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Mahabharat Book 12 Section CLXV Line says

Having slain a Vaisya one should perform such a sacrifice for two years and make a present of a hundred kine with one bull. Having slain a Sudra, one should perform such a sacrifice for one year and make a present of a hundred kine with one bull. Having slain a dog or bear or camel, one should perform the same penance that is laid down for the slaughter of a Sudra.

According to the above shloka, the penance for killing the Vaisya and Shudra are as follows:

Vaisya: penance for 2 years + 100 kine + 1 bull

Shudra: penance for 1 year + 100 kine + 1 bull

Q1: Why the penance for slaying a Shudra is less?

Q2: Why is the penance for killing a Shudra equal to the killing of a dog/bear/camel? (refer to the bold text in the shloka above)

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    2) Refers to killing all those animals, not just one. Killing lots of animals = do the penance for killing a shudra. Shudras are tamasic like animals. See Manusmriti 12.43: "Elephants, horses, Śūdras, Mlecchas, lions, tigers and boars—represent the middle state of tamas."
    – Ikshvaku
    Commented Jan 24, 2022 at 17:30
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    1) The penance for each caste is always lower than the caste above it, starting from brahmana -> kshatriya -> vaishya -> shudra, etc. due to holiness of the caste. Killing brahmins is more sinful than killing kshatriyas, and so forth.
    – Ikshvaku
    Commented Jan 24, 2022 at 17:36
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    @Ikshvaku seems unfair
    – Confused Simpleton
    Commented Jan 24, 2022 at 19:48
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    It's not unfair. Is killing the president a worse offense than killing a coffee shop manager? Yes. Is killing a doctor or lawyer worse than killing a toilet cleaner? Yes. Same concept.
    – Ikshvaku
    Commented Jan 25, 2022 at 0:32
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    @Ikshvaku yes killing is killing. doesnot matter doctor or toilet cleaner.
    – Confused Simpleton
    Commented Jan 25, 2022 at 13:14

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The punishment for killing a person is proportional to the religious obligation of the person. The religious obligation of the Brahmana is the highest so the punishment for killing a Brahmana is the highest as well. Similarly, the religious obligation of a Shudra is the lowest so the punishment for killing a Shudra is lowest as well.

The punishment is basically a sum total of all the religious obligation a Shudra has to fulfill in his lifetime. Donating a 100 cows and a bull and a year of penance is what a Shudra is expected to commit in his lifetime or its equivalent. When you kill a Shudra, all his karma and religious obligation pass on to you and you become responsible for it. Hence, the punishment.

This doesn't mean that the value of a Shudra is less.

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