Secular Humanism

Dalit and Tamil Literature



A review of the book:






The origins of ‘untouchability’ and etymology


Prejudice in Tamil context





How do you fight prejudice?


Identity – A red herring




Who speaks for the Raneyars?



Dalits must embrace a Metanarrative

Charles Darwin's 'I think' tree


The essentials of this story are:


Image source: Wikipedia



About the author

P. Dayanandan

Botanist. Retired Professor. Educationist




  • First of all Tamil language or tamil people has nothing to do with the indus valley civilization whose most sites are found in Pakistan (nw india)

    The cooked up relation between Brahui and Tamil is often cited as example. Lord Shiva can often be seen in Vedas . Both words Rudra and Shiva can be seen. Baudhayana who lived in Gangetic plain and himself a Vedic scholar describes Baudhayana snan (ritual bathing) in his Grihya sutras. So building tanks and bathing there is not Tamil or so called Dravida. In fact Dravida is a word to denote south India .That’s all . It is neither a language group or a race.

    Buddhism started as an ascetic order. The fourth ashrama of life is samnyasa and Buddha entered it. Even Brahmins remove their sacred threads while entering samnyasa. The rishis were not samnyasis yet, they were mostly grihasthis. Rishi means creator of mantra or one who attained siddhi through chanting of a mantra. I keep laughing when some body recently identified 50 “pure” Tamil words in holy Vedas. As far as Dalit anti Hindu activists are concerned, majority Dalits are Hindu followers. Majority in so called upper castes and OBCs are Hindu followers. So they will fail if Dalit activism is targeting Brahmins, Hinduism, Vedas, Sanskrit etc. Today it is OBC vs Dalits in many parts of India. Brahmins are no way getting involved. so in such circumstances, it would be extremely difficult for Dalit anti Hindu activists to gather mass appeal

  • Mircoorganisms & Untouchability in Ancient India

    If anyone thinks that the ancient Indian sages did not compose any sloka mentioning the existence of germs or bacteria or viruses in Ayurveda, or that they were unaware of the microorganisms, & their effects on the human body, then something would be wrong. The ancient Indian sages were well aware of microorganisms and their character, and their evidence was found in several books of Ayurveda. Scientists revealed the presence of Bacteria in the 17th century AD, but they were recognized as minute organisms, not visible to the naked eye, but destroyed by a blink of an eyelid.
    Mircoorganisms & Untouchability in Ancient India
    You will not believe if I say, micro-organisms such as Bacteria, Virus, Fungi, etc. are mentioned in the Hindu mythology, epic history, Mahabharata (Sloka reference to Santi Parva, Mahabharata), written more than 6000 years ago.
    सूक्ष्मयॊनीनि भूतानि तर्क गम्यानि कानि चित
    पक्ष्मणॊ ऽपि निपातेन येषां सयात सकन्धपर्ययः
    Translation: There are several species that are so tiny and can not be seen by human eye that their presence can only be inferred. They are killed by the dropping of the eyelids alone.

    The Sanatana Dharma or Hinduism have guided Indian civilization for thousands of years. Very interesting and modern concepts of botany and biology, including the concepts of micro-organisms, are also encountered in these ancient texts, for example, in the Mahabharata:
    “They (trees) drink water by their roots. They catch diseases of diverse kinds. Those diseases again are cured by different operations… as one can suck up water through a bent lotus stalk, trees also, with the aid of the wind, drink thorough their roots. They are susceptible to pleasure and pain, and grow when cut or chopped… they are not inanimate…
    Vrihi and other so-called seeds of rice are all living organisms…again (men) …while walking about hither and thither kill innumerable creatures hidden in the ground by trampling on them; and even men of wisdom and enlightenment destroy animal life, even while sleeping or in repose themselves… the Earth and the air all swarm with living organisms.”

    In charaka samhita , we can see various types of Krimis mentioned there. And even in Vrksuyarveda (Ancient Indian Botany) written by Rishi Parashara. According to Charaka, “Krimis can be found in the blood vessels. They are microscopic(Anavah) in size circular or disc (Vrtta)” In relation with leprosy and brain disorders, Charaka referred to the existence of bacteria under the concept krimis. Moreover, Susruta also supports the microbial aetiology of leprosy.

    Again, we note that Madhava Kar, the 8th century writer of Ayurvedic Pathology, has codified this knowledge of bacteria in the aetiology of infections in a very detailed way in his treatise, Madhava Nidan. Therefore, in the portion on krimi Nidan (bacterial pathology) Madhava preliminary makes two specific categories of krimi according to what is contained in the body, internally and externally. Instead he makes more groupings as they originate in excreta such as Sweat (Vahirmalajah), lymphatic tissue (kapha), blood (Asrk) and, eventually, faeces. This classification of Madhava includes all twenty varieties of krimis, as defined by Charaka. In addition, Madhava Kar identified numerous pathological characteristics that occur with bacterial infections in general and indicates that there may be fever, paleness, various types of pain, chest disease, lack of sexual control, coma and food apathy.

    Next, it is interesting to notice there the awareness of communicable diseases held by the ancient Ayurvedic experts. In this sense, Susruta notes, when dealing with leprosy pathology, that several diseases may be transmitted from one sick person to another through co-occurring and other types of body contracts, through eating in association with or from the same plate, by using the same seat and from the same location, from wearing apparels.

    In ancient India, when this subject of communicable diseases was spread from house to house, the practice of untouchability began in ancient society of India, which later became a superstition. And gave rise to unpleasant mindset in society, but this practice was born, through medical discoveries of microorganism in ancient India. Animal studies and micro-organisms both pathogenic and non pathogenic, developed as science began to be practiced in ancient India China and Egypt. The ancient sages have mentioned the use of various types of herbal solutions, holy Ganga water (Antibacterial Nature of Ganga Water), goumutra, in their ancient text manuscripts, to destroy harmful micro-organisms. But with these solvents there are references to soap used in ancient times. Surprised? That soap was not made in a factory like today, but was given to people by nature. At that time people were unable to produce large quantities of soap. But the exception of soap was hidden in nature. And it is Ritha Fruit or Indian soapberry or soap nut, which was originated in India.

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