[INDOLOGY] molten lead in ears

[George Hart]

I think it is important to point out that in Tamil Nadu, perhaps 3-4% of the population is “twice-born,” that is Brahmin (since one cannot really find Kśatriyas and Vaiśyas) and that Nammāḻvār was of a high caste (jāti) that in influence, wealth and prestige was probably in many ways superior to the Brahmins.  It is true that the Śrīvaiṣṇava Brahmins (Iyengars) consider Nammāḻvār a Śudra (along with 96% of the rest of the population), but that does not keep them from regarding his works as the Tamil Vedas, in every way as holy and respected as the Sanskrit Vedas.  George

On Nov 21, 2013, at 4:05 PM, Palaniappa at aol.com wrote:

> For Śaṅkara's views on this issue, see
> http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe34/sbe34107.htm
> 
> Rāmānuja also essentially had the same opinion in his commentary. See
> http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/sbe48/sbe48137.htm
> 
> On the other hand, what is interesting is that for Śrīvaiṣṇavas like Rāmānuja, the Śūdra saint Nammāḷvār was/is the foremost saint.
> 
> If you search Indology archives on 'molten', you will find a thread on the issue. Here is a post by Madhav Deshpande. http://list.indology.info/pipermail/indology_list.indology.info/2000-January/020112.html
> 
> A discussion on the issue of Śūdra's eligibility to study the Vedas is also found in another thread. Follow the thread from http://list.indology.info/pipermail/indology_list.indology.info/1998-March/011448.html
> 
> Regards,
> Palaniappan
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Artur Karp <karp at uw.edu.pl>
> To: patrick mccartney <psdmccartney at gmail.com>
> Cc: indology <indology at list.indology.info>
> Sent: Thu, Nov 21, 2013 7:05 am
> Subject: Re: [INDOLOGY] molten lead in ears
> 
> Kane, HISTORY OF THE DHARMA ŚĀSTRA, VOL. II PART I, p. 82, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona 1941
> 
> http://www.srimatham.com/uploads/5/5/4/9/5549439/history_of_dharma_sastras.pdf
> 
> has this:
> 
> 
> <<...the practice current in the times of the Vedānta-sūtras that the Śūdra is not entitled to study the Veda. 
> 
> Gaut. XII.4 went so far as to prescribe:—
> 
> ‘if the śūdra intentionally listens for committing to memory the Veda, then his ears should be filled with (molten) lead and lac; if he utters the Veda, then his tongue may be cut off; if he has mastered the Veda his body should be hacked'.>>
> 
> Hoping it's of some help, 
> 
> Regards, 
>  
> Artur Karp
> 
> 
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