‘Precisely. They will be paid.’
Charvaka scratched his beard.
‘Karna,’ asked Vaitanika, ‘how will the shudras decide how much to pay the vaishyas they employ?’
‘As much as they wish or as little as they can get away with. The same with brahmanas or kshatriyas. A good kshatriya will be in greater demand than a bad one, and the shudras will then be prepared to pay him more.’
‘And what if a shudra no longer wants to work the land?’ continued Vaitanika.
‘If a shudra can do some other work, let him. His caste will not forbid him to do what his ability permits, not while I am king of Anga. If he wishes to learn how to look after animals, or... or how to use weapons, then he will have the means to pay a vaishya or a kshatriya to teach him. And if a vaishya has not the ability to do the vaish
