A Retrospective on Social Classes # 30

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This kind of dispute is common. For thousands of years, people in this country have fought over the proper application of the caste system. The clash of opinions has often divided entire peoples, driven by economic, social, and, of course, religious consequences. This endemic problem—aggravated by an orthodoxy mired in rules and principles from another age, a corrupting materialism, a rampant atheism, and an insatiable passion for novelty and sensory pleasures—represents the blight of Indian society.

In certain provinces, long before the arrival of Chaitanya, successful reforms had already been undertaken by renowned spiritualists. For example, at the beginning of the 11th century in Tamil Nadu, Sri Ramanuja succeeded in convincing the bourgeoisie and the intelligentsia to accept the lower classes into holy sites. He developed a more realistic understanding of religion and insisted on placing less emphasis on rituals. For him, the virtues acquired by a man take precedence over his origins, such that anyone, if worthy, can read and teach the sacred Scriptures and even initiate disciples! Although this seemed revolutionary, the fact remains that long before him, the Alvars, famous throughout the peninsula for their holiness, transgressed these retrograde and misunderstood laws imposed by their peers. Nammalvar, the most famous among them, was in fact a sudra.

On the other hand, Madhva did not approach it in the same way. Born in Kerala two centuries later, he was a leading spiritual figure, a renovator, and a vehement defender of Vaishnava philosophy. His precepts were directly inspired by Vyasa, the orchestrator of the Vedas intended for all of humanity. This indicates that Vyasa was targeting the common people when he took the study of the Vedas out of the hands of elitist Brahmanical schools. Madhva’s teaching forms the pillar of one of the four most important spiritual lineages. He felt the need not to stray from the values imposed by varnasrama-dharma (the four classes of society: 1. workers; 2. merchants and farmers; 3. soldiers and political leaders; 4. intellectuals such as priests and instructors).

That said, the teachings of these great spiritualists, whether they were for or against the class system, cannot be discussed without qualifications. Krishna himself explains in the Bhagavad-gita that he is the origin of these divisions, for humanitarian and religious reasons. It is not for the layman to pass judgment on the merits of their effectiveness. But it is certain that one cannot remain indifferent when injustice is blatant.

Yet, this is the path Sarvabhauma chose to take by accepting the leadership of this place of worship which forbids entry to the lower classes. Ironically, the temple was built by a king who was indebted to pig herders! The form of Jagannath manifested to the king through them, according to the history handed down from the Puranas.

Sarvabhauma is perfectly aware of this controversy, but orthodoxy prevails in Puri. It would be foolish to try to change tradition, as history has shown that such attempts often ended in a bloodbath. Certainly, this is not what he seeks. So, as for the injustices... he prefers not to see them. But let us return to our story.

Chaitanya and his companions arrive in the midst of this turmoil, like the sun piercing the clouds on a grey monsoon day. He takes the side of an ordinary commoner:

“There is no such thing in the eyes of God! The untouchables are no less worthy of respect and love than you and I. A man is not judged by his birth, but by his qualities. One may very well be born into a family of outcasts and become more pious than a brahmana.”

“That is heresy!” cries his opponent. “This man is deranged to speak in such a way. If we listen to him, he will destroy our traditions and lead us into hell. It is inadmissible and scandalous to trample on propriety like this!”

He shouts so loudly and so persistently that people come running from all sides. The onlookers, captivated by the personality of this charismatic sannyasi, who delivers a powerful indictment of exploited human conditions, intercede on his behalf. But not everyone agrees, and the debate breaks out in the public square. It becomes a contest of who can shout the loudest…

Unable to bear it any longer, wearied by the immoral, pedantic, and hypocritical conduct of this dusty priest, Chaitanya embraces the untouchable. At first stunned, the man is seized by a feverish agitation; then, raising his arms above his head, he begins to gesture wildly and to chant, “Hare Krishna, Haribol!”, tears streaming down his face.

His ecstasy soon spreads to others. A drumbeat begins to roll; it gradually grows louder, until impatient fingers strike the taut skins; impetuous cymbals answer the call; the rhythm shakes the group, which sways from left to right and from right to left in cadence; a cantor lets his captivating voice ring out, and all respond in chorus: “Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare.”

Preceding chapter : The relations grow complicated # 29