Colonial Discourse and Varna | Dr. Kundan Singh | #SangamTalks

Around the year 1817, a particular narrative was formed which painted the Indian social system as hierarchical and oppressive. This narrative made the so-called caste system as the defining feature of Hinduism. It has acquired a life of its own and even today continues in myriad ways. As a result, our entire understanding of Varna and Jaati has got convoluted.

About the Speaker:
A former Core Faculty at Sofia University, Palo Alto, California, Kundan Singh, PhD is currently a Core Doctoral Faculty at the Hindu University of America where he is engaged in developing a completely new field in academia, Postcolonial Hindu Studies:

He is the Vice President of the Cultural Integration Fellowship in San Francisco and Senior Fellow at Hindupedia, Cupertino, California where he is diligently involved with changing the representation of Hinduism and India in grade-school textbooks across the US. Author of the 'Evolution of Integral Yoga: Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, and Swami Vivekananda' and joint author of 'Making Children Hinduphobic: A Critical Review of McGraw Hill’s World History Textbooks' with Krishna Maheshwari, he has lectured extensively in San Francisco and has many academic presentations at international and national conferences. Some of his chapters in edited books are “Beyond Mind: The Future of Psychology as Science,” “Beyond Postmodernism: Towards a Future Psychology,” “Relativism, Self-Referentiality, and Beyond Mind,” “Relativism and its Relevance for Psychology” and “Sri Aurobindo’s Invalidation of the Aryan Invasion Theory and the Contemporary Western Archeological Evidence.”

Topics Covered:
0:00 Power statement—
1:45 Narrative resides in manomay kosha and transforms the annamay kosha (physical manifestation)
4:33 Narrative-- Indian social system as hierarchical and oppressive
6:17 The sankhya system
6:55 Purusha and prarkriti
9:42 Every microcosm has the macrocosm in it
17:50 Etymology of the word varna
19:16 What is varna based on?
23:56 The flexibility of varna was lost over time
29:00 Transition amongst varnas
33:00 People on the fringes of the society
34:01 Varna and ashram
42:00 Karma and karma-fala

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[souravjoshi]

*❤Thanks for this video link in YouTube Shorts*

[theexplorers]

sir, with u r clarity of thought... u almost cleared my confusions about our varna jati system... the scars it made inside r really bad.. u have healed it with the clarity of u r knowledge... all i can do is thank you heartfully and be truthful to the wat it meant

[aparnarao]

Absolutely true brought out the ponts very much in order wish ppl take to rethinking.

[ashutoshgaur]

Congrats and thanks for this highly informative talk.

[suryanarayanannatarajan]

The talk was well balanced to bring the truth of Hindu dharma.I would like to add that the gunas change throughout the day and based on which the individual reactions change .This thought is brought out by upanyasakars I use to hear.Nice presentation.

[aparnarao]

Thank u fr bringing this knowledge of awareness. All need to understand vedanta which is the way of liife in kaliyug.

[anselmdanker]

Thank you for this very interesting presentation of the varna system.

[vijnanabandhu]

In the 19th century, a British priest did a survey of indigenous schools in the province of Bengal and reported on *widespread educational levels among peoples of all castes.* He said, 'In the indigenous vernacular schools, ‘parents of good caste do not hesitate to send their children to schools conducted by teachers of an inferior caste and even of a different religion. . . . this is true of the Chandal, and other low caste teachers enumerated.’ - William Adam, British Baptist Minister appointed by the colonial govt to do a census on native schools of Bengal, _Reports on the State of Education in Bengal 1835 and 1838_
Similarly GW Leitner's survey of Education in Punjab found the province to be nearly completely literate. An incredible feat attributed to Maharaja Ranjit Singh's unique _Qayda_ system. All these examples go on to show that the idea that there caste discrimination in education in precolonial India is a colonial myth manufactured to justify in British imperialism.

[successfulway-pT]

DR.Kundan Sing You Nailed it 💯% agreed to your views Sir! Brilliant Work done! But this knowledge interpretation in current context very few understand and very few left to convert it ! Spreading of awareness is necessary in this era! Only one request please make presentation on Trates, Inherant quality identification, related to find job according to new age! We broadely know out of 3 gunna in which category we broadely fits! But failed to do minute 2 gunna combination bifergation of job predominant tendencies!!! EQ, IQ Fal jotish, kundali job, personality test etc where it stands! Please explain Sir!

[pavitraranjanswain]

Let us not cry over the Colonial Discourse on Varna. We should follow our own Discourse on Varna leaving behind colonial hangovers.
We have over come many colonial hangover over a period time. But our educated fellows still want to keep the hangover on Varna System.

[vivekkapoor]

In the absence of exalting the search for truth everyone becomes a liar - USA 2000s

[AnandRajappan]

Even now the jails are places were people from all communities are set separate and punished for not following the law, does it mean oppression?! Obviously a doctor can be in a jail similar to a xMP and a simple robber. Is it permanent and unchanging and affecting their whole generations and what percentage is it?!
Why were there no such cries recorded even in folk lores that they were oppression before the outsiders started hitting so badly the whole of Bharat?! Do you have records of such oppression based on birth alone recorded?! Why the society accepted such laws without revolting?! Whether it be Manu Smriti or the so called oldest Gouthama Dharma Sutra. Dharma can change based on desa kala and vyathi (place, time and person). But that doesn't mean it follows no rules at all. All rules have meaning for sure. Have we checked if it is fair and natural for that time is the question? Passing judgements on past based on hypothesis that too based on caste for whom no supporting statistics or evidences are available is just shooting at sky.
Wish we avoid these and challenge the fundamentals and make the fundamentals clear and strong.
What fundamentals will help an individual, community, country and the world. What will cause harm to each level. And on what basis can we resolve issues and solve the problems whether it is social or political or religious or scientific. Remember the conflicts are not between these per say but because of the people who contribute to each of these as decision makers and influencers?! I remember the Perato chart analysis that represents the nature were the rule says 2:8 ratio in all that matters. 20% / 80% - power of 20 influences the 80. Whether it is for good or bad, it is both ways. Identify that 20% good and avoid or handle the 20% bad to solve your problems IMHO.

[AnandRajappan]

The three gunas are categorised in plants and animals as well. Cow is considered the most satwik. Dogs and horses are categorised as per gunas and karma. These categories are based on what basis principal? Is it birth or just karma? What is the harm in accepting gunas based on birth, why should it be considered as oppression in first place is the question? When there is possibility provided for the change over period of time, as examples provided for both ways to change?!. What is ideal is provided as sastri knowledge and the western lens of seeing these as oppression is just falling into their trap of rules IMHO.