Black as Evil

[Shrinivas Tilak]

    Though varna (colour) is popularly understood in the Indian tradition to
refer to skin colour, it originally referred to the four directions
identified by white, black, red, and yellow according to which participants
occupied their respective seats during the performance of a Vedic sacrifice
(see Klaus Klostermaier "A Survey of Hinduism" 2nd ed 1994: 334. In support
he quotes Dagmar Grafin Bernstorff, "Das Kastensystem im Wandel," In Indien
in Deutschland, ed E.Weber and R. Topelman 1990: 29-51).




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