Brahmanism

The following is a dialogue with another person. I give his message as a Statement, followed by my response.

Statement: I am reading by Dr. Sujata in Pandita Ramabai who is talking about various aspects of her life. I haven’t heard such commentary on her. Unfortunately it is in Hindi. https://youtu.be/jF-NSUVr9BU

In this it is mentioned about ‘Brahmanism’ which was opposed by Pandita Ramabai.

My response:

Brahminism, Dalitism, OBCism, Communism, Capitalism, terrorism, socialism, secularism and various other ‘isms’ are not the product of one particular community. It is a concept in which various others equally contributed. I am saying this not to defend the so called Brahminism but to point out the fact that this so called ‘Brahminism’ is very high among other OBCs in India, particularly in Tamil Nadu, where Dalits were suppressed not by Brahmins but by other caste people who most of the time remind as LandLords.

Any social concept never stems from one particular community. For example, in ancient times both the Kings [rather Kshatriyas] and Brahmins collaborated with each other for their political, economical and social survival. To expand their political authority the Kings used their economic power by giving huge lands [known as Brahmadeya] in the newly conquered territories. Even when the defeated king managed to regain his kingdom back, as he cannot deny the rights of the Brahmins who acquired lands in his territory, he had to accept them. But those lands were managed mostly not by Brahmins but by other tenants who were OBC [thankfully at that time these technical terms were not used like OBC etc.] So whenever we read any such bashing against any kind of ‘isms’ we need to keep this fact in our mind. Because when such books or speeches were made then only a particular community alone comes to the minds of the people

It’s interesting to note that we have the term “brahmanism “, even “casteism “, we don’t have “kshatiyaism, vaisyism or shuraism”. I don’t know the reason for this. I am not sure whether our own scriptures or literatures ever talk about this “brahmanism”. I am only asking a question. Or, like so many “isms “, this “brahmanism”, was invented or introduced by the western scholars which was translated as ” brahmanvad “. Brhmins never created “caste “, it was there even before their appearance in history and literature. The Varna system was organized by this “brahmanism “, I deliberately say not by Brahmins but by “brahmanism “, which one can’t change individually, but a social group can do it in upward mobility. Several shudras become kshatriyas. Several kshatriyas become brahmins. Whereas caste is fluid, flexible and evolved and continues to evolve.

Statement: Swamiji while it is a complex issue to determine exactly when did it begin and how, it is also true that there have been concerted efforts of perpetuating subjugation by Brahamins to various sections of social structures. Otherwise, it wouldn’t have been possible to keep all the institutions under control of this very small section of people. Now the question is, about the origin of the word brahmanism which is certainly used by the sections who realised it and opposed it whether in the influence of westerns or domestic ones. I don’t think Guru Nanak deo, sant ravidas or sant kabir had western influence. literature tells that they opposed it first. The subjugation by the social structures is the reality which is even today and unrest is in the society because of the realization and awareness and we must recognise this reality.

My response:

Very good point. Last night after sending the second message I again wrote a long brainstorm. Surprisingly you also tell the same message. Are we both on the same wavelength? Anyhow I will share my response today

Statement: Swamiji we both are wrestling with various issues with a sense of finding solutions and improving human lives.

My response:

We can safely say that the so called brahmanism evolved around the dharma shastras which were written ‘of the Brahmins, for the Brahmins and by the brahmins’ in defining their ‘relationship with oneself and others’ [borrowing Badrinath’s term]. It was never meant to be implemented in letter and spirit, though all other varnas used it to define their relationship with themselves and others. Brahmins neither had the physical [numerical] strength nor had economic strength to implement this ‘brahminism’. At the same time, we also should recognize the fact that they never wanted to have ‘power’ but only ‘authority’ [like Sonia family in Congress, RSS in BJP etc.] to implement their brahmanism through other agencies, particularly by the Kshatriyas by often remaining their ‘Prohita’ [ pro + hita, taking care of their welfare].

Later when caste groups felt the power of ‘brahmanism’ to dominate them, they began to fight in the air using targeting an enemy who was not even there. Several individual Brahmins and groups also joined with those caste groups to oppose this ‘brahmanism’. But not addressing the actual villain in life viz., casteism everyone began to attack this brahmanism. But it will never succeed. Unless we challenge casteism, recognizing that it also has its benefits [see UH on this subject] it will use this so-called brahmanism to defend its role and right in the society.

@Basavanna, the Brahmin who opposed Brahminsim and started Lingayat is the best example. But now the very same community is divided based on various caste groups. You mentioned Guru Nanak. Then how are we going to justify the clash between the ‘Jat Sikh’ and ‘Majibi Sikhs’ who were not even allowed in certain Gurudwara to go and worship.

As I mentioned caste was existing even before brahmanism appeared in literature and history. Like race in the west, it is a pan-Asian reality. Now no one can escape from its clutches as it has now become a political power. Almost every state has its own political party exclusively based on a particular caste. Candidates were chosen based on the caste equation in that constituency. We need not mention about the various caste associations, particularly in Tamil Nadu, where anti-brahmanism still remains strong. In Andhra no one can do politics without caste identity. Even Christian converts cannot give up their caste identity, particularly in South India. There is Nadar Christian Association; the fight between Nadar and Dalit Christians in the churches were recorded in several scholarly Dalit Christian Literatures [note they are not merely ‘Christian from Dalit but still wanted to remain “Dalit” Christians. See more on this in Appendix One.] As I pointed out in UH, we all diagnosed the problem but no one is prescribing the solution. And even if we manage to find some solutions, nobody wants to implement it as it wants to keep the problem alive so that each caste group can use it for their own vested interest at the same time fighting the non-existing brahmanism. Every social group needs to create ‘the other’ to tell its own people that unless they support that particular leader [as a saviour], their survival is threatened. Christians need a Satan, Muslims need a Kafir, Hindus need ‘conversion’ [used by the other religious minorities to annihilate it], communism needs capitalism and capitalism communism etc. etc.

Racism was not consciously introduced by the White. Till they alone were dominating their own life by keeping slaves only as a commodity to serve their interest there never came the concept of White supremacy. When the slavery was abolished and as the new generation of non-whites began to demand their legitimate right to live like the whites, then racialism creeped. I am saying this without actually knowing the nature and origin of racialism.[See in Appendix Two] The same is the case with brahmanism, though we cannot compare it with racialism.

Two case studies from my own life can prove this:

When one of my close family members married someone outside the caste, everyone opposed except me. I supported not because I wanted to abolish caste but seeing the fact that if a boy or girl is compelled to marry against their will to marry someone inside their caste, then the other person alone will be much affected, not the boy or girl of the family. In case of such compulsions, they should inform the other partner why they have arranged the marriage against the wishes of their own child.

Next is about the Brahmanism which is used by the Brahmins to insulate themselves to define their relationship with oneself and others. Recently when my mother passed away, several people from the village came to show their final respect to her. Though my brother was not happy for them to put garland as it is not allowed in our tradition, he tolerated it. But once the final rites were started, my cousin’s father-in-law, who is not a Brahmin as he arrived late after the rituals commenced, came close to the dead body to show his final respect through the veranda where my brother and I were sitting. Once the ritual started, my brother signalled him not to come. Then he stopped but was not offended by such an act. Later when I asked about this to my brother he said, ‘once the ritual is started no one should come near the dead body except the close blood relatives from the family. Because the soul would be still lingering around the body refusing to leave. With proper ritual we have to persuade it to leave and make sure that it starts its journey to join with its ancestor through proper ritual in the next 13 days. Till that ritual is completed that area would remain ritually polluted and those outsiders coming close will be affected by it and they might even face some problem in their life. But once that particular ritual is completed, we will allow anyone to put the final food in the form of rice in her mouth [known as ‘vakkarisi’] in Tamil [several of you have done it]. Only to keep his interest and pollution of that area I didn’t allow him to come close. Even I declared that once we started the ritual no one should cross the cord that was attached with the dead body which I held in my hand.

But no outsider will understand this or accept it. However this is the way they defined their relationship with themselves and others. Not knowing so many complicated practical values in such ideals, there is no point in opposing it in the name of fighting some evil system in society by creating an artificial Brahmanism.

As long as we remain human, casteism and racialism won’t go. We may fight in the air targeting some non-existing enemy forgetting the one who is with us with flesh and blood in the name and form of caste.

When the Freedom Fighters realized that unless we threw away the British Raj we couldn’t live as free Indian citizens and they managed to throw them out. Similarly, we all know well that unless this so-called ‘brahmanism’ is thrown out from our lives we cannot live as free human beings. But no caste group wants to do that or can do that as they know very well that we cannot avoid certain unnecessary evils in our life and in several cases we need its service to survive. I am not sure who is that unnecessary evil: Caste or Brahminism. As long as they continue to fight in the air targeting the shadow ideology forgetting the elephant in the room with flesh and blood there is no hope for deliverance.

Sorry for the long response to your short message. There were around five thousand books written by scholars on this subject and several thousands of articles. When scholars cannot reach a proper conclusion a lay person like me should not even attempt anything by writing like this. One time there was a heated debate on the very same subject of ‘brahmanism’ in one Tamil TV. At the end the Brahmin participant said, ‘we are ready to give up our brahmanism and even caste identity as Brahmins. Are others ready.’

When I lived at Mathigiri I had a Dalit neighbour who opposed not only brahminism but also Brahmins. He refuses to even give water when our borewell dries. But I had a cordial relationship with him and his family members. When his father passed away, he went to his native place and returned after the funeral rituals. His wife, in front of him, said that they have done all the ‘rituals as per the tradition’ inviting Brahmin priests to do the tenth day ritual. With a smile I asked him, ‘you don’t believe in God or these kinds of rituals. Then why did you perform them’. In response he said, ‘Personally I don’t like it and don’t want to do it. But I had to do them because of the family. Above all I don’t want to take any risk by not doing certain rituals. Though I don’t believe in them, what if something goes wrong if I fail to do ancestral rituals as per the tradition. Then everyone will blame me and I too will later regret it. It cost not much to do those particular rituals with Brahmins as it was very simple and quick as they never do any elaborate rituals as they do for your community or other communities. So I have done it’. I appreciated his honest confession. Several people perform marriages without having any Brahmin priest or any kind of religious ritual. But when it comes to death rituals, most of them don’t want to take risks as they have the fear about the unknown worlds beyond their control. The ‘WHAT IF QUESTION’ helped the Brahmins to survive in spite of all the challenges they face.

Conclusion: It is better to conclude this dialogue by a statement made by Mr. Rajashekar [I wanted to use ‘Sri Rajashekhar’ but as he might not like such Sanskritization of honorific title I use the western Mr. for him]:

‘V.T. Rajashekhar, the editor of Dalit Voice (a Bangalore fortnightly newspaper) recently proclaimed: Each caste is a nationality and unless each nationality is assured its share in all spheres, India’s democratic structure, unity and integrity cannot be ensured. That means the entire bullshit built by our “Hindu nation” heroes, their drummer boys in the “national” toilet papers and academic circles falls to the ground. India is not a “nation” but a conglomeration of “nations” in which the basic building brick is caste (jati). It is caste that is emerging as the “nation” in India. There is no “Hindu nation.” There is (p.147) no other nation. Each caste is a nation. Caste cannot be destroyed and hence we have to live with it….Even Muslim and Christian delegates admitted the pull of caste in their religions and the fact that religion does not bind the followers of that religion. Strengthen every jati, brahmins will be dead soon. {Dalit Voice, vol. 16/24, pp. 3f, November 1-15, 1997.

There is a famous sloka: janmate jayate sudhra; sanskarat diji uchate = by birth all are known as Shudras; only through proper samskara [ritual] one becomes a divji viz., twice born.

Similarly, we can say that ‘by nature everyone is a brahmin as she has Brahminism in her mind and spirit. And her jati identity gives her a victim card to play to accuse someone to blame for her to hide her Brahmanism. As long as caste is there, Brahminism will continue to exist. Brahmins might disappear from the Indian scene and even Brahmins will be dead soon [as prophised by Mr. Rajashekhar] or might be eliminated in India by a future Hitler to cleanse India with Brahmins. But the spirit of Brahmanism will continue to loom over India, someone replacing the place of Brahmanis. Brahmans as a caste are equally a victim and culprit in creating, maintaining and imparting it. It is easy to create an artificial term Brahmanism to fight against a caste group called Brahmans. But unless caste disappears which won’t, by beating the so-called Brahmanism is like fighting in the air targeting a wrong concept ignoring the right evil in us. It is like amputating the wrong limb of a body due to the mistake of a ward boy by replacing the case charts of two patients, when they were taken to the operation theatre to remove the rotten limb. So both the patients lost their one good hand left with another sick one. Now the choice is to amputate the sick hand to make them survive losing both the hands or to die if they insist on keeping the rotten hand. While the relatives are still consulting what to do, the patient continues to stay in the ICU for further treatment allowing the hospital to charge for their wrong doing.

This illustration is open for any kind of interpretation as one wishes. Whichever way we interpret at the end both Brahminism and Caste will continue to survive only in ICU as the relatives do not know what to do.

Appendix One: Caste

Fuchs, with his extensive experience with ‘Christian untouchables’, maintains that, ‘the untouchables are anxious to conform to the laws of and regulations of Hindu society and want to be integrated in it.’ Moreover, ‘even the Harijans practise untouchability. If possible they are even worse perpetrators than the higher castes. No human being wants to be at the bottom of human society. And the lowest man, in order to retain a shred of his self-respect, desires to look down on some other human being and at least pretend that the other man is still a little lower. And since he clings desperately to this superiority, whether real or only pretended, he may even be more intolerant towards other castes….’ {Fuchs, Stephen. At the Bottom of Indian Society: The Harijan and other Low Castes. Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. 1981, P.19}.— Shashi Joshi, Mission Religion and Caste, Shimla, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, 2010, p. 46

…Many missionaries were disappointed at only being able to reach the ‘lowest’ and poorest of the people while others argued that Brahmin con-(p.133)verts were best avoided as they would bring with them many of the ‘corrupt practices and evil doctrines of Hinduism.’ {Mission Report, 1879}

In contrast to apparent missionary charity and service there can be found many derogatory references to Dalits in the Missionary Reports, contributions to missionary periodicals and journals and in the private correspondence of individual missionaries. The image of Dalits as a lying, drinking, lazy and unclean people are numerous. Consequently, the missionaries often prized conversions from ‘higher castes’….—ibid. p. 135

…Within the church itself they continue to be considered untouchables. In some places, they are segregated inside the church during worship, are discouraged from being part of the ritual or the choir and their dead are buried in separate cemeteries. In terms of benefits such as lease of church lands, recruitments to the clergy and distribution of positions they are discriminated against. In most cases, even when dalit priests exist they are posted in poor, rural areas while the rich, city churches are administered by the upper-caste clergy. With conversion, only the name and form change but they are still treated as untouchables. {Lancy Lobo in Ghanshyam Shah, et al. Dalit Identity and Politics, Sage Publications, 2001}—ibid. p. 136

…Christian Dalits often use a dual identity – when they need admission to a Christian school, they uphold their Christian identity and when applying for a government job, they claim their Hindu identity. {Lancy Lobo in Ghanshyam Shah, et al. Dalit Identity and Politics, Sage Publications, 2001} An ambiguous cultural behaviour is the result.—ibid. p. 137 {in one Rethinking Conference held at Varanasi, even one Catholic Father confessed that most of the Dalit converts in their church remain Christian to the Church and Hindu in society.—db}

The Dalits are not a homogeneous group: they are in different political parties and they follow religious persuasions. Most importantly, there is the phenomenon of what can be termed the ‘casteism of the outcastes’ – the Dalits practice hierarchical distinctions amongst themselves –and are split into numerous jatis and sub-castes, each claiming superiority over the other. There are more than 400 jatis among the recorded scheduled castes in the country. The Dalit groups, including the Christians and Muslims, are hierarchically stratified to the extent that they also practice untouchability.—ibid. p. 151

…Yohannan sang:

Like orphans we travelled

Through the peripheries of Hinduism.

Like orphans we travelled

Through the peripheries of Christianity.

Hindus did not include us

Christians did not include us.{Poikayil Sree Kumara Gurudeva Geethangal (Eraviperoor: PRDS[Prathyaksha Raksha Daiva Sabha] Publication, 1996), p.222}—ibid.‘Searching for Old Histories’ Social Movements and the Project of Writing History in Twentieth-Century Kerala. Sanal Mohan, pp. 357-390, in, Raziuddin Aquil & Partha Chatterjee, ed. History in the Vernaculr, Ranikhet, Permanent Black, (2008), Third impression 2015, p. 237

Yohannan himself had occasion to give his bit of history to the maharaja of Travancore when he decided to give a reception to the king in 1915 at Chengannur.{Rev. W.S. Hunt, ‘Mass Movement Phenomena’, The Harvest Field, xxxix (June 1919), pp. 208-17}…. (p. 379) The king visited their pandal and asked Yohannan about his people. Yohannan replied that they were the original inhabitants of the land; some of them were actually kings and queens and belonged to the royal lineage; they had later been enslaved. Some of them were Brahmins, but were not considered untouchables. The king was intrigued by this bit of history and is said to have asked Yohannan if it was really true.{Ibid., 217}

Yohannan considered dalit communities, whom he steadfastly termed Adi-Dravidas, as the original inhabitants of Kerala. He silenced critics who felt he had squandered an opportunity to ask help of the king by saying that the true inheritors of the land and its resources should not hold out begging bowls. This was important to Yohannan’s view of the history of dalits, and it became entrenched in the minds of his people. It has been repeated endless times, through print as well as in ritual discourse….—ibid. Searching for Old Histories’ Social Movements and the Project of Writing History in Twentieth-Century Kerala. Sanal Mohan, pp. 357-390, in, pp. 379-80

The outcome of such attempts to silence the liberation thought was the eruption of novelty, the ‘weapon of liberation’, the Khalsa. The ‘real’ historical force emerged out of the long gestation of the liberation ‘praxis’ and ‘philosophy’ that not only fully integrated the ‘untouchables’ into the struggle for liberation but succeeded in abolishing the racist practice of untouchability in Sikh practice. But history had something else in store for the Dalits of Punjab as caste and untouchability was to re-enter the body politic of Sikh religion in the changed circumstances of Ranjit Singh’s rule and subsequent colonial dispensation.— Devotion and Dissent of Punjabi Dalit Sant Poets. Raj Kumar Hans. Pp. 188-215, in, Vijaya Ramaswamy, (ed.) Devotion and Dissent in Indian History, New Delhi, Foundation Books, 2014, p. 194

…a group of concerned Christians and sympathizers run a Centre of Dalit/Subaltern Studies, near Dwarka, New Delhi, with numerous activities and extensive contacts with other parts of the country. At the moment, it is engaged in publishing the first Dali commentary of the Bible, of which the New Testament is already available and the Old Testament is in active preparation….—ibid. Dissent within the Catholic Church in Late Colonial Bengal. G. Gispert-Sauch, S.J. pp. 321-329, in, p. 328

Sometimes new Christians from untouchable backgrounds adopted upper-caste non-Christian practices as part of their efforts to raise their social status. In Dornakal, many converts stopped eating beef, pork, and other meats considered by higher castes to be “polluted,” even though the Anglican church had no policy on the subject of eating these meats and its leaders were almost all meat eaters. (Indeed, some neighboring Baptist missionaries advocated eating beef as a test for converts to demonstrate the Christian’s freedom from Hindu reverence for the cow.)….— Hope for Outcastes, For India’s “untouchable” Christians, relating their faith to the surrounding culture was no simple matter. by, Susan Billington Harper (is a writer and historian living in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and serves on the boards of the Association of American Rhodes Scholars and Eastern University.), Christian History & Biography. Issue 87, Summer 2005, Vol. XXIV, No. 3,p. 4 …

Visiting a village in 1936 whose Christians had been baptized eleven years before, Azariah discovered that their commitment to giving up “drink, beef, theft and lies” had so improved their “cleanliness” in the eyes of village landlords (zamindars) that distance requirements of their former untouchability had been abandoned. Abstention from defiling meats was a purely indigenous means by which formerly outcaste Christians succeeded in raising their social status. Non-Christian villagers often joined the Christian anti-beef campaigns, but the church was clearly the driving force in this larger process of Telugu caste mobility.— Hope for Outcastes,
For India’s “untouchable” Christians, relating their faith to the surrounding culture was no simple matter. by, Susan Billington Harper (is a writer and historian living in Villanova, Pennsylvania, and serves on the boards of the Association of American Rhodes Scholars and Eastern University.), hristian History & Biography. Issue 87, Summer 2005, Vol. XXIV, No. 3, p. 4

See also:

— Wilfred Creydon, Chairman, Committee on Black Anglican Concerns, in Foreword, Seed of Hope: Report of a Survey on combating RACISM in the Dioceses of The church of England, by The Committee on Black Anglican Concerns. The General Synod of the Church of England, Church House, Great Smith Street, London SWLP 3NZ, 1991,

The following points were not posted in the blog.

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Pawan, like a typical lawyer you bombarded with facts and narrative. We need the brain of another lawyer similar like you to respond to your message. I cannot do that. As a joke, how the magistrate the opponent lawyers manage to handle your argument in the court. I would like to come and witness the way you argue the case for your clints. Anyhow unable to respond to your long message taking point by point, I would like to share this conclusion to the article ‘Brahmanism’ that I am going to post in my blog. I know you will again give a long scholarly response. But I am not ready for it yet. By the way one only point I would like to mention, Purusha Sukta was a later interpolation in the Veda, according to some Vedic scholars. It talks only about Varna and not jati. ###

निष्कर्ष: इस संवाद को श्री राजशेखर द्वारा दिए गए एक बयान से समाप्त करना बेहतर है [मैं ‘श्री राजशेखर’ का उपयोग करना चाहता था, लेकिन जैसा कि वे मानद उपाधि के इस तरह के संस्कृतिकरण को पसंद नहीं कर सकते हैं, मैं उनके लिए पश्चिमी श्रीमान का उपयोग करता हूं]:

‘वी.टी. दलित वॉयस (एक बैंगलोर पाक्षिक समाचार पत्र) के संपादक राजशेखर ने हाल ही में घोषित किया: प्रत्येक जाति एक राष्ट्रीयता है और जब तक प्रत्येक राष्ट्रीयता को सभी क्षेत्रों में अपने हिस्से का आश्वासन नहीं दिया जाता है, तब तक भारत की लोकतांत्रिक संरचना, एकता और अखंडता सुनिश्चित नहीं की जा सकती है। इसका मतलब है कि हमारे “हिंदू राष्ट्र” नायकों, उनके ढोलकिया लड़कों द्वारा “राष्ट्रीय” टॉयलेट पेपर और शैक्षणिक हलकों में बनाया गया पूरा बकवास जमीन पर गिर जाता है। भारत एक “राष्ट्र” नहीं है बल्कि “राष्ट्रों” का एक समूह है जिसमें मूल इमारत की ईंट जाति है। यह जाति है जो भारत में “राष्ट्र” के रूप में उभर रही है। कोई “हिंदू राष्ट्र” नहीं है। (पृ.147) कोई अन्य राष्ट्र नहीं है। प्रत्येक जाति एक राष्ट्र है। जाति को नष्ट नहीं किया जा सकता है और इसलिए हमें इसके साथ रहना होगा … यहां तक कि मुस्लिम और ईसाई प्रतिनिधियों ने भी अपने धर्मों में जाति के खिंचाव को स्वीकार किया और इस तथ्य को स्वीकार किया कि धर्म उस धर्म के अनुयायियों को बांधता नहीं है। हर जाति को मजबूत करो, ब्राह्मण जल्द ही मर जाएंगे। {दलित आवाज, खंड। 16/24, पीपी. 3f, 1-15 नवंबर, 1997।–David R. Kinsley, Hinduism a cultural perspective, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall, inc.,1982, pp. 147-148

एक प्रसिद्ध नारा है: जन्मते जयते शूद्र; संस्कारत दीजी उच्चते = जन्म से सभी शूद्र कहलाते हैं; केवल उचित संस्कार [अनुष्ठान] के माध्यम से ही कोई द्विज अर्थात दो बार जन्म लेता है।

इसी तरह, हम कह सकते हैं कि ‘स्वभाव से हर कोई ब्राह्मण है क्योंकि उसके मन और आत्मा में ब्राह्मणवाद है। और उसकी जाति की पहचान उसे अपने ब्राह्मणवाद को छिपाने के लिए किसी पर आरोप लगाने के लिए खेलने के लिए एक पीड़ित कार्ड देती है। जब तक जाति है तब तक ब्राह्मणवाद रहेगा। ब्राह्मण भारतीय परिदृश्य से गायब हो सकते हैं और यहां तक कि ब्राह्मण भी जल्द ही मर जाएंगे [जैसा कि श्री राजशेखर द्वारा भविष्यवाणी की गई है] या भारत में भविष्य के हिटलर द्वारा ब्राह्मणवाद को साफ करने के लिए ब्रह्मनोको समाप्त किया जा सकता है। लेकिन ब्राह्मणवाद की भावना भारत पर मंडराती रहेगी, कोई ब्राह्मणियों की जगह लेगा। ब्राह्मण एक जाति के रूप में समान रूप से पीड़ित और इसे बनाने, बनाए रखने और प्रदान करने में दोषी हैं। ब्राह्मण नामक एक जाति समूह के खिलाफ लड़ने के लिए एक कृत्रिम शब्द ब्राह्मणवाद बनाना आसान है। लेकिन जब तक जाति मिटती नहीं है, तब तक तथाकथित ब्राह्मणवाद को पीटना हवा में लड़ने जैसा है, जो हमारे अंदर सही बुराई को नजरअंदाज करते हुए एक गलत अवधारणा को लक्षित करता है। यह दो मरीजों के केस चार्ट को बदलकर वार्ड बॉय की गलती के कारण शरीर के सही अंग को काटने जैसा है, जब उन्हें सड़े हुए अंग को निकालने के लिए ऑपरेशन थियेटर में ले जाया गया था। तो दोनों रोगियों ने अपना एक अच्छा हाथ खोदिया aur बीमार हाथ के साथ छोड़ दिया। अब विकल्प यह है कि बीमार हाथ को काट दिया जाए ताकि वे दोनों जीवित रहें या यदि वे सड़े हुए हाथ को रखने पर जोर दें तो मर जाएं। जबकि रिश्तेदार अभी भी परामर्श कर रहे हैं कि क्या करना है, रोगी आगे के इलाज के लिए आईसीयू में रहना जारी रखता है जिससे अस्पताल को उनके गलत काम के लिए चार्ज करने की अनुमति मिलती है।

पवन, एक वकील की तरह आपने तथ्यों और नैरेटिव के साथ बमबारी की। हमें आपके संदेश का जवाब देने के लिए आप जैसे दूसरे वकील के दिमाग की जरूरत है। मैं ऐसा नहीं कर सकता। एक मजाक: विरोधी वकील मजिस्ट्रेट अदालत में आपके तर्क को कैसे संभालते हैं। आप जिस तरह से अपने क्लिंट्स के लिए बहस करते हैं, मैं वहां आकर देखना चाहूंगा। किसी भी तरह से आपके लंबे संदेश का बिंदुवार उत्तर देने में असमर्थ, मैं इस निष्कर्ष को ‘ब्राह्मणवाद’ लेख के साथ साझा करना चाहता हूं जिसे मैं अपने ब्लॉग पर पोस्ट करने जा रहा हूं। मुझे पता है कि आप फिर से एक लंबी विद्वत्तापूर्ण प्रतिक्रिया देंगे। लेकिन मैं अभी इसके लिए तैयार नहीं हूं। जिस तरह से मैं केवल एक बिंदु का उल्लेख करना चाहूंगा, कुछ वैदिक विद्वानों के अनुसार पुरुष सूक्त वेद में एक बाद का प्रक्षेप था। यह केवल वर्ण की बात करता है जाति की नहीं।

[25/05, 10:11 am] Abhishek Sinha: I just got back from Bihar and met some maithili Brahmins there in the Mithilanchal region … I could tell that some of them had more than anyone else, anyone as in other non-FCs… it was also evident that they were proud of their culture, language and history … I was reminded that to talk about one’s own self as a people is part of culture making, that’s how traditions and sanskaars are passed on to the next generations … when you don’t do that then you don’t really have a lot of self knowledge about your surroundings and your people … I admired that the family I visited played musical instruments and was very proud of their hospitality and locality, even though the area was very Indian traditional … in the midst of all the positives I also felt the pressure and competition that Brahmins there were experiencing among themselves … a lot of bad traditions have emerged among them where they have to outdo each other in the way karma-kaanda is performed and how many rasgullas and bakras are sacrificed to feed the guests … to the extent that the ones who can afford are able to somehow manage it but others are even forced to sell their land to perform the bhoj … I realized that the traditions that have emerged affects even other Brahmins in that area … but also everyone else that observes similar pressure during mrityu bhoj, upanayan sanskaar etc … in the midst of many positives I saw that Brahmins even in the village embody, I also came back with some understanding of what it has taken them to hold on to the resources and power and how even though privileged than others, some of the Brahmins are also struggling in the weight of some of the expectations that were created by their own people … I’m still processing this but it might need more interactions with maithili Brahmins to know more …

The feeding of the entire village, particularly to the entire community at the end of the funeral rites is part of Maithili culture but not limited only with Brahmins. Whereas among the South Indians, particularly Tamil Brahmins, except close relatives that too from the father side no one will accept that food at the end of the funeral ritual. I lived in the Maithili area for more than five years and know them to some extent. Several people incur heavy debt because of this feeding. Interestingly in some tribes, [I witnessed in the Malto tribe when I lived with them in present Jharkhand], the bridegroom has to feed the entire village on his marriage. And if he does not have enough money, he will live with his woman and even beget children and when he saved enough money, then, he will do the marriage function feeding the entire village. The marriage ritual is not important but feeding the entire village is.

[25/05, 8:37 pm] Dayanand Bharathi: See more on Brahmins in the blog under the title ‘Brahmins’.

[25/05, 8:50 pm] Abhishek Sinha: Ji swami ji. I think slowly these expectations and demands will recalibrate or be completely changed and become less debt inducing … but I think the rituals and karm-kaand will remain when it comes to funeral and other rites of passage …

Good to be reminded that you lived in mithilanchal also

[25/05, 8:56 pm] Dayanand Bharathi: Note: Orthodox Brahmins who perform all kinds of rituals to the twice born, particularly exclusively for Brahmins won’t do ritual to them. There is a special kind of Brahmins for this purpose and they alone are invited to do such rituals for so called low cast people. Similarly Brahmins doing puja in temples cannot do such rituals for anyone, as they are ‘made brahmins’ by the kings to do rituals in temple known in Tamil as ‘Sivachariyars’ [or devalaka# Brahmins in North from the non-brahmins so called high caste groups, particularly from Pillaimars.

#…Temple priests are comparatively a later institution and they were generally looked down upon in olden times and are regarded as inferior even in modern times. Manu [III.152] says that a devalaka i.e. a braahmana who took [p.109] remuneration to perform service before the image in temple for three years continuously was unfit to be invited at a sraaddha or to officiate in a sacrifice for gods.—P. V. Kane, History of Dharmasastras, Pona, Bandarkar Oriental Research Institute. Vol.II. Part.I. Ch.III. Teaching the Vedas. pp. 109-110.

[25/05, 11:15 pm] Pawan: IS IT THE SHADOW OF PANDITA RAMA BAI?

Even Non-Brahmin Shudr Swarnas have no concern with the faith and Eternal Hope Pandita Rama Bai displayed, rather most ate totally inclined towards being rinsed into the poisonous Amrit Kalash concoction Lala Maharishi Mahesh Yogi along-with Lala Ram Dev are churning and the Hindutav Ram Mandir brigade burgeoning under th full gaze of RSS, disseminating, injection, infusing HATE and ONLY HATE.

Hateful contemptuous agenda of supremasist Brahminvad did not unleash abruptly, but it evolved into an experienced and trained Kawad-Brigade. The glorious brigade was used successfully to erase Babri-Masjid. The groomed militia, without any doubt, belongs to RSS, but it is not only difficult but impossible to establish and document the fact that is is RSS. New Avatars and techno-social media proginator Yogi-Modi-Shah, trio, have turned the heat towards the graves of quagmiry Pandita, her poor daughter and Stains associated with her. Vivekanand of yore abused Pandita, the Bajrang Dal of today is on the same page.

Alas! The innocent victims are still hanging crucified, for sure, they are not resting in peace as is projected by the Mahila Arya Samajists of Kedgaon. They are on the radar of the condemned twigs hanging inside the suprematist Brahminical black-holes, and the shishu vidya mandirs alike.

Harijanism of Gandhi, Brahminism of VHP, Manuvadi-Capitalism of Devi Lakshmi and caste-terrorism of Parsuram are not assigned to any form of evil or exploitation, instead pushed to the centre stage and glorified. However well defined history and formated epochs have exposed Brahminism inside out. Despite, the so-called modern intelligence is quietly focused on the perverse shadow of Pandita Rama Bai, Fatima, Savitri, Periyar and trace their nefarious deeds into emancipate of Sudras and Nari from Manuvad.

Why one is vocal about its caste location, assertion of its caste identity and also publicly express the politics and religion of caste?

There is a kind of agenda and stereotype that down plays caste atrocity story, Savarna [upper] castes very naturally get established as experts irrespective of their IQ level as they managed to gain expertise in the caste story.

The affirmative action policy gives participation in governance to SCs (15%), STs (7.5%) and OBCs (27%), upper castes bulldozing the history express their contempt for their participation, mocking them as ‘undeserving’, ‘unmeritorious’, ‘freeloaders. By flaunting the janeu [sacred thread that can only be worn by upper castes] Brahmins claim the caste status inside the corridors of parliament and The TAJ.

Swami Ji, you have dissected the specimen OBCs, if make it particular study of Tamil Nadu, where Dalits were suppressed not by Brahmins but by them who most of the time remain under hallucination as if they are LandLords. There are terms evolved like kshatriism, Baniaism/vaisyism and Chmarikrit shudraism.

Brahmins, however created Purush-Sukat hence “caste”, also propagated, injected it to the very core. A poor Brhmin, however, has no relation with “brahminism”, but put to unrest being reciprocally defined.

Arjak Samaj has its own way to address this complex, but India specific jargon. They underline the basic Human Rights parameter and pin-points how subjugation by Brahamins institutionalised the rot of caste insignia, that too clinging it to the birth of an innocent kid.

Baba Nanak, Nandnar, Chokhamela, Sant Ravi Das, Sant Kabir had nothing to do with Bhakti, they were for MUKTI, but brahminism painted the whole Mukti-Andolan as Bhakti Era. We all celebrate it day in day out.

Ambedkar: in the untouchables–Who Were They and Why They Became Untouchables, the Fourth Varna, confessed after surveying Non-Hindus and investigating the origin of untouchability by examining it from the Primitive society. He discovered that they believed in the perception of defilement through contact with specific objects, persons, events. Expected mother, Newborn Child, Initiation, Puberty, Cohabitation, specific ceremonies in marriage caused desecration, and contamination with those people as part of inviting evil forces. The most surmounted, harmful, and unlucky was the pollution by the corpse and his chattels. Upper-class people especially chiefs and their belongings were regarded as sanctified. People from places like- Tonga land, Malaya Peninsula, Toda, etc believed that the mere touch of an inferior would traduce the chief’s personage and the inferior by doing so would invite dangers upon himself.

Quoting Uganda: Explained that before building a temple, the men were given four days in which to purify themselves”. Purification processes like- sprinkling water, blood in the threshold, cutting hair and nails, transmuting impurity to others, etc terminated evil forces. In Ancient Greek and Roman society profanity’s reason was bloodshed, contact with the dead, sexual intercourse, childbirth, unauthorized person’s entry in consecrate places, quarreling, consuming certain foods, etc, and the purification process ‘Kapodia’ was also dictated.

Following this, in his next chapter, he researched on the Hindus and surprisingly discovered that the notion of pollution among Hindus was not different from ancient or primitive society. Following Manu Smriti ( Dharmasastra, ancient text regarding the social moral conduct of a man, written after the fall of the Maurya empire) Hindus understood physical and national pollution, communal and territorial defilement like Ancient Rome. Manu prescribed that the king being abstracted of eight deities was pure (like primitive times) and the king’s desired people ex- Kinsmen, Cow, Brahmin, Noble were exempted from impurity.

Ambedkar discovered that Brahmins were pure by the statements of Manu but suffered from sullying like- birth, death, and many other fields that Non-Brahmins did not. The Family members of the dead were addressed as ‘Sapindas’, ‘Samanodakas’, and the defilement due to expiry was extended to remote relatives, king, and those who bore the corpse. Anyone associated with the person was a part of impurity. The time period of defilement for various persons unlike primitive times was mentioned too. After the ravine period, a purificatory ritual was performed to end it like an annual ‘Jatra’ where villagers buying a he-buffalo moved it around the village and immolated it. The blood was sprinkled around the village and toe meat was given away among the villagers and so-called vegetarian Brahmin rushes to claim his share of beef.

Untouchable communities whose mere touch polluted the upper classed Hindus. Performing certain rites the upper caste Hindus released themselves from impurity. “But there is nothing which can make the Untouchables pure. They are born impure, they are impure while they live, they die the death of the impure, and they give birth to children who are born with the stigma of Untouchability affixed to them. It is a case of permanent, hereditary stain which nothing can cleanse”.

The Hindus isolated them in a certain territory outside of the village like- ‘ghetto’. Comparing ancient and primitive societies with Hindu society he stated that Hereditary Untouchability was followed by Hindus differentiating them from Non- Hindus.

He explored that Shastra destined the ‘Antyaja’ to live outside the village. Manu instructed the Chandals and the Shavakars to reside outside the village by following certain rules being ‘Apapatras’ –

1. Dogs and Donkeys are their only wealth,

2. Attire must be the garments of dead and criminals,

3. Have food in a broken dish given by Aryans,

4. Religious men must avoid them,

5. Their marriage, transactions should be within their caste, etc.

Four types of assumptions on Shastras’ standpoint regarding the Untouchable’s ‘ghetto’ at the edge of the village, having full blown furnance of molten lead ready in use.

Hence unlike Ambedkar, are we not, questioning who bore the power of attorney to declare a section of humanity as “Untouchable”?

Woman shall not live by BREAD Alone….so is Pandita.

Attachments area

The first eleven chapters of Geneses were not historical incidents. They are collective memory presented in a pictorial way. For example what we about creation narrative is also found in other ancient literatures. But none of them were facts but each tradition explained about certain pre-historical event in their own way. Personally, Sarparaj [if you mean by which Adi Mata was deceived] was a pictorial narrative which I won’t take it literarily. It is like so many events were narrated in Revelation.

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