[INDOLOGY] dna and castes

[Adheesh Sathaye]

Dear Colleagues,


While one may reasonably argue that the corporal metonymy of varṇa in the Puruṣasūkta is non-hierarchical and instead based on a vision of organic unity, I would suggest (and have argued in my recent book _Crossing the Lines of Caste_) one can observe the beginnings of the hierarchical division between Brāhmaṇa and Kṣatriya categories in the Aitareya Brāhmaṇa’s Śunaḥśepākhyāna (c. 750-500BCE?), where it still seems possible for a radical fellow like Viśvāmitra to assert that he is *both* Brahmāṇa and Kṣatriya, a notion that would defeat hierarchical divisions, but one that Śunaḥśepa finds a bit difficult to accept. 

For at the same time, we find in the same narrative an explicit condemnation of Śūdras (AB 7.17) and Dasyus, and a statement that Brāhmaṇas are better than Kṣatriyas (7.15, bhūyān vai brāhmaṇo kṣatriyāt). Admittedly this is in the context of being a sacrificial victim for Varuṇa, but perhaps that is not so different in Vedic social thought.

All best wishes,
Adheesh


—
Adheesh Sathaye
University of British Columbia


 
> On Jan 28, 2016, at 09:53, Nagaraj Paturi <nagarajpaturi at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> In the same sukta, there is
> नाभ्या आसीदन्तरिक्षँ शीर्ष्णो द्यौः समवर्तत |
> पद्भ्यां भूमिर्दिशः श्रोत्रात्तथा लोकाँऽकल्पयन् ||१३||
>  
> Does पद्भ्यां भूमिर्दिशः also have a hierarchical value connotation?
>  
> Body part descriptions are there in the Sukta in relation to many other cosmic entities too. Are they all hierarchically viewed? If no, then why this argument be limited only for the socirty aspect?
>  
> Though Vibhaktis are different for first three quarters and the fourth quarter, the meaning has to be taken consistently and uniformly for all the four quarters of the mantra. So in all the four quarters, it means that four varNas are depicted as forming equi-status components of an organic entity.
>  
> Hierarchy is not there in sAyaNabhAshya too.
> 
> It is quite natural for those with hierarchy in their attitude or those who enjoy wielding their superiority to misquote books or misinterpret them in the direction of their favor. 
> 
> But their misquotation or misinterpretation can not be the basis of the interpretation of the text. 
> 
> Particularly a historical study citing such a text  as the source or origin of hierarchy, depending on its wrong interpretation, loses its validity on account of the wrongness of the interpretation. 
> 
> -- 
> Nagaraj Paturi
>  
> Hyderabad, Telangana, INDIA.
>  
> Former Senior Professor of Cultural Studies
>  
> FLAME School of Communication and FLAME School of  Liberal Education,
>  
> (Pune, Maharashtra, INDIA )
>  
>  
>  
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