The Brahmana may take four wives, one from each of the four castes. In two of them, he takes birth himself. Those sons, however, who are begotten by him on the two other inferior, (viz., Vaishya and Shudra), are inferior, their position being settled not by that of their father but by that of their mothers.
भार्याश्चतस्रो विप्रस्य द्वयोरात्मा प्रजायते। आनुपूर्व्याद् द्वयो_नौ मातृजात्यौ प्रसूयतः॥