Vol. 4 · pages 331–335

320 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES “18. 1The acceptance as sons of those other than the aurasa (natural) and adopted sons.” 2 “19. Ordinary intercourse with those who incurred the sin of (having intercourse with) women of higher castes, even after they had undergone the Prayascitta for such sin.” 3 “20. The abandonment of the wife of an elderly person (or of one who is entitled to respect) when she has had intercourse with one with whom it is severely condemned.” 4 “21. 5‘Killing oneself for the sake of another.” 6 “22. Giving up food left after one has partaken of it.” 7 “23. Resolve to worship a particular idol for life (in return for payment)” 8. “24. Touching the bodies of persons who are in impurity due to death after the charred bones are collected” 9. “25. The actual slaughter by Brahmanas of the sacrificial animal.” “26. 10Sale of the Soma plant by Brahamanas.” 11 “27. Securing food even from a Shudra when a Brahamana has had no food for six times of meals (i.e. for three days).” 12 “28. Permission to (a Brahamana) householder to take cooked food from Shudras if they are his dasas, cowherds, hereditary friends, persons cultivating his land on an agreement to pay part of the produce.” 13 1 Kane’s Kalivarjya pp. 8-16. 2 Manu 9. 165-80, Yaj. II. 128-132 and others speak of twelve kinds of sons. 3 Gautama (IV. 20 and 22-23) severely condemns the intercourse of men of lower castes with women of higher castes and holds that their progeny is dharmahina. 4 Vashishtha 21.10 says ‘four kinds of women viz. one who has intercourse with a pupil or with the husband’s teacher, or one who kills her husband or commits adultery with a man or degraded caste, should be abandoned. Yaj. (III. 296-297) is against and says that even such women should be kept, near the house and given starving maintenance. Vide Atri V. 1-5. 5 Kane’s Kalivarjya pp. 8-12. 6 The Smritis say that a man should run the risk of life for cows and Brahmanas; vide Manu XI. 79 and Vishnu III. 45. 7 Vashishtha 14.20-21 says that food left after one has partaken of it from what was taken out for oneself or food touched by such leaving should not be eaten. Or this may mean ‘giving to another the leavings of food’: some smritis permit giving Ucchista to Shudras and the like, which is forbidden here. Vide Gautama X. 61 and Manu X. 125. 8 Manu III. 152 makes a Brahmana performing worship for money unfit for invitation in sraddha and ‘devakrtya’. 9 Collection of charred bones took place on the fourth day after cremation. Vishnu 19, 10-12; VaikhanasaSmartasutra V. 7; Samvarta, verses 38-39. 10 Kane’s Kalivarjya p. 13. 11 Katyayana Srauta (VII. 6.2-4) says that Soma should be purchased from a Brahmana of the Kautsa gotra or a Shudra; but Manu X. 88 forbids a Brahmana the sale of Soma along with many other things even though living by agriculture and the avocations of a Vaishya and Manu (III. 158 and 170) condemns a Brahmana who sells Soma as unfit for being invited at a Sraddha. 12 Manu XI. 16 allows a Brahmana who has had no food for three-days to take food for one day from one whose actions are low and so does Yaj. III. 43. if we read ‘hinakarmana’ it would mean ‘even by doing what is low’ (i.e. by begging or theft or by such actions as are described in Narada, abhyupetya-susrusa, vv. 5-7). 13 Manu smritis allow a Brahmana to have cooked food from Shudras if they are that Brahmana’s dasas, barber, cowherd, or cultivator of his land, hereditary, friends. Vide Gautama 17.6, Manu IV. 253, Yaj. 1. 166 (where the first half is the same as here). Angiras 120, Parasara XI.

321 RIDDLE NO. 24 “29. 1Going on a very distant pilgrimage.” “30. Behaviour of a pupil towards his teacher’s wife as towards a teacher that is declared in smrtis” 2. “31. The maintenance by Brahamanas in adversity (by following unworthy avocations) and the mode of livelihood in which a Brahmana does not care to accumulate for tomorrow.” 3 “32. 4The acceptance of aranis (two wooden blocks for producing fire) by Brahmanas (in the Homa at the time of jatakarma) in order that all the ceremonies for the child from jatakarma to his marriage may be performed therein.”5 “33. Constant journeys by Brahamanas.” “34. Blowing of fire with the mouth (i.e. without employing a bamboo dhamni.”6 “35. Allowing women who have become polluted by rape, &c, to freely mix in the caste (when they have performed prayascitta) as declared in the sastric texts.” 7 “36. 8Begging of food by a sannayasin from persons of all Varnas (including sudra).” 9 “37. To wait (i.e. not to use) for ten days water that has recently been dug in the ground.” “38. Giving fee to the teacher as demanded by him (at the end of study) according to the rules laid down in the sastra.” 10 “39. “The employment of sudras as cook for Brahmanas and the rest.” 12 “40. Suicide of old people by calling from a precipice or into fire.” 13 1 Kane’s Kalivarjya p. 14. 2 Manu 11. 210 prescribes that the wives of one’s teacher, if they are of the same Varna as the teacher, are to be honoured like the teacher and if they are not of the same Varna then by rising to receive them and by saluting them. 3 Gautama VII. 1-7, Ap. Dh. S. I. 7.20. 11-17, 21. 4, Yaj. III. 35.44 and others allow a Brahmana to live by the occupations of a Kshatriya or Vaishya in adversity. Manu IV. 7 places before a Brahmana the ideal that he should not accumulate more corn than what is required for three days or for the current day. Both these extremes are forbidden here. 4 Kane’s Kalivarjya p. 14. 5 The Samsakarya-kaustubha quotes a grhyaphrisista for this. 6 In Manu IV. 53 also the same prohibition occurs. In Vedic passages blowing at the fire with breath from the mouth direct was allowed. Vide Haradatta on Ap. Dh. S. 1.5.15.20. 7 Even so late a smrti a Devala’s (verse 47) allows a woman raped even by Mlecchas to become pure after prayaschitta for three days. The Adityapurana appears to be most harsh on innocent and unfortunate women. 8 Kane’s Kalivarjya p. 15. 9 Baudhayana-dharma-sutra II. 10 allows a Sannyasin to beg food from all Varnas, while Manu (VI. 43) and Yaj. 111. 59 prescribe that he should beg in a village in the evening and Vashishtha also (X. 7) requires him to beg at seven houses not selected beforehand. But Vasishta says a little later on (X. 24) that he should subsist on what he would get at the houses of Brahmanas. 10 Yaj. I. 51 prescribes that a student after finishing Vedic study and performing vratas should give fees to the teacher as the latter desires and should perform the ceremonial bath. 11 Kane’s Kalivarjya p. 15. 12 The Apastamba-dharmasutra II. 2.3.4 allowed sudras to be cooks for the three higher Varnas under the supervision of aryas. 13 Vide Item No. 8 above.

322 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES “41. Performing Acamana by respectable people in water that would remain even after a cow has drunk it to its heart’s content.” 1 “42. Fining witnesses who depose to a dispute between father and son.” 12 “43. Sannyasin should stay where he happened to, be in the evening.” 13 These are the Kali Varjyas set out in the adityapurana. The strange thing about this code of Kali Varjya is that its significance has not been fully appreciated, it is simply referred to as a list of things forbidden in the Kali Yuga. But there is more than this behind this list of don’ts. People are no doubt forbidden to follow the practices listed in the Kali Varjya Code. The question however is : Are these practices condemned as being immoral, sinful or otherwise harmful to society ? The answer is no. One likes to know why these practices if they are forbidden are not condemned ? Herein lies the riddle of the Kali Varjya Code. This technique of forbidding a practice without condemning it stands in utter contrast with the procedure followed in earlier ages. To take only one illustration. The Apastamba Dharma Sutra forbids the practice of giving all property to the eldest son. But he condemns it. Why did the Brahmins invent this new technics forbid but not condemn ? There must be some special reason for this departure. What is that reason ? zz 1 Vashishtha III. 35 says that water accumulated in a hole on the ground would be fit for acamana if it is as much as would quench the thirst of a cow. Vide Manu V. 128 and Yaj I. 192. 2 Yaj. II. 239 prescribes a fine of three panas for witnesses in disputes between father and son. 3 This may also mean ‘a sannyasin should be at the houses in the evening’.

APPENDIX I THE RIDDLE OF RAMA AND KRISHNA Rama is the hero of the Ramayana whose author is Valmiki. The story of the Ramayana is a very short one. Besides it is simple and in itself there is nothing sensational about it. Rama is the son of Dasharatha the king of Ayodhya the modern Benares. Dasharatha had three wives, Kausalya, Kaikeyi and Sumitra besides several hundred concubines. Kaikeyi had married Dasharatha on terms which were at the time of marriage unspecified and which Dasharatha was bound to fulfil whenever he was called upon by Kaikeyi to do so. Dasharatha was childless for a long time. An heir to the throne was ardently desired by him. Seeing that there was no hope of his begetting a son on any of his three wives he decided to perform a Putreshti Yajna and called the sage Shrung at the sacrifice who prepared pindas and gave the three wives of Dasharatha to eat them. After they ate the pindas three wives became pregnant and gave birth to sons. Kausalya gave birth to Rama, Kaikeyi gave birth to Bharata and Sumitra gave birth to two sons Laxman and Satrughana. In due course Rama was married to Sita. When Rama came of age, Dasharatha thought of resigning the throne in favour of Rama and retiring from kingship. While this was being settled Kaikeyi raised the question of rendering her satisfaction of the terms on which she had married Dasharatha. On being asked to state her terms she demanded that her son Bharata should be installed on the throne in preference to Rama and Rama should live in forest for 12 years. Dasharatha with great reluctance agreed. Bharata became king of Ayodhya and Rama accompanied by his wife Sita and his step brother Laxman went to live in the forest. While the three living in the forest Ravana the king of Lanka kidnapped Sita and took her away and kept her in his palace This is a 49-page typed copy placed in a well-bound file along with the MS of ‘Symbols of Hinduism’. This riddle does not find place in the original Table of Contents. Hence this is included as an Appendix to this part.—Ed. Note: Government does not concur with the views expressed in this Chapter.

324 DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR : WRITINGS AND SPEECHES intending to make her one of his wives. Rama and Laxman then started search of Sita. On the way they meet Sugriva and Hanuman two leading personages of the Vanara (monkey) race and form friendship with them. With their help the place of the abduction was located and with their help they marched on Lanka, defeated Ravana in the battle and rescued Sita. Rama returns with Laxman and Sita to Ayodhya. By that time twelve years had elapsed and the term prescribed by Kaikeyi was fulfilled with the result that Bharata gave up the throne and in his place Rama became the king of Ayodhya. Such is in brief the outline of the story of the Ramayana as told by Valmiki. There is nothing in this story to make Rama the object of worship. He is only a dutiful son. But Valmiki saw something extraordinary in Rama and that is why he undertook to compose the Ramayana. Valmiki asked Narada the following question 1 : “Tell me Oh ! Narada, who is the most accomplished man on earth at the present time ?” and then goes on to elaborate what he means by accomplished man. He defines his accomplished man as : “Powerful, one who knows the secret of religion, one who knows gratitude, truthful, one who is ready to sacrifice his self interest even when in distress to fulfil a religious vow, virtuous in his conduct, eager to safeguard the interests of all, strong pleasing in appearance with power of self-control, able to subdue anger, illustrious, with no jealousy for the prosperity of others, and in war able to strike terror in the hearts of Gods.” Narada then asks for time to consider and after mature deliberation tells him that the only person who can be said to possess these virtues is Rama, the son of Dasharatha. It is because of his virtues that Rama has come to be deified. But is Rama a worthy personality of deification ? Let those who accept him an object worthy of worship as a God consider the following facts. Rama’s birth is miraculous and it may be that the suggestion that he was born from a pinda prepared by the sage Shrung is an allegorical glass to cover the naked truth that he was begotten upon Kausalya by the sage Shrung although the two did not stand in the relationship of husband and wife. In any case his birth if not disreputable in its origin is certainly unnatural. There are other incidents connected with the birth of Rama the unsavory character of which it will be difficult to deny. 1 Balakanda Sarga I. slokas 1-5.