AchArya rAmAnuja preserves a very interesting passage from an earlier shaiva-text, at one place in shrI-bhAShyam, upon the subject of caste-flexibility as thought to exist in old days.
He quotes in seventh adhikaraNa, of second pAda of the second chapter, at thirty sixth sUtra:
"dIkShA-pravesha- mAtreNa brAmhaNo bhavati kShaNAt
kApAlam-vratamAsthA ya yatirbhavati mAnavaH || "
["One becomes a brAhmaNa instantly by entering (the deed of) initiation (by Guru), and an ascetic too, by establishing the kApAla vows"]
The prose commentary before and after this quotated shloka leaves no doubt that he was referring to the flexibility in varNa-AShrama system as expounded upon by the shaiva schools of old.
In prose commentary he says, "ityAdi cha prasiddhaM shaivAgameShu| tathA kenachit kriyAvisheSheNa vijAtIyAnApi brAhmaNya prAptimuttamAShram prAptiM". ["so this is all well known in the agamas of shaiva philosophy, that through certain acts, one of other jAti may attain brAhmaNa-hood, as well as gain the best AShrama (i.e. sannyAsa)."]
(and then he goes on to refute the above. Nobody can "become" a brAhmaNa like this in his worldview.)
Now...question. Which is that shaiva agama of kApAla school where rAmAnuja was quoting from?
He quotes in seventh adhikaraNa, of second pAda of the second chapter, at thirty sixth sUtra:
"dIkShA-pravesha- mAtreNa brAmhaNo bhavati kShaNAt
kApAlam-vratamAsthA ya yatirbhavati mAnavaH || "
["One becomes a brAhmaNa instantly by entering (the deed of) initiation (by Guru), and an ascetic too, by establishing the kApAla vows"]
The prose commentary before and after this quotated shloka leaves no doubt that he was referring to the flexibility in varNa-AShrama system as expounded upon by the shaiva schools of old.
In prose commentary he says, "ityAdi cha prasiddhaM shaivAgameShu| tathA kenachit kriyAvisheSheNa vijAtIyAnApi brAhmaNya prAptimuttamAShram prAptiM". ["so this is all well known in the agamas of shaiva philosophy, that through certain acts, one of other jAti may attain brAhmaNa-hood, as well as gain the best AShrama (i.e. sannyAsa)."]
(and then he goes on to refute the above. Nobody can "become" a brAhmaNa like this in his worldview.)
Now...question. Which is that shaiva agama of kApAla school where rAmAnuja was quoting from?