin (priestly class) who stole a small item worth less than a quarter of a gold coin, the punishment was to pay double the value of the stolen item and perform a penance.The punishment can be even 100 times or 128 times if he is a Brahmin.
For a Kshatriya (warrior class) who stole a small item worth less than a quarter of a gold coin, the punishment was to pay four times the value of the stolen item and perform a penance.
For a Vaishya (trader class) who stole a small item worth less than a quarter of a gold coin, the punishment was to pay six times the value of the stolen item and perform a penance.
For a Sudra (laborer class) who stole a small item worth less than a quarter of a gold coin, the punishment was to pay eight times the value of the stolen item and perform a penance.
For any varna who stole a large item worth more than a quarter of a gold coin, the punishment was to pay double the value of the stolen item, be punished with physical punishment (such as whipping or mutilation), and perform a penance.
It should be noted that these punishments were prescribed by the Manusmriti, which was an ancient Hindu law code that is not necessarily followed in modern times.
Based on the above points, we can conclude that the Brahmanas were given the highest punishment.
