SreeNarayanaGuru

[gopu]

It is to be noticed that in the Guru's Unitive Philosophy, primary importance is given to the concept of one caste. According to the Guru all human beings belong to one caste, the caste of Humanity.

Being fully aware of the Hindu scriptural injunction on caste, its historic development as part of Hindu religion and its stifling effect upon the development of human potential, the Guru's approach to the problem was both philosophic and rational.

On the philosophic plane, he was already convinced of the absurdity of caste through the Advaita theory of Adi Shankara.

But to the rationalistic mind which dismisses philosophy as nonsense, the Guru offers scientific biological explanations through two poems, Jathi Mimamsa (Critique of Caste), and Jathi Lakshanam (Characteristics of Caste)

'One caste, one religion, one God for man,

One womb, one body, difference therein none.'
— From Jathi Mimamsa



'The offspring is bred only within the species

Thus assured, all men belong to the same species.'
— From Jathi Lakshanam

These two poems together explain how the Guru denies the validity of caste as a sociological institution.

He equates the meaning of the word 'caste' (jathi) with the biological term 'species'. Each species (jathi) has its distinctive characteristics. For the cow, it is bovinity, and for the human being, it is humaneness — there is no such biological distinctive characteristic to distinguish between a Brahmin and a Pariah. Hence they both belong to the same species (Narajathi) — the human caste.

There is another biological law — the male and female of the same species only can mate and procreate. This does not take place between different species (inter-species sterility). Viewed in this light, all humans belong to the same Jathi. Proof is there in our mythology — Was not Parashara Maharshi born to a Pariah woman? Did not that great sage procreate Veda Vyasa in a fisherwoman?

Each species has a form, a voice, a smell, body temperature, and instinct — and each species Jathi) recognizes its own kind. Human beings also have all these characteristics, those who have commonsense will not ask for jathi, because the body itself tells that. If there are different castes/jathis among human beings, they are only two, male and female. Anyone who understands this will not feel inferior about his caste/ jathi.

Each individual is a sprout from the vastness of eternity — the Absolute. Each individual is molded differently by the Divine Smith. The color of the skin, hair and eyes are all instances of diversity in such a vast basic unity.

The Guru also observed that hierarchical superiority and inferiority in the name of caste is ingrained in the minds of the people since ages. Therefore, when questioned about what his caste is, it is possible that a low-caste man may tell a lie to hide his caste, to avoid embarrassment. To save him from such a situation, the Guru declared, "Ask not, say not, think not caste."

In practical life, the Guru practiced what he preached. When he consecrated temples, on demand from the local people, he expected them to be open to all castes. But there was opposition and protest from the orthodox Ezhavas who still clung to caste hierarchy. Though they yearned for admission to the temples of the higher castes, they were not prepared to open their temples to still lower castes. The Guru had to persuade, argue and adopt different tactics to make them see reason.

One such incident was this — In a suburb of Trivandrum, there arose a dispute about the management of a temple consecrated by the Guru. Two groups were fighting about rights and privileges. They requested the Guru to mediate and settle the matter.

The Guru reached the spot on an auspicious day. A small group of men and women stood apart from the crowd waiting for his darshan. The Guru enquired who they were. One of the leaders said, 'They are Pulayas. They have no right to enter the temple. However they have come for your darshan.' The Guru said, 'Can't we admit them also into the temple? They are also human beings, clean, healthy and good-looking. May be hardworking too. Anyway they are pious. That is why they are here. Why do not we permit them inside the temple?'

The Guru asked the warring groups separately. They were both vehement and unanimous, 'No, they cannot be admitted.' After a moment's significant silence, the Guru stood up to go. 'But the dispute is not settled', they pleaded.

The Guru said with his characteristic smile, 'There is no dispute. There is no difference between you. You have shown perfect agreement about the Pulayas. Moreover, you both don't agree to what I have to say. So how can I be your mediator?' The Guru left.

The warring groups understood how much they had hurt the feelings of the Guru by their attitude. They came to a compromise and also admitted the Pulayas into the temple.

There was a similar disagreement when the temple at Tellicherry was completed. The orthodox group did not want to admit the lower castes. Moorkoth Kumaran intervened and convinced the group about the Guru's wish that there should be no caste discrimination. After everything was settled, the Guru pronounced it as 'Jagannadha temple' after the Jagannath of Puri where caste discrimination was not observed from the beginning.

Thus the Guru tactfully dealt with the issues and in course of time all his temples, schools and hostels, were open to all castes. Moorkoth Kumaran puts it humorously, 'Even Brahmins are now permitted temple entry.'

The Guru admitted all castes into the residential educational institution at Sivagiri and Alwaye. All lived together without thinking of caste. Following suit, several Ezhava households engaged low caste people as cooks and domestic servants, who became almost like family members.

The Guru supported inter-caste marriages and inter-dining. When Sahodaran Ayyappan, the Guru's favorite disciple (Refer Appendix-11) arranged, for the first time, inter- dining of all castes and religions, the Guru issued a message in his own handwriting.

'Whatever be the difference in the form of worship, dress, habits or language of man, they are of the same caste (jati). Hence there is no harm in intermarriage or in dining together.'

During one of his discussions with Sahodaran Ayyappan, he said, "All human beings belong to the same community. To establish that true state o1 existence, caste has to be done away with...caste should not be mentioned anywhere. Men should live together as one caste. This view should get universal appeal..'

[gopu]

A casual incident in a train on his way to Madras throws light on his attitude. A young Indian in European dress was sitting in the compartment. He asked the Guru seriously,

What is your name?' 'Narayana.'

'Of what caste are you?'

'What do you think? Guess!'

'I cannot make out from your appearance.'

'If you cannot know by sight, how can you, through hearing?'

On hearing a report of this from the Guru at Madras, a young firebrand blurted out that the so-called sacred thread of the twice-born should be burnt. The Guru commented, 'If there are half a dozen youth of such enthusiasm, the curse of caste can be exorcised. No special proof is needed to believe that all human beings belong to the same 'jathi.' A dog, on seeing another, recognizes it as one of its own kin. Every animal has this instinct except man. Only he has doubts. He is inferior to beasts.'

The Guru was totally against the system of segregating people on the basis of their hereditary profession. In fact, he was against the very idea of making a profession hereditary. Should the son of a thief become a thief? Making a profession hereditary is fundamentally the denial of a man's freedom of choice. If a priest's son likes and wants to become a priest, let him become one. It does not need to be branded as hereditary and restricted to a framework of caste. The problem comes when he does not want to become a priest. If his right to choose a profession is taken away and he is compelled to do something which he does not like, he will degenerate into a slavish imitator. The same thing has happened in the case of our carpenters and blacksmiths. They had a glorious heritage. It has got petrified and stereotyped.

The supporters of caste system put forward two arguments that a hereditary profession improves the skill and quality of the worker and also it prevents unhealthy competition. These are only fallacies. The restriction of professions to castes and castes to professions actually stifles the trades and stunts the intellectual growth of individuals. It prevents the infusion of fresh blood into the profession, so innovations are blocked. It stunts the individual as he has no freedom to choose a job to suit his aptitude. Can work thrive and improve in the absence of freedom of choice and intelligent selection? The argument about 'unhealthy competition' is put forward only by those who are afraid to face competition and lose their social position and connected privileges in case of open competition. The Guru always considered caste as deadweight around our true heritage. Therefore in all he did, top priority was given to fighting caste.

Two important points are to be noticed in Narayana Guru's attack on the caste system. He always asserted that caste is an unreal, arbitrary and unscientific division of the people. It has to be totally removed from the minds of the people. There is no question of compromise or adjustment. Secondly, he never blamed a particular individual or community for the evil effects of caste. He knew that it was perpetuated by the social system, and not by individuals or community, so he tried to eradicate the system itself.