Theosophy - Castes in India by Damodar K.Mavalankar - Adyar Pamphlets No. 6
Adyar
Pamphlet No 6,
CASTES
IN INDIA ΔΔ
by Damodar
K. Mavalankar
Reprinted from The Theosophist , May 1880
First Printed: August 1911- Reprinted:
October 1919
Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar, Chennai. India
No
man of sincerity and moral courage can read Mr. G.
C. Whitworth’s Profession of Faith, [A Personal Statement
of Religious Belief is the actual title of the brochure — Editor]
as reviewed in the April (1880) Theosophist, without feeling himself
challenged to be worthy of the respect of one who professes such
honourable sentiments. I, too, am called upon to make my statement of personal
belief. It is due to my family
and caste-fellows that they should know why I have
deliberately abandoned my caste and other worldly considerations.
If, henceforth,
there is to be a chasm between them and myself, I owe
it to myself to declare that this alienation is of
my own choosing, and I am
not cut off for bad conduct. I would be glad to take
with me, if possible, into my new career, the affectionate
good wishes of my
kinsmen. But, if this cannot be done, I must bear their
displeasure, as I may, for I am obeying a paramount
conviction of duty.
I
was born in the family of the Karhâda Mahârashtra caste of Brâhmanas,
as my surname will indicate. My father carefully educated me in the tenets
of our religion, and, in addition, gave me every facility for acquiring an
English education. From the age of ten until I was
about fourteen, I was very much exercised in mind upon the
subject of religion and devoted myself with great ardour
to our orthodox
religious practices. Then my ritualistic observances were crowded
aside by my scholastic studies, but, until about nine months
ago, my religious thoughts and aspirations were entirely
unchanged. At
this time, I had the inestimable good fortune to read Isis Unveiled; A Key to the Mysteries of Ancient and Modern Religion and Science, and
to join the Theosophical Society. It is no exaggeration to say that I have
been a really living man only these few months; for between life as it appears
to me now and life as I comprehended it before,
there is an unfathomable abyss. I feel that now for the first
time I have a glimpse of what man and life are—the nature and powers of the one, the possibilities, duties, and joys
of the other. Before, though ardently ritualistic, I was not really
enjoying happiness and peace of mind. I simply practised my religion
without understanding it. The world bore just as hard upon me as
upon others, and I could get no clear view of the future. The only
real thing to me seemed the day’s routine; at best the horizon before me extended only to the rounding
of a busy life with the burning of my body and the obsequial ceremonies
rendered to me by friends. My aspirations were only for more Zamindâries,
social position and the gratification of whims and appetites. But my later
reading and thinking have shown me that all these are but the vapours of a
dream and that he only is worthy of being called
man, who has made caprice his slave and the perfection of his
spiritual Self the grand object of his efforts. As I could
not enjoy these
convictions and my freedom of action within my caste, I am
stepping
outside it.
In
making this profession, let it be understood that I
have taken this
step, not because I am a Theosophist, but because in studying
Theosophy I have learnt and heard of the ancient splendour
and glory
of my
country - the highly esteemed land of Âryâvarta. Joining the Theosophical Society does not interfere with the
social, political, or religious relations of any person. All
have an equal right in the Society to hold their opinions.
So far from
persuading me to do what I have, Mme. Blavatsky and Col. Olcott
have strongly urged me to wait until some future time, when
I might have
had ampler time to reflect. But the glimpse I have got into
the former greatness of my country makes me feel sadly for
her degeneration. I feel it, therefore, my bounden duty to
devote all my humble
powers
to her restoration. Besides, histories of various nations furnish
to us many examples of young persons having given up everything
for the sake of their country and having ultimately succeeded
in gaining
their aims. Without patriots no country can rise. This feeling
of patriotism by degrees grew so strong in me that it has now
prepared my mind to stamp every personal consideration under
my feet for the
sake of my Motherland. In this, I am neither a revolutionist
nor a politician, but simply an advocate of good morals and
principles as practised in ancient
times. The study of Theosophy has thrown a light over me in
regard to my country, my religion, my duty. I have become
a better Âryan than I ever was. I have similarly heard my Pârsî brothers say that they have been better Zoroastrians since they joined
the Theosophical Society. I have also seen the Buddhists write
often to the Society that the study of Theosophy has enabled
them to appreciate
their religion the more. And thus this study makes every man
respect his religion the more. It furnishes to him a sight
that can pierce
through the dead letter and see clearly the spirit. He can
read all his religious books between the lines. If we view
all the religions
in their popular sense, they appear strongly antagonistic to
each other in various details. None agrees with the other.
And yet the
representatives of those Faiths say that the study of Theosophy
explains to them all that has been said in their religion and
makes them feel
a greater respect for it. There must, therefore, be one common
ground on which all the religious systems are built. And this
ground, which
lies at the bottom of all, is Truth. There can be but one absolute
truth, but different persons have different perceptions of
that truth. And this truth is morality. If we separate the
dogmas that cling
to the principles set forth in any religion, we shall find
that morality is preached in every one of them. By religion
I do not mean all the
minor sects that prevail to an innumerable extent all over
the world, but the principal ones from which have sprung up
these different
sects. It is, therefore, proper for every person to abide by
the principles of morality. And, according to them, I consider
it every
man’s duty to do what he can to make the world the better and happier.
This can proceed from a love for humanity. But how can a man
love the whole of humanity if he has no love for his countrymen?
Can he
love the whole, who does not love a part? If I, therefore,
wish to place my humble services at the disposal of the world,
I must first
begin by working for my country. And this I could not do by
remaining in my caste. I found that, instead of love for his
countrymen, the
observance of caste distinction leads one to hate even his
neighbour, because he happens to be of another caste. I could
not bear this
injustice. What fault is it of anyone that he is born in a
particular caste? I respect a man for his qualities, and not
for his birth.
That is to say, that man is superior in my eyes, whose inner man has been developed or is in the state of development. This body,
wealth, friends, relations, and all other worldly enjoyments
that men hold near and dear to their hearts, are to pass away
sooner or
later. But the record of our actions is ever to remain to be
handed down from generation to generation. Our actions must,
therefore, be such as will make us worthy of our existence
in this world,
as
long as we are here as well as after death. I could not do
this by observing the customs of caste. It made me selfish
and unmindful of the requirements of my fellow brothers. I
weighed all these
circumstances
in my mind, and found that I believed in caste as religious
necessity no more than in the palm tree yielding mangoes. I
saw that, if it
were not for this distinction, India would not have been so
degraded, for this distinction engendered hatred among her
sons. It made them
hate and quarrel with one another. The peace of the land was
disturbed. People could not unite with one another for good
purposes. They waged war with
one another, instead of devoting all their combined energies
to the cause of ameliorating the condition of the country.
The foundation of immorality was thus laid, until it has reached
now so low
a point
that, unless this mischief is stopped, the tottering pillars
of India will soon give way. I do not by this mean to blame
my ancestors who
originally instituted this system. To me their object seems
to be quite a different one. It was based in my opinion on
the qualities of every person. The caste was not then hereditary
as it is
now.
This will be seen from the various ancient books, which are
full of instances in which Kshattrias and even Mâhars and Chambârs, who are considered the lowest of all, were not only made and regarded
as Brâhmanas, but almost worshipped as demi-gods simply for their qualities.
If such is the case, why should we still stick to that custom
which we now find not only impracticable but injurious? I again
saw that,
if I were to observe outwardly what I did not really believe
inwardly, I was practising hypocrisy. I found that I was thus
making myself
a slave, by not enjoying freedom of conscience; I was thus
acting immorally. But Theosophy had taught me that to enjoy
peace of mind
and self-respect, I must be honest, candid, peaceful, and regard
all men as equally my brothers, irrespective of caste, colour,
race or creed. This I see is an essential part of religion.
I must try
to put these theoretical problems into practice. These are
the convictions
that finally hurried me out of my caste.
I would
at the same time ask my fellow-countrymen, who are of my opinion,
to come out boldly for their country. I understand the apparent sacrifices
one is required to make in adopting such a course, for I myself had
to make them; but these are sacrifices only in the eyes of one who
has regard for this world of matter. When a man has once extricated
himself from this regard and, when the sense of duty he owes to his
country and to himself reigns paramount in his heart, these are no
sacrifices at all for him. Let us, therefore, leave off this distinction
which separates us from one another, join in one common accord, and
combine all our
energies for the good of our country.
Let
us feel that we are Âryans, and prove ourselves worthy of our ancestors. I may be told that
I am making a foolish and useless sacrifice; that I cut myself off
from all social intercourse and even risk losing the decent disposal
of my body by those upon whom our customs impose that duty; and that
none but a visionary would imagine that he, even though chiefest
among Brâhmanas, could restore his country’s greatness and the enlightenment of a whole nation, so great as ours.
But these are the arguments of selfishness and moral cowardice.
Single men have saved nations before, and though my vanity
does not make
me even dream that so glorious a result is within my humble
grasp, yet a good example is never valueless, and it can be
set even by
the most insignificant. Certain it is that, without examples
and self-sacrifices, there can be no reform. The world, as
I see it,
imposes on me a duty, and I think the most powerful and the
only permanent cause of happiness is the consciousness that
I am trying
to do that duty.
I wish
it understood — in case what has preceded has not made this perfectly
clear — that I have neither become a Materialist nor a Christian.
I am an Âryan in religion as in all else, follow the Veda and believe
it to be the parent of all religions among men. As Theosophy explains
the secondary human religions, so does it make plain the meaning
of the
Veda. The teachings of the Rshis acquire a new splendour and
majesty, and I revere them a hundred times more than ever
before.
|