[Reader-list] Caste System, Dalits and Hinduism

Mon Oct 20 20:24:21 IST 2008

 by the way.

Chor Ganvar shudra pashu nari
yeh saab hai tadan kay adikari

 by Tulsi Dass

( thieves, ruffians, low caste, animals, women
these all deserve beating )

the fact, with other facts was often quoted by Kanshi Ram ji, the
great leader of low caste hindus in india, after Dr.  Baba saheb
Ambedkar ( the  architect of Indian Constitution )

On Mon, Oct 20, 2008 at 7:29 PM, Shivam Vij शिवम् विज्
<mail at shivamvij.com> wrote:
> You might want to read the Annihilation of Caste:
> http://ccnmtl.columbia.edu/projects/mmt/ambedkar/
>
> best
> shivam
>
> On Sun, Oct 19, 2008 at 11:42 AM, Aditya Raj Kaul
> <kauladityaraj at gmail.com> wrote:
>> The following is from a document by Dhirendra A Shah …
>>
>> SECTION – I
>>
>> Caste System, Dalits and Hinduism
>>
>> "There is a misconception in some minds that Hindu scriptures
>> sanction the caste system. But being based on Vedas, Hinduism does
>> not permit any caste system, whatsoever.
>> Vedas, the proud possession of mankind, are the foundation of
>> Hinduism. Vedas are all-embracing, and treat the entire humanity
>> with the same respect and dignity. Vedas speak of nobility of entire
>> humanity (krinvanto vishvam aryam), and do not sanction any caste
>> system or birth based caste system. Mantra number 10-13-1 of Rig
>> Veda addresses entire humanity as divine children (Shrunvantu vishve
>> amrutsya putraha). Innumerable Mantras of Vedas emphasize oneness,
>> universal brotherhood, harmony, happiness, affection, unity and
>> commonality of entire humanity. A few illustrations are given here.
>> Vide Mantra number 5-60-5 of Rig Veda, the Divine Poet
>> declares, "All men are brothers; no one is big, no one is small. All
>> are equal". Mantra number 16.15 of Yajur Veda reiterates that all
>> men are brothers; no one is superior or inferior. "Mantra number 3-
>> 30-1 of Atharva Veda enjoins upon all humans to be affectionate and
>> to love one another as the cow loves her newly born calf.
>> Underlining unity and harmony still further, Mantra number 3-30-6 of
>> Atharva Veda commands humankind to dine together, and be as firmly
>> united as the spokes attached to the hub of chariot wheel.
>>
>> Bhagvad Gita, the essence of Vedas and Upanishads, has many Shlokas
>> that echo the Vedic doctrine of oneness of humanity. In Sholka
>> number V (29), the Lord declares that He is the friend of all
>> creatures ('Suhridam Sarva Bhutanam') whereas Sholka number IX (29)
>> reiterates that the Lord has the same affection for all creatures,
>> and whosoever remembers the Lord, resides in the Lord, and the Lord
>> resides in him.
>>
>> Hindu scriptures speak about 'Varna' which means to 'select' (one's
>> profession etc.); and which is not caste; and which is not birth-
>> based. As per Sholka number IV (13) of Bhagvad Gita, depending upon
>> a person's Guna (aptitude) and Karma (actions), there are four
>> Varnas. As per this Sholka, a person's Varna is determined by his
>> Guna and Karma, and not by his birth. Chapter XIV of Bhagvad Gita
>> specifies three Gunas viz. Satva (purity), Rajas (passion and
>> attachment) and Tamas (ignorance). These three Gunas are present in
>> every human in different proportions, and determine the Varna of
>> every person. Accordingly, depending on one's Guna and Karma, every
>> individual is free to select his own Varna. Consequently, if their
>> Gunas and Karmas are different, even members of the same family will
>> belong to different Varnas. Nevertheless, notwithstanding the
>> differences in Guna and Karma of different individuals, Vedas treat
>> the entire humanity with the same respect; and do not sanction any
>> caste system or birth based caste system.
>> Being divine revelation, Shrutis (Vedas) are the ultimate authority
>> for Dharma, and represent its eternal principles whereas being human
>> recapitulations, Smritis (Recollections) can play only a subordinate
>> role. As per Shloka number (6) of chapter 2 of Manu Smriti, "Vedo
>> akhilo dharma mulam" (Veda is the foundation of entire Dharma)
>> whereas Shloka number 2(13) of Manu Smriti specifies that whenever
>> Shruti (Vedas) and Smritis differ, stipulation of Vedas will prevail
>> over Smriti stipulation." (J. G. Arora – Organizer Weekly)
>>
>> "A Brahmin boy who had developed more of the Tamsic Guna was not
>> allowed to remain a Brahmin in his adult age. In the same way, a
>> Shudra boy could become a Brahmin if he had developed more of Satvic
>> Gunas. Let us look at the history of Vedic period. Vedas were
>> codified by Ved Vyas who was a son of a fisher woman. Valmiki who
>> wrote Ramayana was of a Shudra Class. Guru Dronacharya was a Brahmin
>> but he took up weapons and faught as a Kshatriya in the Mahabharat
>> war. One can give many such examples of how this Varna system
>> worked. For a long period of time this system worked reasonably well
>> which is why the Hindu civilization was the most prosperous in those
>> days as compared to other civilizations.
>>
>> It is a fact that the type of caste system (with its present
>> rigidity) we today talk about came into being only after the British
>> census. When the British began to conquer India, the majority of the
>> kings/rulers in different parts of India had been from amongst such
>> castes which have been placed in the sudra varna. Chandra Gupta
>> Maurya was from a Shudra class The British demonized caste because
>> it stood in the way of their breaking Indian society, hindered the
>> process of atomization, and made the task of conquest and governance
>> more difficult. The word 'Caste' comes from the Portuguese
>> word "Casta" which was then coined as "Caste" by the British and
>> used it to divide the Indian society to perpetuate its colonial rule
>> in India. The real rigidity of the caste system came into being only
>> sometime in 1800 AD."
>>
>> Albaruni (AD 973 – 1048) describes the traditional division of
>> Hindu society along the four Varnas and the Antyaja -- who are not
>> reckoned in any caste; but makes no mention of any oppression of low
>> caste by the upper castes. Much, however the four castes differ from
>> each other,they live together in the same towns and villages, mixed
>> together in the same houses and lodgings. The Antyajas are divided
>> into eight classes -- formed into guilds -- according to their
>>  professions who freely intermarry with each other. They live near
>> the villages and towns of the four castes. (Sachau:101)
>> This is exemplified by the fact that in Bali Hindu society in
>> Indonesia, there is no dalit, no untouchability, no caste.
>> Therefore, castiesm and untouchability are social problems in India
>> and are not part of Hinduism as propagated by the Christian
>> missionaries and evangelical folks. Can you say that homosexuality
>> and pedophilia are rooted in Christianity because there are
>> practiced by many Christian priests in America and Europe?
>> Dalit: George Ooommen notes that the word 'dalit' was first used
>> only in the 19th century by a Marathi social reformer, Jyotirao
>> Phule. The 'dalit' word was appropriated by a political group called
>> Dalit Panther Movement of Maharashtra in 1970. And, now the
>> term, 'dalit' is appropriated by Christian theologians and
>> missionaries to create anti-Hindu sentiments and convert poor and
>> illiterate Hindus to Christianity by unethical, immoral and
>> fraudulent methods.
>> _________________________________________
>> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
>> Critiques & Collaborations
>> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header.
>> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
>> List archive: &lt;https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>
>
>
> --
> National Highway - http://shivamvij.com/
> _________________________________________
> reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the city.
> Critiques & Collaborations
> To subscribe: send an email to reader-list-request at sarai.net with subscribe in the subject header.
> To unsubscribe: https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> List archive: &lt;https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>

-- 

http://indersalim.livejournal.com