SWAMI SRI VEERABRAHMENDRA

A Monograph on Pothuluru Veerabrahmendra Swamy

The caste system and privilege of Learning

The caste system of the Hindu Religion had played a major role in the social life of the people. Although they were originally intended to demarcate the jurisdictions of the various professions, they gradually degenerated into the feeling of superiority and inferiority among the various castes. The panchama was looked down as inferior to the superior castes. Having been thus illtreated and suppressed for centuries, the panchama, at one stage, did not hesitate to embrace Christianity where he found his social status more secure and his economic position more promising. There were clear indications of this situation also when Veerabrahmam was pioneering the movement of common brotherhood. He thought that it was time to extend his helping hand to the affected souls of the society. He kept his doors always open to such people who came running to him for mental peace and calmness. With no barriers of caste and creed Hindus, Muslims and Panchamas were received by him with equal affection and love.

The most revolutionary step he took was the teaching of Upanishads and Vedas to Muslims and panchamas. The Hindu code of Vedic learning lays stress on the point that women and people of the lower castes are not entitled to receive Vedic education. (Na Stree Sudrou Vedam Adheeyataam) Only the blessed women of the Vedic times, like Gargi and Maitri learnt Vedas, despite the code of conduct laid down by the Hindu law makers. When women of the upper castes are also denied the right of learning Veda, what wonder was there if the lower castes were denied? The minimum qualification to learn Veda is the investiture of sacred thread (Upanayanam). To all those who do not have the sacred thread, the right of learning Veda is denied. Women and sudras are not entitled to wear the sacred thread and hence there is no question of their learning Vedas. The panchama does not come into the picture at all there is any fifth caste it is numerically called panchama varna which is an outcast. Hence panchama, from the point of view of the Hindu, is an outcaste and an untouchable. When women and sudras of the learning which was considered to be the highest of the learnings, how can an outcast or a Muslim learn Veda? Some of the time hnoured tenets of Hinduism and the conventional beliefs thereof seemed to be not justifiable as Veerabrahma perused them. He made a very bold attempt to break the convention. In the teeth of opposition of the higher castes he began to teach the Upanishads and Vedas to one and all, including the Muslims and outcasts. Siddappa, a Dudekula Muslim who spins cotton by profession and Madiga Kakkayya an outcast who makes shoes by profession bear testimony to the fact that Veerabrahmam imparted Vedic Knowledge to Muslims and outcasts.