Caste Untouchability Myths

There is a wide-spread belief that Brahmins set Untouchability Practice through the Vedas.

Untouchability
Untouchability is not Indian concept.

There is no term as untouchability in the Vedas or the Bhagavad Gita.

There are references to Varna denoting Disposition, Tendencies.

‘Chatur Varnam Maya Srushtam’ Bhagavad Gita- Dispositions are created by Me.

Here what Krishna says is that the effects/fruits of actions, though independent of Divine interventions, they need the Primary Principle, Brahman to operate; He Being the Saguna  Manifestation of Brahman The Reality is responsible to the extent that it is applied universally and justly

Even in the Puranas, there is no word to match ‘Untouchable

Normally people associate the term ‘Chandala‘ to denote Untouchables.

But, Chandala is a Sanskrit word for someone who deals with disposal of corpses.

The attribute of Untouchable label was provided by the British.

This is a sweeping generalization that has no backing of any Religious text in the organisation of caste( another term of Portuguese origin imposed on India by the British.

The Attribute of being kept untouchable was avidly promoted by the British in their effort of dividing the people of India to facilitate their hold on India with their pronounced Policy of Divide and Rule.

Untouchability is the social-religious practice of ostracizing a minority group by segregating them from the mainstream by social custom or legal mandate. The excluded group could be one that did not accept the norms of the excluding group and historically included foreigners, house workers, nomadic tribes, law-breakers and criminals and those suffering from a contagious disease. This exclusion was a method of punishing law-breakers and also protected traditional societies against contagion from strangers and the infected. A member of the excluded group is known as anUntouchable.”

Chandala is a Sanskrit word for someone who deals with disposal of corpses, and is a Hindu lower caste, formerly considered untouchables. Currently it is a term used specifically in Indo-Aryan speaking regions of India. Sandala has become a swear word in the colloquial usage of the Tamil languageChandal is a general derogatory slur used to refer to a filthy, mean or low person[1] in North India.(wiki)

Note that this is not a definition, but a description being used currently after the acquisition of India by the British.

Till the Mogul period the usage was Sudra, denoting a group of people engaged in Physical work, with certain Dispositions.tendencies.

It was a tag used to denote this group and was often used colloquially to indicate one of uncouth practices, nothing more as is when we say’ he works like a Donkey’

The meaning varies ‘ depending on the context.

It may denote mindless application in carrying out a task or plain stupidity or to indicate their profession.

In earliest Tamil Literature  the word is never found( Tamil is one of the earliest of world languages).

Nor the term Caste.

Another term that is widely used to denote caste is ‘Jati”

Jāti (in Devanagari: जाति Tamil:சாதி, literally “birth”)(wiki)

This term also does not indicate either caste or Untouchability

Read How this Poisonous concept was developed and promoted.

Caste In India

By John Henry Hutton

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Source:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untouchability

Comments

9 responses to “Caste Untouchability Myths”

  1. Srinivasan PR Avatar

    This article has been written by a person who has no literacy in Sanskrit, let alone first-hand knowledge about Vedas. He does not even know the sharp difference between Vedas and Upanishads. There is only one Veda, i.e., Rig Veda and Yajur and Sama Vedas are mere derivatives of the formrer. People started to reckon Atharva as also Veda after several centuries only. There is no such word Shudra in Rig Veda. But Chandokya Upanishad refers to Shudras and Chandalas.

    Castes were determined by birth only and not by the profession you pursue or choose to pursue. Bhagavat Gita refers to ‘Shudras’ in several places. In fact, the ‘Prasthanasthrayee’, which comprise Upanishads, Bhgaavat Gita and Brahma Sutra refers to Shudras and Chandalas.

    Srimath Bhagavatham defines chandalas as those born off brahmin girl and shudra boy.

    1. ramanan50 Avatar

      Suggest one reads all Hindu texts deeply. Regards

      1. Srinivasan PR Avatar

        I have read deeply and understood them in the spirit in which they were written.

  2. srini rama Avatar
    srini rama

    https://polldaddy.com/js/rating/rating.jsசார்
    பிராமண பெண்ணுக்கும் சூத்திர ஆணுக்கும் பிறக்கும் பிள்ளைகள் சண்டாளர்கள் என அழைக்கப்படுவார்களா?
    மனு ஸ்மிருதியில் இது பற்றி ஏதேனும் சொல்லப்பட்டுள்ளதா?

    1. ramanan50 Avatar

      No. The child is not classified as Chandala. He is classified as Sudra. . Point to be noted is that caste is not determined by birth, but by disposition and character.

  3. Harbans Lal Badhan Avatar
    Harbans Lal Badhan

    “The Untouchables (Dalits) of India want economic, social, political, religious and educational equality in Society, not in the eyes of God”
    (Harbans Lal Badhan)

    1. ramanan50 Avatar

      True

  4. chaitanya Avatar

    It’s true, people today blindly follow fairly new social practices without questioning it and then blame the Vedas and Brahmins for the state of the society. When I try to clarify the fatcts, they don’t listen because they think I’m defending my caste.
    The Vedic culture was more open minded than todays culture. Thanks for bringing forth the facts.

    1. ramanan50 Avatar

      Happy that some one has come out openly on this. and not defensive about their caste.
      This is the purpose of my posting these .
      More to follow.
      Please send feedback and any information.
      Thanks.

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