Revolution begins when a set of people who are socially, politically and economically oppressed and exploited themselves get enlightened for their own emancipation. Such a movement should be able to change the existing social order and create a new world. Fundamental social changes always come from the decision of the oppressed. Such a change came from Kerala under the leadership of Ezhavas. The Ezhavas along with other communities shared the same cultural identity until the emergence of Brahminism around the 8th century AD. This was facilitated by Budhism that prevailed in Kerala for about 1,200 years. The extermination of Budhism by the Brahmins under the leadership of Adi Sankara ushered in a new era of tyrannical rule and Kerala became a “lunatic asylum” (as called by Vivekananda). The historical background of the Brahminical revival under Sankara’s leadership was that of inhuman cultural torture of the Budhists. In Sudraka’s Mrichakhadiva, we get the description of treating the Budhists as bullocks by passing a nose string through their noses and yoking them to the cart. The Keralopathi documents the extermination of Budhists by Sankara. Vivekananda says:
“*And such was the heart of Sankara that he burnt to death lots of Budhist monks by defeating them in argument. What can you call such an action on Sankara’s part except fanaticism?”
NAIRS AS BRAHMIN STOOGES
The story of Parasuram’s axe and Sankara’s Digvijaya were the root cause of the extirpation of Budhism from Kerala. Those kings and their associates who identified themselves with the Brahmins became Kshatriyas and Nairs.
Those who refused became outcasts. Among these groups Ezhavas held a unique position. Unlike the other outcastes, they were a land-holding group, and they held the highest social status among the outcastes. Historically, the Ezhavas held to the Budhist traditions such as learning Sanskrit, practising Ayur Vidya medicine, taking tolerant attitude towards other ethnic groups, and rational thinking. The establishment of Brahminism brought structural changes in the economic system, mainly affecting fand tenure and management of temples. The land was divided into Brahmaswams and Dewaswams and thus brought under the Brahmin-Nair ownership. The Ezhavas were the worst affected as their chief occupation was farming. They were largely left to tend the coconuts on the land, and even then, a large number of them became tenants of the upper castes. When access to land became more difficult, some Ezhavas turned to toddy-tapping and handicrafts for survival. The position of the Ezhavas as a deprived class, their Budhist heritage, their numerical strength and their position between the upper and lower stratas of the society made them the vanguards of social revolution under Sree Narayana guru, the revolutionary saint.
The politics of the revolution envisaged by the Guru was unique and significant. While the spiritual leadership of Sankara was based on anti-human thoughts, Narayana Guru invoked his own spiritual philosophy to counter it. Sankara wanted to encourage and enforce Brahmin hegemony purely on caste-based exploitation of the masses, which Narayana Guru with his silent revolutionary methods fought and succeeded.
The Guru used spirituality to fight spirituality.
SEX LITERATURE
The part played by the medieval feudal literary works to streamline obeisance to Brahminism was decisive. The duty of literature to society was to carry out this objective and nothing else. Ezhuthachan’s Adfhyatma Ramayanam, I Cherussery’s Krishnagadha and the sensual literature of scholars like the Venmony poets are”examples in this respect. Whereas what we see in Narayana Guru’’s literary works is just the opposite of the above feudal literature.
In fact, progressive movements in Malayalam literature originated from Narayana Guru which also reflected in poet Kumaran Asan’s clear-cut admonitions of the society.
The Guru’s social revolution includes titerature to counter literature just like spirituality to fight spirituality.
S.N.D.P. YOGAM
The medieval feudal society in Kerala was caste centered. Human beings were divided into upper castes and lower castes, and they were ruled based on religious belief and submission to the Brahmins. Elementary human rights were denied to the lower caste people. Such was the politics of the Brahminical social order of the day. It was to fight this political tyranny that the Guru advocated for the downtrodden masses to be free through education and be strong through organisation. This was achieved through the establishment of the SNDP Yogam (Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam). The historic social reform movements and the political agitations led by the Yogam paved the way for a new political order which enabled the depressed classes to share power with the ruling class.
Ezhava leaders like Dr. Palpu, Kumaran Asan, T.K. Madhavan, C. Kesavan, Sahodharan Ayyappan, C.V. Kunjuraman, and the leaders of other communities like Ayyankali and Pandit Karuppan were the stalwarts of these political agitations.
The liberation movement of Narayana Guru started in the year 1888 at Aruvippuram, near Thiruvananthapupram, with the revolutionary act of consecrating a Sivalingam (the phallus). A non- Brahmin, a so-called Untouchable, consecrating the Sivalingam was a bold revolutionary deed. This premeditated challenge to the Brahmin privilege produced far- reaching consequences. Till then, the Brahmin priests were claimed to be direct representatives of gods on earth.
DESTROY BRAHMIN HEGEMONY
He built several temples and caused many existing ones to be remodelled. In one temple, a lighted lamp was installed. In another, the mirror was the idol. All his idol installations were against the Brahminical rules and vedic rituals. Being an Advaitavadi, his idol installations were a bold step to break the idols. In other words, the icons he installed made him an iconoclast. No doubt he destroyed the icons of many an old belief and rotten tradition.
The Guru correctly understood that the Brahmin hegemony should be destroyed along with the caste system and then only could the actual revolution be realised in the Indian context. He believed that the caste system was pure human rights violation. Basic amenities like food, clothes, housing, and education were all denied to a vast majority of the masses on account of caste inhibitions. Even decent words of the language were not allowed to be pronounced by the low caste people. He also realised that the caste rules had a theoretical base sanctioned by Hindu “holy scriptures”. Hence his attacks on the caste system aimed at two things. (1) On the one hand, his aim was to blow up the theoretical basis of the caste system, and on the other (2) to organise a people’s war against the existing socio-political order.
DANGER SIGNALS TO HINDUS
The first he accomplished through his literary works and the consecration of the idol, and the second through education and enlightenment. The Guru’s famous dictum, “Ask not, say not, think not of caste” was a direct ultimatum to the custodians of casteism. The declaration as well as his message, “One caste, one religion and one god for man”, were danger signals for the Hindu orthodoxy and the Brahminical Social Order. Thus, he denounced the theory of the caste system heralded by the Bhaghavad Gita and propounded by Sankara.
He advised the people to build educational institutions adjacent to the temples. It is significant to note that in due course, he discouraged the construction of more and more temples and the consecration of idols.
To him temples and idols were tools for bringing together the down- trodden masses, leading them to the path of liberation. He even went to the extent of asking, “What is the use of these temples which are filled with darkness and the foul smell of bats?” Such was the rational thinking he discharged and propagated through his disciples. As a great humanist, he proclaimed”. “To help neighbourhood to thrive, 4 the wise man strives hard”. Such messages enlightened the masses and made them strive to better themselves.
BLEND OF SPLIRITUALISM & MATERIALISM
Notonly literacy and enlightenement but commerce, agriculture, industrial training, seience and technology, were on the agenda of the Guru’s scheme of education. He insisted on people to reorganise the traditional trade and commerce on a scientific basis. He preached economic discipline and warned against wasteful expenditure. Thus, we see in the Guru a Sanyasin tradition based on a harmonious blending of spiritualism with enlightened materialism, a coexistence of Dharma of the Orient) With the science and humanism of the Occident.
The crux of his philosophy was the evolvement of the social potency of the self. Non-dualism (Advaita) conceives of the ultimate identification of the Jeevatma with the Paramatma. The Guru also accepted Advaita, but he bestowed more thought on the Atma or self. Its full-blown efflorescence admits two vital possibilities. One is the perfection of the individual self. The other is the impact this perfection is capable of causing in others, in society at large. This is, in short, the social potency of the self. In other words, the social implication of an individual’s being and becoming. In Hinduism, under the Brahminical Social Order, a calculated attempt was made to keep spiritual and material goals apart. To the priestly class, it was a lucrative source of economic exploitation.
The Guru bridged this gap. By holding together, the twin capabilities of the self, he proved the complementary nature of man’s individual and social urges. This philosophy of the Guru may be termed Atmadarsanam. The Guru’s famous philosophical poem, “‘Atmopadesa Satakam” (one hundred verses of self-instruction), clearly elucidates his Atmadarsnam. Another poem, Darsanamala (garland of vision), covers the same aspect from a different angle. The two together form his philosophic edifice.
PULAYAS PRODUCED AYYANKALI
The revolutionary spirit instilled by the Guru, in the first instance electrified the Ezhava community, the community which produced the great Guru. Gradually, it attracted other communities and brought about a total revolution. Following in his footsteps, every community started purging the foul customs and practices. When the spark kindled fell upon other communities, it produced reformers, revolutionaries and institutions.
SILVER STAR
In the Pulaya (Untouchable) In community, it appeared in the form of Ayyankali and his Sadhujana Paripalana Yogam while in the Araya community it came into being through Pandit Karuppan and his Araya Vamsodharani Sabha. In the Nair community, through Mannath Padmanabham and his Nair Service Society, and in the Namboothiri community through V.T. Bhattathiripad and Yogakshema Sabha.
Nowhere in India so vast and great a revolution has occurred. That is why Sri Narayana Guru remains as he silvers star of the Indian revolution.
That this revolutionary movement was confined within the bounds of Kerala on account of the special and peculiar needs of this State, made it almost an indoor affair.
But judging from the impact it produced on the people, this great historical process has revolutionised the life of many people than the combined forces of Brahmo Samaj, Arya Samaj, Prathana Samaj and other organsiations could affect on the people all over India.
