The title of the article, “British anthropologist details barbarity of Hinduism”, (DV Feb.1, 2010, p.12) though suggests some details about the recent findings based on anthropology, there is nothing new or original on the subject. Even though the anthropologist lived in India for 15 years, she failed to point out the tantra in original, devoid of horror and mystic spiritualism, inherited by the Avarnas or the non-Hindu tradition. Her expertise consists in listing out the observations made by other writers on Indian situation. Even in doing so she has committed some mistakes. ‘
VARNA SYSTEM BEGAN WITH THREE VARNAS
Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar and some other scholars like Colbrook, Max Muller and Weber treat the Purusha Sukta as an interpolation (read Vol.7, SAWS, Who Were Shudras? p.134-139):
LATER ADDITION
Not only the Purusha Sukta is a later addition to the RgVeda, but these partfcular verses are much later than even the Purusha Sukta” (Ibid p.137).
According to him the story of Chaturvarnya is appended in RgVeda only for divine (vedic) sanction of a system lately developed (about BC 100) in the Inda-Aryan society.
So the Purusha Sukta does not form part of the RgVeda. It is a later addition. In earlier parts of the RgVeda and Brahmanas not four, but only three varnas are mentioned. Kshatriya kings belonging to the shudra tribe revolted against the Brahmins are subsequently degraded to the fourth varna and came to be known as shudra who had to serve other varnas. In this formative period of shudra, the Purusha Sukta might have been included in the RgVeda for devine sanction.
NEHRU’S SUBVERSION TO SAVE BRAHMINS
Though what Nehru told about the caste system was true, he became the first Prime Minister of India only because he belonged to the Brabmin caste. He had been put through a series of Brahmin ceremonies at the time of solemnisation as PM as vividly described in the book, Freedom at Midnight by Larry Collins Dorninique Lapierre (in the 11th chapter).
During his long tenure he had done nothing good for Dalits, the persecuted millions of India. His life history makes crystal clear that he looked down upon Dalits as any Brahmin or savarna would do. He subverted the “Hindu Code Bill” – the greatest social reform measure ever undertaken by the legislature in this country and prepared by the then Law Minister, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar.
DR, AMBEDKAR ON NEHRU’S TREACHERY
On this event Dr. Ambedkar states on the eve of his resignation from the Cabinet in protest against the attitude of Nehru and others:
“To leave inequality between class and class, between sex and sex which is the soul of Hindu society untouched and to go on passing legislation relating to economic problems is to make a farce of our constitution and to build a palace on a dung heap… This time his proposal was to drop the whole Bill… This came to me as a great shock – a bolt from the blue. I was stunned and could say anything… I got the impression that the Prime Minister although sincere had not the earnestness and determination required to get the Hindu Code Bill through.
Nehru had made use of maximum benefit out of his living as A Brahmin as the highest caste. Then, who bathers about his criticism of the caste system? Is it a double-dealing? Does it amount to double-crossing even? Many feathers were on his cap. Liberal, socialist, rationalist, atheist and the like. In the true sense he was a make-believer.
RgVEDA HAILS WIDOW MARRIAGE, NOT SATI
At the fag end of his life he is seen believing in all sorts of Brat.min humbugs like palmistry, astrology and fortune-telling and had undergone a series of Hindu ceremonies to get long life. (Read From Curzon to Nehru & After, Durga Das, Rupa & Co., 1981,pp.375-376). This matter finds its expression in his biography also (by S. Gopal).
Sati has no vedic sanction. It is never a part of Vedic ideal. That is why Sister Dorothy is not able to reproduce anything from the RgVeda or other Vedas in support of her contention. It has a very high adoration for the widows and their well-being as can be discerned in some of the RgVedic verses (x.18.7 &8). More over RgVeda is seen happy over widow marriage (RV X.18.8).
MAX MULLER ON BRAHMINS
Some of the perverse Brahmins of a later period deliberately inserted Agne (into the fire) for Agre (into the home) in the verses first cited in bracket so as to get the wicked implication involved in the hoary practice of sati. Basically Re is substituted by Ne and thus the original meaning, altogether disappeared imparting the appearance of Sati through the back-door.
This point is already mentioned by Max Muller in one of his stupendous volumes (Sacred Book of the East) on Indian culture, by Swami Dharma Theertha in his book, The Menace of Hindu Imperialism (p:43-44, second edition, OcL1946), by B.R. Ambedkar in his book Who Were Shudras? (p.137, SAWS, Vol.7) and by V.R. Narla in his book, Poverty of Intellectualism in India (p-28).
ORIGINAL TANTRA STILL LIES WITH THE DESPISED DALITS
In this respect Max Muller says:
“This is perhaps the most flagrant instance of what can be done by an unscrupulous priesthood. Here have thousands of lives been sacrificed and a fanatical rebellion been threatened on the authority of a passage which was mangled, mistranslated and misapplied” (p. 144, Hindu Imperialism).
In essence, the word tantra (roottan) denotes procreation or reproduction and thus implies propagation of homosapiens. Therefore our angry writer of India, Nirad C. Chaudhari, is not correct when he says sexual intercourse became part of ritual in the cult of Durga or Kali. The Kali cult started in the 6th century AD. Sexual intercourse became the cardinal ritual when tantra originated long before the birth of Kali.
Indus relic contains tantric motifs like Gaja Vrushabha (bull elephant). In the Introduction to the Study of Indian History, D.D. Kosambi writes about this bullelephant combination:
The combination persists in India through the ages, being known in historical times as the tantric Gajavrushabha, with mystical qualities. In fact there is every reason to believe that a good deal of the Indus art and hieroglyphics are intimately connected with tantric motifs.. (p.58, Popular Prakashan,1985).
“Concrete material relics of tantrism are traceable among the Indus ruins. (p.323, Lokayata).
TANTRA CULT AGAINST KALI
In the circumstances we have to look for any kind of people still living in India with any trace of original tantrism. According to D.P. Chatopadhyaya there are such people still living the life of the ancestors of thos,e that built the Indus cities.
“There survive not only the original beliefs and practices underlying tantrism amon_gour backward tribes, but the very culture of India bears deep marks of tantrika influence”. (Ibid p.324).
Here the Backward Tribes pointed out are none but the Dalits, most despised on account of their lowest castes and lowest professions.
The Chandali, Dombic, Rajaki and Savari are such female characters intimately associate with tantra.
The Kabjika Tantra which insists that the venue of ritual practice should be the house is associate with potters. Mother goddess an Ganapati, agricultural magic an proto-materialism such as Lokayata and samkhya as well as the practice of yoga have contributed their active participation in this continuous process.
BETTER TO DEPEND ON ORIGINAL SOURCES
Before this practice everyone : equal irrespective of caste a”: religion. II men are equal. ;. women are equal. So they are i E way above castes. They ignore castes.
The tantra truth – all are equa – is against chaturvarnya. They revolt against the caste system Therefore, tantrism is a powerful factor in the development Indian culture. Any sort of idealism or spiritualism is alien to it. Thus tantra in original is diametrically opposite to the Kali cult lately developed and depicted by Sister Dorothy.
At the beginning of page 13 RgVeda is termed as the fourth Veda. I think it is the first one Another mistake crept in the third line at the beginning of the third column on page 15 “all men a equal”. In the context referred to it should be “all men are unequal”.
Above all, it is better to depend on original (Brahmin) sources to establish the facts adduced than other sources quoted by Sister Dorothy Accordingly she can well quote from the Manusmriti, the Gita, RgVeda or the Brahmanas as the case may be.
