Originally posted by: jankiraghav
No. It's not that. Brahmins are higher in the varna but the Kshatriyas are the ones who rule. They have the money and power and Brahmins have always been advisors and priests to the kings, who were ultimately the administrators or lawmakers.
So like we say, "brahmino ko khana khilo". They get immense respect but they are not seen as "equal" in terms of money and power. It existed both ways - Brahmins would not want their women to marry Kshatriyas nor would Kshatriyas want their women marry Brahmins because of "degeneration" of the assal blood for both. But having said that, there are many cases in the puranas where kings have given away their daughters to brahmins etc. In fact, if you see the rigid caste system that existed, the Brahmins would have more issues in a girl from their community marrying a Kshatriya (Maratha). So it's got more to do with individual belief and archaic thinking as in the case of Chavans. Bhavani's hang-up is more from the "image" and "mixed blood" point of view.
But let me also say that anyone can also become a Kshatriya by initiation. Some of the biggest Maratha kingdoms that existed were ruled by families, who not originally Kshatriya or Maratha but became so by initiation (performing rituals to adopt the caste) and practice.