Copy © All rights reserved – Vijendra Kumar
Discrimination against Shudras and Untouchable’s
The caste system in Hinduism has been a deeply entrenched social structure that has shaped the lives of millions for centuries. Rooted in ancient texts and traditions, the caste hierarchy is divided into four primary groups, or "Varnas": Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. However, there exists a significant population that falls outside the pale of these four Varnas—groups commonly referred to as "outcasts" or "untouchables". These individuals, historically labelled as "Achoots" (Untouchables), include communities such as the Chandalas and Musahars. Their social exclusion has been justified through religious texts, which have perpetuated discriminatory practices.
The Concept of Purity and Pollution
Central to the caste system is the notion of purity and pollution. Hindu scriptures have historically associated physical contact with certain groups, particularly those deemed "low castes" or outcasts, with impurity. According to these texts, members of the higher castes, collectively referred to as "Dwijas" (twice born, encompassing Brahmins, Kshatriyas, and Vaishyas), are prohibited from touching individuals belonging to lower castes. This prohibition extends to certain other groups and circumstances deemed impure, such as women during menstruation. The texts equate contact with low castes to contact with animals like dogs and pigs, which were similarly considered polluting.
The prescribed penance for a Dwija who inadvertently comes into contact with a low-caste individual involves undergoing a ritual cleansing process. One such method described in Hindu texts is the consumption of Panchagavya, a mixture of five cow-derived products: cow urine, cow dung, milk, curd, and clarified butter (ghee). This ritual underscores the belief that low-caste individuals are considered more impure than substances like cow dung and urine, which are paradoxically viewed as purifying agents in Hindu rituals.
The Outcasts: Beyond the Four Varnas (Castes)
The outcasts, including groups like the Chandalas, were historically relegated to the fringes of society. They were denied access to basic rights and opportunities afforded to members of the four Varnas. Their exclusion was not merely social but also legal and ritualistic. Hindu texts prescribed severe penalties for low-caste individuals who violated caste boundaries. For instance, intentional physical contact by a low-caste person with a member of a higher caste was deemed a grave offence, sometimes punishable by death.
The systemic marginalisation of these communities was further reinforced by their association with occupations considered "unclean", such as handling dead bodies, scavenging, or tanning animal hides. These roles, essential yet stigmatised, perpetuated their status as untouchables and justified their exclusion from mainstream society.
A Legacy of Discrimination
The caste system's rigid hierarchy and its associated practices have left a lasting legacy of social inequality in South Asia. While modern legal frameworks in countries like India have outlawed untouchability and caste-based discrimination, the social attitudes rooted in these ancient practices persist in many areas. Efforts to promote equality and social justice continue to face resistance from entrenched cultural norms.
It is important to recognise that these practices and beliefs are not universally accepted within Hinduism today. Many reform movements within the religion have sought to challenge caste-based discrimination and promote inclusivity. Additionally, secular and progressive voices have worked tirelessly to dismantle the structures of caste oppression. The historical practices surrounding caste and untouchability in Hinduism reflect a complex interplay of religious beliefs, social norms, and power dynamics. To eliminate the caste system, all the scriptures of the Brahmins should be collected, placed in one place, and set alight to let the smell and smoke of the discrimination and racism reach the god in heaven.
Who was Manu?
Lord Brahma fell in love with his daughter Satrupa and had a relationship with her, and from this illicit relationship, a child was born, and he was named Manu, who wrote the racist text Manusmriti, the law book of the Hindus.
Discrimination in naming a Shudra child
मङ्गल्यं ब्राह्मणस्य स्यात्क्षत्रियस्य बलान्वितम् ।
वैश्यस्य धनसंयुक्तं शूद्रस्य तु जुगुप्सितम् ॥ ३१ ॥
ब्राह्मण का मंगल सूचक शब्द से युक्त, क्षत्रिय का बल-सूचक शब्द से युक्त, वैश्य का धन-वाचक शब्द से युक्त और शुद्र का निन्दित-शब्द से युक्त 'नामकरण' करना चाहिये ।
A Brahmin should be named with a word indicating auspiciousness, a Kshatriya should be named with a word indicating strength, a Vaishya should be named with a word indicating wealth, and a Shudra should be named with an insulting word.
Rape a Shudra and get money to complete yajna
आहरेत्त्रीणि वा द्वे वा कामं शूद्रस्य वेश्मनः ।
न हि शूद्रस्य यज्ञेषु कश्चिदस्ति परिग्रहः ॥ १३ ॥
शूद्र के घर में जाकर बलात्कार करके पैसा लाकर हवन करो
श्लोक में कहा गया है कि यदि यज्ञ/हवन कर रहा ब्राह्मण यज्ञ को पूरा करने के लिए पर्याप्त धन प्राप्त करने में असमर्थ है और किसी वैश्य के घर से धन प्राप्त करने में असफल रहता है, तो उसे बलात्कार और चोरी के माध्यम से एक धनी शूद्र से आवश्यक धन प्राप्त करना चाहिए, और यज्ञ को पूरा करना चाहिए, क्योंकि शूद्र का यज्ञ से कोई लेना-देना नहीं है।
If the Yajna or Havan cannot be completed in two or three parts due to lack of money, and if the money can't be obtained from a Vaishya house, then get the money from a rich Shudra either by theft or rape because a Shudra has nothing to do with the Yajna or Havan.
—Manusmriti 11/13, Page 566
Don’t even give left over food to a Shudra
श्राद्धं भुक्त्वा य उच्छिष्टं वृषलाय प्रयच्छति ।
स मूढो नरकं याति कालसूत्रमवाक्शिराः ॥२४९॥
जो मूर्ख व्यक्ति श्राद्ध कर्म के दौरान, ब्राह्मण के भोजन करने के बाद बचा हुआ श्राद्ध भोजन शूद्र (बहुजन समाज का व्यक्ति) को देता है,
वह अपना मुंह नीचे किए हुए काल सूत्र नामक नरक में जाता है ।
The fool who gives the leftover Shraddha food to a Shudra after the Brahmin has eaten during the Shraddha ceremony goes to the hell called Kala Sutra with his face down.
—Manusmriti 3/249 - Page 161
The food of Shudra is considered impure
The reason why most Brahmins don’t eat food at Shudra's house but will take raw materials in Seedha. Seedha de do! Seedha, which means direct (to give direct), because of untouchability.
अमृतं ब्राह्मणस्यान्नं क्षत्रियान्नं पयः स्मृतम् ।
वैश्यान्नमन्नमित्याहुः शूद्रस्य रुधिरं स्मृतम् ॥ १४ ॥
भुक्त्वाऽतोऽन्यतमस्यान्नममत्या क्षपणं त्र्यहम् ।
मत्या भुक्त्वाऽऽचरेत्कृच्छ्रं रेतोविरमूत्रमेव च ॥ २२२ ॥
ब्राह्मण का भोजन अमृत के समान है, क्षत्रिय का भोजन दूध के समान है, वैश्य का भोजन शक्कर के समान है, तथा शूद्र का भोजन रक्त के समान है, इसलिए उसे अखाद्य माना जाता है। इनमें से किसी भी वर्ग का अनजाने में भोजन करने के प्रायश्चित में तीन दिन का उपवास करना शामिल है। —हालाँकि, यदि कोई जानबूझकर शूद्र वर्ग का भोजन करता है, तो निर्धारित प्रायश्चित कृच्छव्रत करना है, —जो वीर्य, मल और मूत्र के मिश्रण का सेवन करने वाला उपवास है, जैसा कि अध्याय 11, श्लोक २११ से २२२ में विस्तार से बताया गया है।
The food of a Brahmin is like nectar, the food of a Kshatriya is likened to milk, the food of a Vaishya is described as sugar, and the food of a Shudra is said to be like blood, hence considered inedible.
Atonement for unknowingly consuming the food of any of these classes involves fasting for three days. —However, if one knowingly consumes food from the Shudra class, then the prescribed atonement is to undertake Krichchhavrata, a fast involving the consumption of a mixture of semen, faeces, and urine, as detailed in chapter 11, verses 211-222.
—Manusmriti 4/221(14) -222, Page 233
ब्राह्मणस्य सदा भुङ्गे क्षत्रियस्य तु पर्वणि ।
वैश्यस्य यज्ञदीक्षायां शूद्रस्य न कदाचन ॥१२॥
अमृतं ब्राह्मणस्यान्नं क्षत्रियस्य पयः स्मृतम् ।
वैश्यस्याप्यन्नमेवान्नं शूद्रस्य रुधिरं स्मृतम् ॥१३॥
ब्राह्मण को ब्राह्मण के ही अन्न का सेवन सदैव करना चाहिए, जबकि क्षत्रिय के अन्न का सेवन किसी पर्व-विशेष पर तथा वैश्य के अन्न का उपभोग यज्ञ एवं दीक्षा आदि के अवसर पर करना चाहिए, तथा शूद्र के अन्न का ग्रहण कभी-भी नहीं करना चाहिए। ब्राह्मण का अन्न अमृत तथा क्षत्रिय का अन्न दूध माना जाता है, जबकि वैश्य का अन्न, अन्न होता है तथा शूद्र का अन्न रुधिर, अर्थात् रक्त, माना गया है।
A Brahmin should always eat the food of a Brahmin caste only, whereas the food of a Kshatriya should be eaten on a special festival, and the food of a Vaishya should be consumed on Yagna/Havan and initiation, etc. The food of a Shudra should never be eaten. The food of a Brahmin is considered as Amrit (nectar), and the food of a Kshatriya is considered as milk, whereas the food of a Vaishya is just food, and the food of a Shudra is considered as blood.
—Aapstamba Smriti, Chapter 8, Verse 12-13, Page 38
Eat Shudra rice for a month and become like him
भुञ्जते ये तु शूद्रान्नं मासमेकं निरन्तरम् ।
इह जन्मनि शूद्रत्वं जायन्ते ते मृताः शुनि ॥ ७ ॥
जो व्यक्ति निरन्तर एक मास तक शूद्र के अन्न का सेवन करते हैं, वे इस जन्म में तो शूद्रत्व को प्राप्त को प्राप्त ही कर लेते हैं और मृत्यु के पश्चात् दूसरा जन्म लेने पर कुत्ते की योनि में उत्पन्न होते हैं।
Those who continuously consume the food of a Shudra for a month become
like a Shudra in this life, and after death, they are born in the Vagina of a dog in
their next birth.
—Aapstamba Smriti, Chapter 8, Verse 7, Page 37
The Shudra's boiled rice is impure
The Shudra's boiled rice is considered impure. A Brahmin who lives on the boiled rice of those who are unclean due to any death or birth in their family, or eats or drinks food prepared by a Shudra, will take birth as that person in his next life. He who dies with a Shudra's boiled rice in his stomach is destined to be born as a hog, and all his progeny will belong to the same genus after death. He will be born as a vulture in his twelve successive rebirths, as a hog in seven, and as a dog in seven. This is what Manu has stated. He who dies with the boiled rice of a Brahmin in his stomach acquires nectar after death. Dying with a Kshatriya's rice in his stomach, he is punished with indigence in the next life; with the Vaishya's rice in his stomach, he is consigned to the vile necessity of eating a Shudra’s boiled rice in his stomach, and he is consigned to the torments of hell in his next life. The Brahmin who eats Shudra's boiled rice continuously for a month becomes degraded to the status of a Shudra in this life and will be born as a dog in the next life. The gods and the Pitras (ancestors) desert the Brahmin who takes a Shudra woman as a wife or eats boiled rice cooked by her, goes to Roro hell after death. The Brahmin who cooks his food in vessels defiled by the touch of men of vile castes or performs acts that degrade the status of a twice-born in society, or promiscuously goes unto women of forbidden castes, will go to hell after death.
वह ब्राह्मण जो उन लोगों के उबले चावल खाकर जीवन यापन करता है जो अपने परिवार में मृत्यु या जन्म के कारण अशुद्ध हैं। या फिर शूद्र के हाथ का बना भोजन खाता-पीता है, तो मृत्यु के बाद वह ब्राह्मण उसी व्यक्ति के रूप में जन्म लेगा। अगर कोई व्यक्ति शूद्र का उबला हुआ चावल अपने पेट में लेकर मर गया तो, यह निश्चित है कि ही वह सुअर के रूप में जन्म लेगा और मृत्यु के बाद उसकी सारी संतानें उसी वंश की होंगी। वह बारह जन्मों में गिद्ध, सात जन्मों में सुअर और सात जन्मों में कुत्ते के रूप में जन्म लेगा। ऐसा मनु ने कहा है। जो मनुष्य ब्राह्मण के उबले चावल को अपने पेट में रखकर मरता है, वह मृत्यु के बाद अमृत प्राप्त करता है। क्षत्रिय के चावल को पेट में रखकर मरने वाला अगले जन्म में दरिद्रता का दण्ड भोगता है; वैश्य के चावल को पेट में रखकर मरने वाला अगले जन्म में शूद्र के उबले चावल खाने की नीच आवश्यकता को भोगता है, और वह फिर अगले जन्म में नरक की यातनाएँ भोगता है। जो ब्राह्मण एक महीने तक लगातार शूद्रों के उबले चावल खाते हैं, वे इस जन्म में शूद्र पद से पतित हो जाते हैं और अगले जन्म में कुत्ते की योनि में जन्म लेंगे। जो ब्राह्मण शूद्रा स्त्री को पत्नी बनाता है अथवा उसके हाथ का पका चावल खाता है, उसे देवता और पितर, दोनों त्याग देते हैं और मृत्यु के बाद उसे रोरो नरक की यातनाएँ भोगनी पड़ती हैं। जो ब्राह्मण नीच जाति के लोगों के स्पर्श से; अपवित्र बर्तनों में भोजन पकाता है। या समाज में द्विज जाति को नीचा दिखाने वाले कार्य करता है, या निषिद्ध जाति की स्त्रियों के साथ संभोग करता है, वह मृत्यु के बाद नरक में जाता है।
—Vyas Samhita 4/63-69 व्यास संहिता ४/६३-६९
Things that are smell by dog or Shudras are impure
धर्मेणान्योन्यभोज्यान्ना द्विजास्तु विदिताम्वयाः ॥ ५२ ॥
स्ववृत्तोपार्जितं मेध्यमाकरस्थम माक्षिकम् ॥
अश्वलीट मगोघ्रातमस्पृष्टं शूद्रवायसैः ॥ ५३ ॥
द्विजों को परस्पर में यदि वंश (कुल) विदित हो तो धर्म करके एक दूसरे के अन्नको भोजन कर सकते हैं । परन्तु उस अन्नको खाय, जिसको वह खाने वा खिलानेवालेने अपनी जीविकासे संचय किया हो, और शहतको छोड कर आकरकी वस्तु और जिसको कुत्तेने न सूंघा हो और जिसे गौने न सूंघा हो, जिसे शूद्र और काकने न हुआ हो, यह सभी पवित्र ।
If the twice-born know each other's lineage, they can follow the religion and eat each other's food. However, one should only consume or feed themselves the foods they have collected from their livelihood. Except for honey, anything that has not been smelt by a dog, cow, Shudra, or crow is pure.
— Vyas Smriti 3/52–53 - PDF 388
Brahmin who eats Shudra food is born as a pig in heaven
मृतस्तकपुष्टांगो द्विजः शूद्रान्नभोजने॥
अहमेव न जानामि कां योनि स गमिष्यति ॥ ६३ ॥
शूद्रान्नेनोदरस्थेन यदि कश्चिन्नियेत यः॥
स भवेत्सूकरो नूनं तस्य वा जायते कुले ॥ ६४ ॥
जो ब्राह्मण जन्म-मरण के सूतकर्म के अन्न खा कर अपना शरीर पुष्ट करते हैं और जो शूद्र के यहां का भोजन करते हैं, वह ब्राह्मण परलोक में जा कर किस योनि में जन्म लेंगे? व्या-सदेवजी कहते हैं कि यह मैं स्थिर नहीं कर सका। शूद्र का अन्न उदर में रहते हुए, जो ब्राह्मण मर जाता है, वह परलोक में सूकर की योनि में जन्म लेता है अथवा शूद्र के ही कुल में जन्म लेता है।
The Brahmins who nourish their bodies by eating food in birth and death rituals and those who eat food at the house of a Shudra—in which vagina they will be born in after going to heaven? — Vyasadev says that I could not determine this. A Brahmin who dies having the food of a Shudra in his stomach is born into the vagina of a pig, or he is born in the Shudra caste.
— Vyas Samhita 4/63-64 व्यास संहिता ४/६३ – ६४ PDF 388
Which type of Shudra's prayer Krishna does not accept
युधिष्ठिरने पूछा, देवेश्वर! आप किस तरहके शूद्रों की पूजा नहीं स्वीकार करते?
भगवान्ने कहा- राजन् ! जो व्रतका पालन करने वाला और मेरा भक्त नहीं है, उस शूद्र की, की हुई पूजा को मैं कुत्ता पकानेवाले चाण्डालकी
की हुई समझकर त्याग देता हूँ।
Yudhishthira asked, "O Lord, which types of Shudras' prayers do you not accept?" The Lord (Krishna) replied, "O King, I do not accept the prayers of those Shudras who do not fast and are not my devotees. I consider their prayers to be like those of a Chandal, one who cooks dog."
—Sankshipt Mahabharat, Ashvamedhika Parva, Pages 772-773
Lord Vishu says to his devotee Narad
उच्छिष्टस्तेन संस्पृष्टः शुना शूद्रेण च द्विजः। उपोष्य रजनीमेकां पञ्चगव्येन शुध्यति ॥ ५ ॥
अनुच्छिष्टेन संस्पृष्टैः स्नानमेव विधीयते। एकाहुतिप्रदानेन कोटियज्ञफलं लभेत् ॥ ६ ॥
पञ्चभिः पञ्चकोटीनां तदनन्तफलं स्मृतम्। प्राणाग्निहोत्रवेत्रे यो ह्यन्नदानं करोति च ॥ ७ ॥
यदि उच्छिष्ट द्विज का किसी उच्छिष्ट से या कुत्ते अथवा शूद्र से स्पर्श हो जाता है, तो वह द्विज एक रात उपवास करके पुनः पंचगव्य ग्रहण करने से शुद्ध हो जाता है, और अनुच्छिष्ट से स्पर्श होने पर केवल स्नान करने का विधान है।
If Uchchhishta Dwija comes in contact with any Uchchhishta or dog or Shudra, then that Dwija gets purified by fasting for one night and then taking Panchagavya, and if it comes in contact with Anuchhishta, there is a rule to take a bath only.
Note: Panchagavya, a mixture of cow dung, cow urine, cow milk, cow curd, and cow ghee.
I believe it's a disgrace to humanity.
—Devi Bhagavata Purna Vol 2 Chapter 23, Ekadasha Skand, Verses 5-7, Page 752
A Brahmin who has sex with Shudra woman goes to hell
शूद्रां शयनमारोप्य ब्राह्मणो यात्यधोगतिम् ।
जनयित्वा सुतं तस्यां ब्राह्मण्यादेव हीयते ॥ १७ ॥
A Brahmin goes to hell after having sex with a Shudra caste woman, and upon having children with her,
He gets corrupted by Brahminhood.
—Manusmriti 3/27, Page 103