After reading this 40+ page blog series, you will understand:
- Sanatana Dharma is not Hinduism, but the caste system created by migrated Indo-Aryans (Vedic Brahmins, Kshatriyas, & Vaishyas) to maintain their supremacy over native Indians.
- How Brahminists used Brahmanical literature like the Vedas, Puranas, Bhagavad Gita, and Manusmriti to discriminate against and exploit native Indians and all women for nearly 3,000 years
- Sanatana Dharma, which is the most discriminatory, unjust, and exploitative social system in the world, affects 90% of Indians (all women, OBC, SC, ST, and some of the Open Category caste people) and is the root cause of many socio-economic issues in India.
- How Brahminists distorted the history of Hinduism and India to protect Sanatana Dharma and how they masked Sanatana Dharma in religion, starting with ancient Vedic Brahmanism, the current Brahmanized Hinduism, and the fake nationalist ideology of Hindutva
- Most of the gods worshiped by Hindus are either Aryan kings who helped Aryans maintain their supremacy over native Indians or characters created by Brahmins to propagate and strengthen Sanatana Dharma.
- How Brahminists subjected women to inhumane practices, discriminated against backward communities, made Dalits untouchable, destroyed Buddhism, and persecuted Buddhists to protect Sanatana Dharma
- The fight against Brahmanism is not a fight against Hinduism or Hindus as propagated by Brahminists; it is a fight against the most discriminatory, unjust, and exploitative social system in the world.
Why did I write such a lengthy blog series?
We often come across Brahminical propaganda in the news media, movies, religious literature, books, fake research reports of Brahminists, and content on websites like Wikipedia, Quora, YouTube, etc. to counter the facts that I mentioned above. There is a saying that “history is written by the winners“. The migrated Indo-Aryans conquered or subordinated native Indians and wrote history in favor of the Aryans. Now their descendants dominate the media and other industries and work restlessly to spread their propaganda. To counter the powerful Brahminical propaganda, I came up with a detailed blog series and explained how Brahminists always try to distort the history of Hinduism and India.
I suggest you read the remaining posts mentioned below to have a comprehensive understanding of Sanatana Dharma.
The context
A massive political row was triggered after Tamil Nadu minister Udhayanidhi Stalin compared Sanatana Dharma with dengue and malaria and opined the need for its eradication. The BJP lashed out at Stalin and said his remarks were anti-Hindu. It also made false allegations that Stalin called for the genocide of 80% of Indians (Hindus). Hindus, who falsely believe that Sanatana Dharma is Hinduism, also heavily criticized him.
Since then, many news channels, journalists, politicians, and celebrities, either knowingly or unknowingly, have been spreading false information that Sanatana Dharma is Hinduism and that it existed for thousands of years without any change.
There are two types of people among who support Sanatana Dharma:
The majority: Its victims who don’t know the real meaning and purpose of Sanatana Dharma.
The minority: Its beneficiaries who know the real meaning and purpose of Sanatana Dharma.
What are Sanatana Dharma, Varna System, and Caste System?
As many Indians think, Sanatana Dharma is not Hinduism. Ancient Indians followed Vedic Brahmanism. Sanatana Dharma or the Varna system was a part of Vedic Brahmanism. The words Hindu or Hinduism do not exist in ancient Brahmanical literature like the Vedas, Puranas, and Bhagavad Gita. Hinduism as a religion became popular only in the 19th century. What Hindus now follow is Brahmanized Hinduism. Brahmanization means appropriation of other religions and cultures into Hinduism in a way to benefit migrated Indo-Aryans (Vedic Brahmins, Kshatriyas & Vaishyas). I discussed this in detail and how Brahmanists distorted the history of Hinduism and India in my second post in this blog series.
Sanatana Dharma
Sanatana = eternal (existing or continuing forever)
Dharma = law, duty, occupation, or caste occupation.
Sanatana Dharma = Eternal Caste Occupation.
Sanatana Dharma, or eternal caste occupation, means people born into a caste must do their respective caste occupation. The occupation should never change, according to Brahminical literature. Sanatana Dharma, also known as the Varna System or caste system, is a social order that discriminates against 90% of Indians. The Indo-Aryans who migrated to the Indian subcontinent between 2000 and 1000 B.C. forcefully implemented this social order in the name of religion upon Indus Valley settlers and other indigenous Indian tribes to maintain their supremacy.
What is the Chaturvarna or Varna system?
The Varna System is a hierarchical social system. Brahmins are at the top of the vertical social order, followed by Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, and Shudras. The enforced occupations of the four varnas:
Brahmins: scholars, priests, or teachers.
Kshatriyas: rulers or warriors.
Vaishyas: farmers or merchants.
Shudras: artisans, laborers, or servants to the top three varnas.
Most of the Shudras are today’s Other Backward Castes and some of the Open Category castes.
Ati-Shudras: The fifth division was added later to separate Ati-Shudras from Shudras. Ati-Shudras are now Scheduled Caste people. I explained why Ati-Shudras were not part of the Varna System and why Vedic Brahmins started treating them as untouchables in the later sections.
People who belong to the four Varnas are called Savarnas. People outside the Varna system are called Avarnas, Outcasts, or Chandalas. Indian indigenous forest dwellers or current Scheduled Tribes were geographically isolated and were not part of the Varna system initially.
Indo-Aryans enforced caste occupations, which were assigned based on Varna status and birth, on native Indians in the name of religion. They made Shudras the servants of the top three Varnas.
They denied native Indians the right to learn, acquire wealth, and do Vedic rituals. The Vedic rituals defined social status and were a key source of income for Vedic Brahmins.
Indo-Aryans enforced unequal justice for native Indians based on their Varna status and caste occupation. These judicial laws were defined in [Hindu] Brahmanical Dharmashastras like Manu Smriti, Vishnu Smriti, Narada Smriti, and Parashara Smriti.
They enforced endogamy and subjected women to brutal and inhumane practices to prohibit inter-caste marriages and thus protect the caste system and supremacy of Brahmins.
However, some Brahminists argue that the caste system is good for society. Other Brahminists argue that Indo-Aryans never migrated to India and that they are native to India, that the Sanatana Dharma or Varna System was misinterpreted, and that Indo-Aryans never discriminated against native India. The Brahminists brainwash Indians with these false claims and distorted Indian history.
I explained these in detail in the following sections with the help of relevant verses from Brahmanical literature and other resources.
Brahminists masked Sanatana Dharma as religion (Brahmanical literature), starting with ancient Vedic Brahmanism, the current Brahmanized Hinduism, and the fake nationalist ideology of Hindutva.
Sanatana Dharma discriminates against 90% of Indians today, including all women, Other Backward Castes, Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and some of the non-Aryan Open Category castes.
Sanatana Dharma and caste discrimination in Brahmanical texts like Bhagavad Gita, Vedas, and Ramayana
Bhagavad Gita
The Bhagavad Gita is a narrative dialogue between Pandava prince Arjuna and Hindu god Krishna during the Kurukshetra War. Arjuna was in a dilemma if he should go to the war. Krishna convinces Arjuna by explaining why one should follow his Kula Dharma (caste occupation) and the consequences (Karma) he would face if he failed to follow his Kula Dharma.
Krishna and Arjuna by Rikudhar licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED
Krishna told Arjuna
4.13: The four categories (Varnas) of occupations were created by me (Krishna) according to the qualities and activities of the people. Although I am the creator of this system, know me to be the non-doer and 👉 eternal.
18.41: The duties of the Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras—are distributed according to their qualities, by their guṇas (and not by birth).
But the rest of the verses say duties are assigned by birth.
18.42: Peacefulness, restraint, austerity, purity, patience, integrity, knowledge, wisdom, and belief in the hereafter—these are the intrinsic (natural ) qualities of work for Brahmins.
18.43: Exhibition of valor, fearlessness, firmness, skill in weaponry, resolve never to retreat from battle, bestowing gifts, and leadership abilities, are the natural (by birth) qualities of work for Kshatriyas.
18.44: Agriculture, rearing of cows, and honest commerce are the natural works for those with the qualities of Vaishyas. Serving (top three varnas) through work is the natural duty for those with the qualities of Shudras.
So, Brahminists often argue that the classification is not according to birth. 👉 But other verses mention the opposite (check the verse mentioned) below. Also, the practical reality our caste is decided by our birth, and we can’t change it.
As I mentioned in the previous section, Brahminists forcefully implemented Sanatana Dharma or Varna system using Karma theory. The following verses are an example of how Karma theory works.
Vedas
Rig Veda, 10.90.11: When they sacrificed Puruṣa (primal man), into how many parts did they divide him? What was his mouth, what were his arms, what were his thighs, and feet called?
Rig Veda, 10.90.12: The Brahman was his mouth, of both his arms was the Rajanya (Kshatriya) made. His thighs became the Vaiśya, and from his feet, the Sudra was produced.
Ramayana
Rama killed Shambuka, a Shudra because he was performing penances, which Shudras were not allowed to do in the Varna System.
Ramayana, Book 7, Uttarakanda, sargas 73-76:
73: When Rama is reigning as a virtuous monarch, a humble, aged Brahmin comes to him, weeping, with his dead son in his arms. He says that Rama must have committed some sin, or else his son would not have died.
74:The sage Narada explains to Rama that a Shudra is practicing penances, and this is the cause of the child’s death.
75:Rama goes on a tour of inspection in his flying chariot, finds an ascetic doing austerities, and asks who he is.
76: Shudra answered: ‘O Rama, I was born of a Shudra alliance, and I am performing this rigorous penance to acquire the status of a God in this body. I am not telling a lie, O Rama; I wish to attain the Celestial Region. Know that I am a Shudra and my name is Shambuka.’ As he was yet speaking, Raghava [Rama], drawing his brilliant and stainless steel sword from its scabbard, cut off his head. The Shudra being killed, all the gods and their leaders, along with Agni’s followers, cried out, ‘Well done! Well done!’, overwhelming Rama with praise, and a rain of celestial flowers of divine fragrance fell on all sides, scattered by Vayu. In their supreme satisfaction, the Gods said to that hero, Rama: ‘Thou hast protected the interests of the gods, O highly intelligent prince; now ask a boon, O beloved offspring of Raghu, destroyer of thy foes.”By thy grace, this Shudra will not be able to attain heaven!
I hope I do not need to mention the gender discrimination in Ramayana and how Rama treated Sita.
Brahminical literature that prove Sanatana Dharma meant Brahminical supremacy
Literature like Parashara Smriti and Manu Smriti are Brahminical Dharmasastras or legal texts
Parashara Smriti, 8.25: Even a Brahman of bad character deserves respect, but not so a Shudra, even though his passions may have been subdued by him. Who would quit a wicked cow and try to milk a docile female ass?
Manusmriti:
9.317: A Brahmin, whether learned or ignorant, is a powerful divinity.
9.189: The property of a Brahmana must never be taken by the king; that is a settled rule; but the property of men of other castes the king may take on the failure of all (heirs).
9.129: No collection of wealth must be made by a shudra, even though he can do it; for a shudra who has acquired wealth gives pain to Brahmana.
Enforcing Sanatana Dharma or Varna system in the name of religion and Karma theory
Brahmanists used karma theory to enforce the Varna system. The meaning of the Sanskrit word karma is ‘action’. It says every action has an equal reaction or consequence in the present or consecutive lives. In the case of Sanatana Dharma, people who don’t follow the law or their caste occupation will be reborn as animals or humans (Shudras). This process repeats in consecutive births. This cycle is called Samsara. People freeing themselves from Samsara by following the law or caste occupation is called Moksha.
The following verses explain how Karma theory works.
Bhagavad Gita, 2.33: If, however, you (Arjuna) refuse to fight this righteous war, abandoning your social duty and reputation, you will certainly incur sin.
Bhagavad Gita, 18.47: It is better to do one’s dharma, even though imperfectly, than to do another’s dharma, even though perfectly. By doing one’s inborn duties, a person does not incur sin.
This verse doesn’t make any sense except that it is intended to strengthen the Brahmanical social order. According to this verse, even if a barber doesn’t know how to shave a beard, he should do it. What if he cuts the neck of the customer? Even if a king is not a skilled warrior, he should continue in his position. It doesn’t matter if he can save the kingdom. I would call this “RESERVATIONS BY BIRTH.” Brahmins enjoyed these reservations for over 3,000 years.
Those whose conduct (following caste occupation) here has been good will quickly attain a good birth (literally, ‘womb’), the birth of a brahman, the birth of a kshatriya, the birth of a vaishya. But those whose conduct here has been evil will quickly attain an evil birth, the birth of a dog, the birth of a hog, or the birth of a Chandala.
‘Conduct’ in the above verse means following Sanatana Dharma or caste occupation.
I have discussed ‘Chandala’ also known as Avarna people, untouchables, or modern Dalits in later sections.
In her book Early India from the Origin to AD 1300, Romila Thapar said,
The doctrine of karma came to be systematized in the broader concept of dharma - social and sacred obligations - which in conservative circles was seen as maintaining the social order, in fact the laws of varna.
So, Sanatana Dharma doesn’t mean religion but laws of Varna or Varna System.
Brahminists subjected women to brutal discrimination to preserve Sanatana Dharma
When men from a caste go to war and die, there will be more women than men in that caste. If this happens, women will marry men from other castes. This will weaken the caste system.
To balance the men-to-women sex ratio, Brahminists subjected surplus women and men to four inhumane practices.
1. The practice of Sati: burning a woman alive after her husband’s death. The practice of Sati was mentioned in Parashara Smriti, Vishnu Smriti and other Brahmanical literature.
Parashara Smriti, 4.5 – 4.6: If a woman follows her departed (died) lord (husband) by burning herself on the same funeral pile, she will dwell in heaven for as many years as there are hairs on the human frame, which reach the number of three crores and a half.
Vishnu Smriti, 25.14: After the death of her husband, to preserve her chastity (no sexual relationships), or to ascend the pile after him (Sati practice).
2. Enforced widowhood: shaving the head of a widow to make her undesirable to men
3. Enforced Celibacy (Brahmacharya or Sanyaas): A surplus man (widower) is not burned because he is a man. Instead, he ends up being forced into celibacy. Some widowers themselves chose to practice celibacy.
4. The Marriage of Child Brides with Older Men and Widowers: If the surplus man (widower) is to be kept in the caste group to maintain or increase the caste population, and if the other practices are not viable, finding a child bride becomes the only way out.
Babasaheb Ambedkar discussed this in detail in his writings. Kindly refer to pages starting from page 13 in Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar’s Writings and Speeches, Volume No. 1
Using Karma theory to discriminate women and preserve Sanatana Dharma
As I mentioned earlier, Arjun was disinclined to go to war. I mentioned the reason for his disinclination in the following slokas.
Summary of the following slokas: When men from a caste go to war and die, there will be more women than men in a caste and women become immoral. When they become immoral, there arises a mixing of castes, which means the widows marry or live with the men of other castes. When this happens unwanted children are born. And life will be hellish for women and their families because of Karma.
Brahminists disagree with this and try to mislead people by giving wrong explanations like “if the elder men die early in the war, lack of their guidance the women become misled and immoral, and bear unwanted children. Unwanted children means children born from inter-caste marriages.” Even with this explanation, they discriminate against women by saying women will be immoral without men.
Bhagavad Gita - Arjuna told Krishna:
1.40: When a dynasty is destroyed (when men die in war), its traditions (Sanatana Dharma) get vanquished, and the rest of the family becomes involved in irreligion.
1.41: When adharma overwhelms the family, O Krishna, the women of the family become immoral; and when, O Krishna, the women are immoral, there arises a mixing of castes (widows marry men from other castes).
1.42: An increase of unwanted children (from inter-caste marriages) results in a hellish life both for the family and for those who destroy the family. Deprived of sacrificial offerings, the forebears of such corrupt families also fall.
1.44: O Janardan (O Krishna), We heard from the learned that those who destroy family traditions (caste dharma) dwell in hell for an indefinite period of time.
Karma means every action or karma has a reaction. They convinced non-brahmins and all women that if they don’t follow the Brahmanical texts, they would incur sin or other problems.
Inhumane caste discrimination in Brahminical Dharmashastras like Manu Smriti, Parashara Smriti, and Vishnu Smriti
Verses from Manusmriti:
2.31: Let a Brahmana’s name denote something auspicious, a Kshatriya’s be connected with power, and a Vaisya’s with wealth, but a Sudra’s name should express something contemptible.
2.32: A Brahmana’s name shall be implying happiness, of a Kshatriya’s name implying protection, of a Vaisya’s name expressive of thriving, and of a Sudra’s name denoting service.
8.270: A shudra who insults a twice-born or Aryan man with gross criticism, shall have his tongue cut out, for he is of low origin.
9.123: The service of the Brahmana alone is declared to be an excellent occupation for a shudra; for whatever else besides this he may perform will bear no fruit.
9.129: No collection of wealth must be made by a shudra even though he can do it; for a shudra who has acquired wealth gives pain to Brahmana.
Verses from Parashara Smriti:
6.24: On seeing a Chandala (Dalit), let him look at the sun without a moment’s delay. For touching a Chandala (Dalit), let him bathe with his clothing on.
6.69: Articles of food that have been looked at by a dog or by a person of the Chandala (Dalit) caste should be thrown away.
7.18: On the first day the blood begins to flow, the woman is comparable to a female Chandala (Dalit); on the second, she is like a Brahmanicide; on the third, she may be likened to a washerwoman (Rajaka). On the fourth day, she is entirely pure.
8.25: Even a Brahman of bad character deserves respect, but not so a Shudra, even though his passions may have been subdued by him. Who would quit a wicked cow and try to milk a docile female ass?
Verses from Vishnu Smriti:
43. He who has had a connection with a woman of one of the lowest castes, shall be put to death.
25. If a low-born man mentions the name or caste of a superior revilingly (criticize), an iron pin, ten inches long, shall be thrust into his mouth (red hot).
104. If one who (being a member of the Chandala or some other low caste) must not be touched, intentionally defiles (make impure) by his touch one who (a twice-born) may be touched (by other twice-born persons only) he shall be put to death.
Inhumane Gender discrimination in Bhagavad Gita, Manusmriti, Parashara Smriti
The key reason Vedic Brahmins subjected women to inhumane practices was to protect the varna or caste order. I already discussed the reference slokas from Bhagavad Gita in the previous sections. I mentioned some of the relevant slokas from Brahmin Dharmasastras below.
Verses from Manusmriti:
9.3. Her father protects her in childhood, her husband protects her in young age, and her sons protect her in old age; a woman is never fit for independence.
9.18. Women have no business with the text of the Veda.
Verses from Parashara Smriti:
4.5 — 4.6: If a woman follows her departed (died) lord (husband) by burning herself on the same funeral pile, she will dwell in heaven for as many years as there are hairs on the human frame, which reach the number of three crores and a half.
7.7: If a Brahman, deluded by ignorance and pride, comes to marry a girl of the aforesaid kind, he does not deserve to be spoken to ; food should never be partaken in company with him : that Brahman becomes the husband of a Shoodra girl.
7.8: To remove the sin that a Brahman incurs by enjoying a Shudra female for a single night, he must for three years subsist on alms and recite sacred hymns daily.
9.15: If a woman has associated with persons of the Chandala (Dalit) caste, then a meeting of not less than ten Brahmans should be assembled, and she should announce her sin before them.
9.16: A well should be made, deep enough to sink as far as the neck and full of cow dung, water, and mud; the woman should fast and stay within the well; and she should come out at the end of an entire day and night.
9.31: If a Brahman female goes away, although not accompanied by a paramour, still her relatives must give her up, for fear that she may have had, after she departed from the house, sexual intercourse with a hundred men.
Aryans vs. Dravidians and the Origin of the Varna System
Conflicts between Aryans and Dravidians and Aryans envy of Dravidians' wealth
The origin of the Varna System has its roots in the conflicts between Indo-Aryans and Dravidians in ancient India. The names of these two groups define the languages they spoke, not their racial origins. Indo-Aryans spoke Indo-European languages, and Dravidians spoke Proto-Dravidian languages, from which Tamil language originated.
Most accepted studies 1 2 suggest that the settlers of Harappan, or the Indus Valley Civilization (IVC), spoke Proto-Dravidian languages. And less accepted studies suggest they spoke Austroasiatic languages like Munda. There are possibilities that more languages were used in IVC, but conflicts between Aryans and Dravidians are prevalent. I will discuss this further in this article.
Decline of Indus Valley Civilization by Smith University.
The graphical representation of the shifting of the Indus Valley city settlements from the Indus River in the west towards the Gangetic Plain in the north.
The IVC lasted from 3600 B.C. to 1300 B.C. in the western Indian subcontinent. It was advanced, urbanized, and had developed agriculture. It was believed to be the earliest civilization on the Indian subcontinent. It was in the decline stage when one of the groups of Indo-Aryans started migrating out of Central Asia and entered India through west India in around 1500 B.C.
Indo-Aryans were nomadic pastoralists. They didn’t know agriculture. They came in small-scale migrations, unlike all Aryans coming in a single migration as mentioned in the Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT). Brahminists don’t agree with both AIT and Aryan Migration Theory (AMT). They claim Indo-Aryans were native to India, which is not true. You can read about various studies that proved AMT and how Brahminists have been trying to distort and Aryanize the history of Hinduism and India in my second post in this series.
Image: An artist’s impression of Indus Valley Civilization by Amplitude Studios published on worldhistory.org
The conflict between these two groups was due to the fight for resources like grasslands and cattle. But the serious conflicts between them were due to the greedy Aryans’ envy of the Dravidians, who were wealthy.
There is both a fear of and contempt for the Dasas, whose immense wealth, especially their cattle wealth, made them a source of envy (for Aryans) and the subject of hostility.
I gave a few examples from history books and the Rig Veda below.
8.40.6: Demolish you (Indra) the Dāsa’s might. May we, with Indra’s help, divide the treasure he has gathered up.
1.103.3: Armed with his bolt and trusting in his prowess, he wandered, shattering the forts of Dāsas.
The bolt, thunderbolt, or Vajra was a weapon used by Indra, a deity in Vedic Brahmanism.
Forts mean cities in these verses.
1.33.4: Thou slewest with thy bolt the wealthy Dasyu (You slay wealthy Dasyu with your Vajra)
4.30.21: The thirty thousand Dāsas he (Indra) with magic power and weapons sent to slumber (death).
6.15.2: With these, chase all our foes to every quarter; subdue the tribes of Dāsas to the Ārya.
But who are the Dasas and Dasyus mentioned in the above examples?
Dasas, Dasyus, Nagas, and Dravidians are all the same. Let me cite a few explanations of Ambedkar from his book, Who are Shudras? 3
"Dravida was not merely the language of South India; before the Aryans came, it was the language of the whole of India and was spoken from Kashmere to Cape Camorin (Kanyakumari). In fact, it was the language of the Nagas throughout India. The Nagas in North India gave up Tamil, which was their mother tongue, and adopted Sanskrit in its place. The Nagas in South India retained Tamil as their mother tongue and did not adopt Sanskrit, the language of the Aryans.” "Dasa is a Sanskritized form of the Indo-Iranian word Dahaka. Dahaka was the name of the king of the Nagas. Consequently, the Aryans called the Nagas after the name of their king, Dahaka." “Thus the Dasas are the same as the Nagas, and the Nagas are the same as the Dravidians.”
Origin of the Varna system:
The population mix between Dravidians and Aryans happened. One of the major reasons for this was that the nomadic Aryans, who were few in number, needed to increase their population. As the IVC was in decline and their administration collapsed, the Aryan pastoralist chiefs started controlling the grasslands of the Dravidians. The mixing of languages happened too. IVC settlers had not developed a script for their language by then. As Aryans started controlling Dravidians, Sanskrit gained prominence.
The internal conflicts that started within the Aryans for power and authority over rituals forced them to divide themselves into three Varnas. The superstitious and greedy priestly class, who were good storytellers, emerged as the top Varna Brahmins. Kshatriyas and Vaishyas occupied the second and third places. Initially, the Varna was assigned based on the language spoken (Indo-European), ritual status, and customs. So, there were Aryans divided into three Varnas and Dasas without any Varna status in the Varna system. Later, Aryans started using the word Dasas to refer to people who were conquered or subordinated by Aryans. Some of these people included Aryans, who opposed the Varna system.
Hierarchy in the Varna system
Not all Varnas were allowed to do all the rituals. For example, Dasas were not allowed to do the Upanayana ritual. The Aryans considered the top three Varnas of the Aryans as Dvijas, or people who were twice-born. They believed they could be born twice and thus become pure by performing the Upanayana ritual.
They denied this ritual to Dasas or Shudras. The Brahmins claimed the highest status in ritual purity and thus insisted they could only perform rituals related to honoring the Kshatriyas, who ranked below Brahmins in the Varna System. This often led to conflicts between Brahmins and Kshatriyas, who tried to perform the ritual themselves. But any such attempts were prevented by Brahmins by invoking the Karma and Samsara theories that I discussed in the previous section.
But why were Vedic Brahmins obsessed with rituals and animal sacrifice?
There were multiple reasons for this, including superstitions and benefits they got from rituals. The belief in superstitions was also for benefits only. Vedic Brahmanism was full of superstitious, barbaric, and obscene practices.
- Vedic Brahmins, like other ancient religious people, believed rituals would appease gods, and gods would fulfill their wishes.
- The second reason was that the rituals were a great source of income and wealth for Brahmins. Brahmins used to get gifts when they performed rituals. They used to get higher-value gifts after performing rituals of higher rank, like rituals performed for honoring a king, which were allowed only to Brahmins.
- Third, only Dvijas were allowed to drink a wine called Soma. Animal sacrifice was widely practiced in these rituals. Human sacrifices are also part of some rituals. Sacrificing the cattle, including cows, consuming cow meat, drinking Soma wine and obsessing with self-indulgence is common in rituals.
- Finally, some rituals give them higher social status.
Animal_sacrifice_Masto_Puja_ragat_bhog by कत्यूरी राजाका वंशज licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Let me give some examples regarding this.
The Rig Veda 10.91.14: He in whom horses, bulls, oxen, barren cows, and rams, when duly set apart, are offered up—to Agni, Soma-sprinkled, drinker of sweet juice, Disposer, with my heart I bring a fair hymn forth.
Vedic goddess Kali dancing on Shiva painted by Raja Ravi Varma and published on World History Encyclopedia
Rudradhyaya of Kali or Kalika Puranas:
“He who performs sacrifices according to these rules, obtains his wishes to the utmost extent.”
“By a human sacrifice attended by the forms laid down, Devi (Kali) is pleased one thousand years, and by sacrifice of three men, one hundred thousand years.”
“It is through sacrifices that princes obtain bliss, heaven, and victory over their enemies.”
Beef eating was not wrong in ancient times, as many tribes, including Indo-Aryan tribes, had not developed agriculture in their time. But the barbaric thing was practicing inhumane animal and human sacrifices on a large scale.
Human sacrifices are still in practice in India. The Indian government started recording deaths caused by human sacrifices only in 2014. They recorded 103 deaths related to human sacrifices between 2014 and 2021. However, this number is very under-reported.
Origin of the caste system
As mentioned earlier, the language (Indo-Aryan) and ritual status defined the Varna, and many rituals were denied to Shudras.
Caste is a subdivision of society based on occupation and birth with a Varna status
Ancient Indian tribes were divided into clans, and clans were composed of groups of families. These families followed exogamy, which means their members shouldn’t marry people from the same family. These exomous groups were called Gotra or Kula.
As the population increased with the intermixing of Aryans, Dravidians, and others, and as society became more complex, Aryans needed people who could do specialized work. They divided the families, which are subdivisions of a clan, into specialist farmers, craftsmen, and laborers.
When Aryans conquered or subordinated new clans, they were used to be inducted into the Varna system by assigning a Varna status to the clan or their families. The Varna status depended on the occupation, the social status of the people in that clan, and the reason for induction into the Varna system.
For example, when ritual specialists from the existing tribes were inducted into the Varna system, they were assigned Aryan Varna and allowed to do Vedic rituals.The Nishada people mentioned in the Vedas was one such example.
The families that specialized in different services to the Aryans became a 'jatis' or castes. The continuance of the caste system was protected by making it hereditary, linking it with occupation, and enforcing laws that prohibit inter-caste marriages (endogamy) and dinings. That means they forced endogamy on the Indian families (Gotra or Kula) who followed exogamy. All these gradually led to permanent caste groups.
Genetical studies show Indians stopped doing inter-caste marriages around 70 generations ago. Considering a generation equals 25 years, 70 generations is roughly equal to 1750 years ago, or the 3rd century A.D. It was shortly after Manusmriti was written and during the Hindu Gupta ruling. Manu Smriti was one of the Dharma Sastras in Brahmanism.
It enforced endogamy and brutal discriminatory laws against Dasas, or non-Aryans, including all women. I explained this in the next section. Historians believe the Manu Smriti was written between different Manus or Rishis between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D. After mortal combat with Buddhism, Vedic Brahmanism flourished under Hindu Gupta rule.
The division of society by hierarchical Varna system and its sub-division by caste helped Brahminists keep others ununited, exploit others, and maintain their supremacy. This lack of unity was one of the reasons Indians couldn’t fight against a series of foreign invasions.
Origin of untouchability and Vedic Brahmin's hatred towards Dalits & Buddhists:
The Sanskrit word ‘Dalit‘ means ‘broken‘, ‘divided‘, or scattered‘. In English, it is called Broken Men. Babasaheb Ambedkar proposed a reason for calling the Scheduled Castes broken men. Ancient Indian society consisted of Hindu society with a varna system, settled tribes, and nomadic tribes. Dalits are primitive tribes. They were defeated by invaders or settled tribes and scattered without fixed homes. That is why they are called broken men.
In ancient times, Dalits were forced to live outside the settled tribal villages. They were not part of the settled tribes and had little or no real opportunities for a livelihood. Lacking proper sustenance, they eat dead animals, including dead cows. Some Dalits skin animals, while others make objects from the skin and bones.
In his book “The Untouchables: Who Were They and Why They Became Untouchables,” Babasaheb Ambedkar mentioned 4
There are two roots from which untouchability has sprung: (a) Contempt and hatred of the Broken Men or Dalits as Buddhists by the Brahmins; (b) Continuation of beef-eating by the Broken Men after it had been given up by others.
Writer Nilkant in Prayaschit Mayukha quoted from Manu:
If a person touches a Buddhist or a flower of Pachupat, Lokayata, Nastika, or Mahapataki, he shall purify himself by a bath
👉 Vedic Brahmins hated Buddhism because it was against the inequality (Varna system) and violence in Brahmanism. Buddhism became more popular and a threat to Brahmanism. The conflict between Brahmanism and Buddhism lasted for nearly 400 years. Vedic Brahmins hated Dalits because Dalits embraced Buddhism.
The Vedic texts proved Brahmins used beef for food and rituals. I mentioned the relevant verses from the Vedas below. Then why did they declare Broken Men untouchables for eating beef (a dead animal)? 👉 It was true that Vedic Brahmins consumed beef (fresh), but they stopped eating beef to counter Buddhism. Buddhism was against violence and slaughtering of animals and was becoming more popular than Brahmanism. To counter Buddhism, they declared beef-eating a sin and beef-eaters untouchables.
Some of the Rig Veda verses that prove Brahmins ate beef:
10. 86.14: Fifteen in number, then, for me, a score of bullocks they prepare, And I devour the fat thereof; they fill my belly full of food. The Supreme is Indra overall.
10.91.14: He in whom horses, bulls, oxen, barren cows, and rams, when duly set apart, are offered up—to Agni, Soma-sprinkled, drinker of sweet juice, Disposer, with my heart I bring a fair hymn forth.
The counterargument that Brahminists generally make is cow was revered in other verses of Rig Veda.
For example:
10.87.16: The fiend who smears himself with the flesh of cattle, with the flesh of horses, and with the flesh of human bodies, who steals the milch cows milk away, O Agni,—tear off the heads of such with fiery fury.
The verses in the Rig Veda were written by different rishis, who might have different opinions about the cow. Another thing is that there are conflicting views on many subjects in Brahmanical literature.
The following verse from Veda Vyas Smriti specifies the communities that are included in the category of Antyajas and the reasons why they were so included. Antyajas means outcasts, or untouchables.
The Charmakars (cobbler), the Bhatta (soldier), the Bhilla, the Rajaka (washerman), the Puskara, the Nata (actor), the Vrata, the Meda, the Chandala, the Dasa, the Svapaka, and the Kolika—these are known as Antyajas as well as others who eat cow’s flesh.
Destruction of Buddhism, the revival of Brahminism & Manu Smriti
Buddha stopping animal sacrifice. Source: Abhinav Kumar
The history of India before the invasion of the Turks (Muslim Turks) was a mortal conflict between Brahmanism and Buddhism.5 Buddhism was against inequality and the animal sacrifice practiced by Brahmins. The Mauryan Emperor Ashoka’s (304 – 232 B.C.) declaration of Buddhism as a state religion was a big blow to Brahmanism. Brahmins lost the state support and supremacy they had been enjoying. Also, they lost the income that they earned from performing rituals and animal sacrifices for a fee.
For indeed there is no country in which Religion has played so great a part in its history as it has in the history of India. The history of India is nothing but a history of a mortal conflict between— Buddhism and Brahmanism.
Pushyamitra Sung, a Samvedi Brahmin, was a general in the Mauryan Empire. The Samvedi Brahmins believed in animal sacrifices and soma (wine) rituals. To counter the Mauryan Empire, which declared Buddhism as their state religion and caused a loss of the chief source of income for Brahmins, Pushyamitra started counter-revolutions. He killed the last Mauryan emperor, Brihadratha, and established the Shunga Empire around 185 BCE. The most discriminatory Manusmriti was written during Pushyamitra’s rule (ruled 185–149 BCE).
Babasaheb Ambedkar, in his book ‘Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Ancient India, said6
That the object of the regicide (killing of Brihadratha) by Pushyamitra was to destroy Buddhism as a state religion and to make the Brahmins the sovereign rulers of India, so that with the political power of the state behind it, Brahmanism may triumph over Buddhism.
Brahminism was not the sole reason behind the fall and decline of Buddhism, but it is one of the key reasons.
Pushyamitra Sung destroyed thousands of Buddhist stupas, demolished many Buddhist monasteries, and slaughtered Buddhists.
In his book ‘Brahmanical Intolerance in Early India’, historian DN Jha said7
The Mahabhashya of Patanjali states that Shramanas (Buddhists, Jains, and Nastikas) and Brahmanas are ‘eternal enemies’ like the snake and the mongoose, and the Buddhist monk Divyavadana (third century) describes Pushyamitra Shunga as a great persecutor of Buddhists.
The Mahabhashya of Patanjali is a commentary on selected rules of Sanskrit grammar.
The irony is that Brahminists claim Buddhism and Jainism are part of Hinduism (Brahmanized).
Brahminists first try to suppress any ideology that questions their supremacy. If that is not possible, they try to consume it in a way that benefits them. For example, they fought against Buddhism for over 400 years and tried to destroy it. Then they tried to consume Buddhism by calling it refined Brahminism. They didn’t stop there. They called Buddha the 9th avatar of Vishnu.
Gradually, Brahmanism became the core of Hinduism. The inhumane caste and gender discrimination that existed in Brahmanism for thousands of years is now prevailing in Brahminical Hinduism. 90% of Indians who are the victims of Brahmanism are still worshiping the Brahminical gods and celebrating Brahminical heroes.
Brahminists opposed the Hindu Code Bill, which empowers Hindu women
As I mentioned in my previous sections, gender discrimination is inherent in the Varna system, or Sanatana Dharma. Brahmins subjected women to brutal practices like Sati to restrict women from inter-caste marrying to protect the caste system or supremacy of Brahmins.
So it was quite natural that Brahmins and Brahminists opposed the passing of the Hindu Code Bill.
Before this bill was passed, the laws related to women’s marriage, divorce, and property inheritance were regulated using highly discriminatory Brahminical texts like the Vedas and Dharma Shastras that I mentioned earlier.
The bill was intended to empower women with rights like the right to inherit property, the right to divorce, the abolishment of polygamy, and the removal of barriers to inter-caste marriages.
Babasaheb Ambedkar and Jawaharlal Nehru played a significant role in passing this bill. But it was vehemently opposed by Brahmins, Syama Prasad Mukherjee, the founder of Bharatiya Jana Sangh (the political wing of the RSS and the predecessor to the BJP), Hindu religious leaders, and Rajendra Prasad, the then President of India. Finally, the bill was passed as four separate bills between 1952 and 1956.
If Vishnu, Krishna, and Rama are gods, why did they support caste discrimination?
If Vishnu, Krishna, Rama, Indra, and others worshiped by Vedic Aryans and today’s Hindus are really gods, why did these gods discriminate against their Hindu worshipers on the basis of caste and Varna?
Because they are not gods. They were either kings who helped Vedic Aryans, especially Brahmins, maintain their supremacy or characters created by Vedic Brahmins to propagate and strengthen the Sanatana Dharma or the Varna system. You must have understood this after reading the relevant verses that I mentioned in the previous section.
There is a saying that “history is written by the winners“. The migrated Indo-Aryans conquered or subordinated the native Indians. They invented the Varna System to control native Indians and maintain supremacy of Aryans. They prohibited non-Aryans from learning the Vedas and Sanskrit; they distorted history in favor of them, created gods and stories to promote their conspiracy, maintain Brahmin supremacy, and exploit others.
The sad thing is that all Hindu women and people from backward communities (OBC, SC, and ST), and some of the people from the Open Category castes, are the victims of Vedic Brahmanism and Brahmanized Hinduism, but they are following Hinduism.
The ancestors of most of these victims are indigenous Indian tribes. Some of the gods they worship in Hinduism were Vedic-Aryan kings who killed or subordinated the ancestors of indigenous tribes. And the victims are celebrating the Hindu festivals, which are celebrated to mark the victory of Aryans over ancestral heroes of victims.
Why is the eradication of Sanatana Dharma a must? And what is the way for this?
The common argument most religious people make is that there are good and bad in all religions. Why not accept the good and reject the bad?
The most important thing to understand when we follow a religion or ideology is its purpose. You must have understood by now that Sanatana Dharma discriminates against 90% of Indians, and its purpose is to maintain the supremacy of Brahmins and Brahminists. And that Sanatana Dharma, or Varna System, covered itself in religions like ancient Vedic Brahmanism and today’s Brhamanized Hinduism and survived for nearly 3000 years.
So, it doesn’t make any sense for Hindus, especially Hindus from backward communities and all women who are victims of Brahmanized Hinduism, to follow a religion that discriminates against them.
Babasaheb Ambedkar said inter-caste marriages are an effective way to annihilate the caste system, or Sanatana Dharma, but it is not enough because we can’t separate the caste system from Brahmanized Hinduism, which discourages inter-caste marriages. That’s why honor killings still occur in India. Only 6–10% of Indians had inter-caste marriages.
Babasaheb Ambedkar opined that it is necessary to destroy belief in the sanctity of Brahmanical Hindu literature like the Vedas, Puranas, Bhagavad Gita, and Manusmriti that supports Sanatana Dharma to eradicate caste systems and gender discrimination.
It is a must because Brahmanism, the source of Sanatan Dharma, always evolves in a way to benefit Brahmins and Brahminists and fool Hindus. The fake nationalist ideology of Hindutva is another conspiracy by Brahminists to maintain their supremacy. I explained this in my third post in this series with references from the writings of key RSS ideologues and the experiences of ex-RSS members who left the RSS after knowing the true communal and casteist nature of the RSS.
When Tamil Nadu minister Udayindhi Stalin said we should eradicate Sanatana Dharma, Brahminist BJP leaders twisted his comments and made false propaganda that eradicating Sanatana Dharma was a call to genocide of 80% Hindus. This is how Brahminist propaganda works to manipulate Hindus.
Babasaheb Ambedkar, too, faced such propaganda when he said Brahmanism was our enemy. He mentioned
I do not want to be misunderstood when I say that Brahmanism is an enemy which must be dealt with. By Brahmanism I do not mean the power, privileges, and interests of the Brahmins as a community. That is not the sense in which I am using the word. By Brahmanism I mean the negation of the spirit of Liberty, Equality, and Fraternity. In that sense, it is rampant in all classes and is not confined to the Bramhins alone though they have been the originators of it. This Brahmanism which pervades everywhere and which regulates the thoughts and deeds of all classes is an incontrovertible fact.
One of the reasons India couldn’t face the repeated invasions was the lack of unity among Indians. The root cause of the lack of unity among us is the caste system. The caste system never allowed Indians to unite. In other words, Brahminists never let Indians unite because they are obsessed with Brahmanical supremacy and divide us in the name of caste and religion.
Most religions have at least some form of discrimination. That’s why Ambedkar chose Buddhism instead of Brahminical Hinduism, Islam, or Christianity. We do not need to consider any religion holy or follow it if it supports any kind of discrimination.
I request everyone not to believe in your religion blindly just because you were born into it. Before you follow a religion, please read those so-called holy books and understand if they teach equality, fraternity, and liberty and if they are necessary to the modern world.
Footnotes
- The formation of human populations in South and Central Asiahttps://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aat7487.
- Ancestral Dravidian languages in Indus Civilization: ultraconserved Dravidian tooth-word reveals deep linguistic ancestry and supports genetics authored by Bahata Ansumali Mukhopadhyay: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41599-021-00868-w.
- Page no. 300, Who are Shudras? by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar: https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/attach/amb/Volume_07.pdf
- Starting from page no 242, "The Untouchables: Who Were They and Why They Became Untouchables' by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar:
- Page no. 267, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar's Writings and Speeches, Volume 3: https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/attach/amb/Volume_03.pdf
- Page no. 290, Revolution and Counter-Revolution in Ancient India by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar: https://www.mea.gov.in/Images/attach/amb/Volume_03.pdf
- Page no. 5, Brahmanical Intolerance in Early India by DN Jha: https://www.jstor.org/stable/24890281
