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Riddles in Hinduism
“The Vedas are a worthless set of books. There is no reason either to call them sacred or infallible … The time has come when the Hindu mind must be freed from the hold which the silly ideas propagated by the Brahmans have on them. Without this, the liberation of India has no future”—B.R. Ambedkar
Hinduism claims one billion adherents worldwide. To all those who hold this religion dear, B.R. Ambedkar poses many riddles: Is it even a religion? Who is a Hindu?
Like most of his writings, Riddles in Hinduism remained unpublished during his lifetime. When the state of Maharashtra finally printed it in 1987, the Shiv Sena sought a ban. While the liberals looked away, the Dalit movement circulated copies.
At a time when the state and the Hindu right are painting Ambedkar as a ‘Hindu’ figure, this fierce critique—now with illuminating annotations—shows us how and why Ambedkar had no love for Hinduism.
In his introduction, Kancha Ilaiah tells us why Hinduism is facing its biggest ever challenge from Dalitbahujans. Ambedkar was one, today there are a million Ambedkars.
ISBN-10: 9788189059774
ISBN-13: 978-8189059774
Hinduism claims one billion adherents worldwide. To all those who hold this religion dear, B.R. Ambedkar poses many riddles: Is it even a religion? Who is a Hindu?
Like most of his writings, Riddles in Hinduism remained unpublished during his lifetime. When the state of Maharashtra finally printed it in 1987, the Shiv Sena sought a ban. While the liberals looked away, the Dalit movement circulated copies.
At a time when the state and the Hindu right are painting Ambedkar as a ‘Hindu’ figure, this fierce critique—now with illuminating annotations—shows us how and why Ambedkar had no love for Hinduism.
In his introduction, Kancha Ilaiah tells us why Hinduism is facing its biggest ever challenge from Dalitbahujans. Ambedkar was one, today there are a million Ambedkars.
ISBN-10: 9788189059774
ISBN-13: 978-8189059774
296 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1954
216 people are currently reading
3109 people want to read
About the author
B.R. Ambedkar
297 books1,103 followersBhimrao Ramji Ambedkar was born in 1891 into an “Untouchable” family of modest means. One of India’s most radical thinkers, he transformed the social and political landscape in the struggle against British colonialism. He was a prolific writer who oversaw the drafting of the Indian Constitution and served as India’s first Law Minister. In 1935, he publicly declared that though he was born a Hindu, he would not die as one. Ambedkar eventually embraced Buddhism, a few months before his death in 1956.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 62 reviews
March 22, 2013
One cannot imagine the guts of Ambedkar to have raised such bold and fundamental questions about the concept and tradition of Hinduism in the times dominated solely by orthodox Caste Hindu communities. There are hardly any answers presented so far in the last entire century that could make justice to the objections raised by Ambedkar.
July 1, 2016
If you grew up in a society that was always telling you how a certain set of books are infallible and they contain all the wisdom in the world, it becomes a little difficult to question those claims. A different narrative might not be easy to digest. Enter Ambedkar. With years of research and in depth knowledge of the scriptures, he manages to dissolve the halo surrounding these texts and expose the numerous contradictions in them, in fact some of the sections attack the foundation of the religion itself. He throws light on the archaic nature of these works, and the inhumane ideology that they espouse at times. A brilliant read for anyone who can look past their dogmas. There are areas where I disagree with the author, particularly his views on polygamy/andry and their morality, but the general themes dealt with in this book strike a chord with me. Also, a wonderful foreward by kancha illiah who gives perspective to Ambedkar's thoughts in the current context.
August 18, 2016
When criticising the caste system, Ambedkar scores brilliantly: while analysing myth, however, he misses the bus completely. So, three stars overall.
Detailed review shall follow.
Detailed review shall follow.
August 16, 2017
Riddles in Hinduism by B.R Ambedkar is a scathing remark on the well-established tenets of Hinduism.
The introduction by Kancha Ilaiah sets a good base for the book. He talks about Ambedkar's life, different roles he played and his critique of Hinduism. He also talks about the current context and how ironical it is for the right to appropriate Ambedkar as a Hindu figure despite his hatred for Hinduism.
Ambedkar has delved upon various aspects of Hinduism. The first riddle digs into the question of who is a Hindu? Ambedkar says that there is no definite answer for that owing to the diversity in thoughts and practices among Hindus. He also looks into the characterisation of Rama and Krishna in the popular narrative and questions the sanctity of their actions. He is also critical of Manu's explanation of the Mixed Caste.
The most interesting read for me was the riddle of The Four Varnas: Are the Brahmans Sure of their Origin?. In this riddle, he explains how different scriptures suggest a different origin of the caste system. There is no coherence among Vedas and Shashtras.
Ambedkar's writing is hard hitting. He raises right questions and views them with an objective lens. He has deeply researched all the scriptures and dissected them for us to see their internal contradictions.He makes you question your own deep-rooted prejudices which were fed to you by the popular narrative. No wonder when Maharashtra Government printed this book, Shiv Sena sought a ban.
In a nutshell, if you have to read one book this year, it ought to be this one.
The introduction by Kancha Ilaiah sets a good base for the book. He talks about Ambedkar's life, different roles he played and his critique of Hinduism. He also talks about the current context and how ironical it is for the right to appropriate Ambedkar as a Hindu figure despite his hatred for Hinduism.
Ambedkar has delved upon various aspects of Hinduism. The first riddle digs into the question of who is a Hindu? Ambedkar says that there is no definite answer for that owing to the diversity in thoughts and practices among Hindus. He also looks into the characterisation of Rama and Krishna in the popular narrative and questions the sanctity of their actions. He is also critical of Manu's explanation of the Mixed Caste.
The most interesting read for me was the riddle of The Four Varnas: Are the Brahmans Sure of their Origin?. In this riddle, he explains how different scriptures suggest a different origin of the caste system. There is no coherence among Vedas and Shashtras.
Ambedkar's writing is hard hitting. He raises right questions and views them with an objective lens. He has deeply researched all the scriptures and dissected them for us to see their internal contradictions.He makes you question your own deep-rooted prejudices which were fed to you by the popular narrative. No wonder when Maharashtra Government printed this book, Shiv Sena sought a ban.
In a nutshell, if you have to read one book this year, it ought to be this one.
January 1, 2020
The book talks of the inconsistencies in Hinduism and yet is full of internal inconsistencies. Each riddle he poses has a relatively simple answer. Some of his conclusions are wild and counterintuitive.
Someone should have asked BR Ambedkar to apply Occam's Razor to his questions.
Someone should have asked BR Ambedkar to apply Occam's Razor to his questions.
July 26, 2016
Want to know more about Hinduism read this with open mind with out any preconception.
If you can not digest something against your religious beliefs don't give a try to read.
If you can not digest something against your religious beliefs don't give a try to read.
June 2, 2021
This book's a shredder that rips apart Hinduism beyond recovery.
Starts as a breezy read but gets dense post half-way when Ambedkar heavily starts quoting the religious texts which mostly seem like a neurotic rant. Thank god, this is a selection of 10-riddles from the original manuscript. Reading through all the riddles might have been a daunting task.
He dismantles the Vedas, the caste system, four ashramas and brings to light Manu's desperate attempts to engulf non- Aryan communities into Aryan social order. Rama and Krishna are both laughable by the end.
He leaves you feeling that Hinduism is at best a confused mess concocted by Brahmins to retain power.
Strongly makes you question what is this sanatan or eternal Hinduism that both the agents of Hindutva or well-intentioned Tharoors of the world are talking about. Their Hinduism is nothing but an idealized and sanitized version meant to breathe life into a dying and rotten religion. Hinduism at its heart is divisive and quite unsuitable for a democratic society.
Ambedkar leaves out any discussion on the mystical and spiritual elements which does seem like he threw the baby out with the bathwater. None of the positive aspects of Hinduism like its plurality or its unique knowledge such as Yoga and Ayurveda find any praise or mention, which is the only thing I dislike about the book.
Till now I was proud of Hinduism's inclusiveness and spirituality but I guess it was due to my ingorance of its flaws. It's hard to look away from its murkiness now that I'm aware of it. Yes, our myths have some deep wisdom to imbibe which definitely will stay alive in the works of Devdutt Pattanaik and many more, but I feel a little stupid and naive because I was seeing only half the picture till now.
All bhakts singing praises of Hinduism should definitely read this book but if bhakts read anything they wouldn't remain one.
Starts as a breezy read but gets dense post half-way when Ambedkar heavily starts quoting the religious texts which mostly seem like a neurotic rant. Thank god, this is a selection of 10-riddles from the original manuscript. Reading through all the riddles might have been a daunting task.
He dismantles the Vedas, the caste system, four ashramas and brings to light Manu's desperate attempts to engulf non- Aryan communities into Aryan social order. Rama and Krishna are both laughable by the end.
He leaves you feeling that Hinduism is at best a confused mess concocted by Brahmins to retain power.
Strongly makes you question what is this sanatan or eternal Hinduism that both the agents of Hindutva or well-intentioned Tharoors of the world are talking about. Their Hinduism is nothing but an idealized and sanitized version meant to breathe life into a dying and rotten religion. Hinduism at its heart is divisive and quite unsuitable for a democratic society.
Ambedkar leaves out any discussion on the mystical and spiritual elements which does seem like he threw the baby out with the bathwater. None of the positive aspects of Hinduism like its plurality or its unique knowledge such as Yoga and Ayurveda find any praise or mention, which is the only thing I dislike about the book.
Till now I was proud of Hinduism's inclusiveness and spirituality but I guess it was due to my ingorance of its flaws. It's hard to look away from its murkiness now that I'm aware of it. Yes, our myths have some deep wisdom to imbibe which definitely will stay alive in the works of Devdutt Pattanaik and many more, but I feel a little stupid and naive because I was seeing only half the picture till now.
All bhakts singing praises of Hinduism should definitely read this book but if bhakts read anything they wouldn't remain one.
November 2, 2019
Why is someone a Hindu?
Thought-provoking but highly biased. As the title suggests, this book about the riddles or contradictions in the way of life mentioned in the Hindu scriptures with that of actually followed and preached. The problem with this book is that it criticizes Hinduism as a religion based on the Vedic scriptures. There is no problem with that, as everyone has a right to put out an argument. The problem is with the way it is written and the language used. A clear sense of pre-judgement prevails in the entire book. Maybe the author has an established agenda of putting the book as a final judgement rather than a neutral enquiry.
There are definitely some good enquiries like the fact that - What constitutes Hinduism?
A good book if you can read, whilst ignoring the in-between opinions, for the facts.
Thought-provoking but highly biased. As the title suggests, this book about the riddles or contradictions in the way of life mentioned in the Hindu scriptures with that of actually followed and preached. The problem with this book is that it criticizes Hinduism as a religion based on the Vedic scriptures. There is no problem with that, as everyone has a right to put out an argument. The problem is with the way it is written and the language used. A clear sense of pre-judgement prevails in the entire book. Maybe the author has an established agenda of putting the book as a final judgement rather than a neutral enquiry.
There are definitely some good enquiries like the fact that - What constitutes Hinduism?
A good book if you can read, whilst ignoring the in-between opinions, for the facts.
November 22, 2020
The research Ambedkar has done is astounding. Even though I skipped some parts where there are quotes from scriptures, I absolutely read every bit put forward by Ambedkar.
It is important to read this book in the context of history. Today, lot of research has been done on history of Ancient India but during Ambedkar's time that was clearly not the case. Moreover, he does have his own biases which again is to be expected from any historical work. Despite of all these things, he has gone over almost every scripture with a comb and tried to untangle the mess that is Hindu scriptures. This book should be made part of syllabus for study of Indian history. Even at University level, this book was hardly talked about and I am sure it has to do with how it attack core idea of Hinduism.
I will be rereading this book again few years down the line for sure.
It is important to read this book in the context of history. Today, lot of research has been done on history of Ancient India but during Ambedkar's time that was clearly not the case. Moreover, he does have his own biases which again is to be expected from any historical work. Despite of all these things, he has gone over almost every scripture with a comb and tried to untangle the mess that is Hindu scriptures. This book should be made part of syllabus for study of Indian history. Even at University level, this book was hardly talked about and I am sure it has to do with how it attack core idea of Hinduism.
I will be rereading this book again few years down the line for sure.
May 16, 2017
The only works more retconned than Star Wars by Lucas are the sacred books of Hinduism. Thousands of generations of Brahmins have manipulated and modified, many cynically and some with noble intentions, the Vedas, smritis, shrutis, sutras, puranas, epics, brahmanas, etc. that it is difficult to invoke even one value as something Hinduism stands for without a contradiction evoked somewhere in all those books. Thence the riddles.
There's all kinds of weird stuff in there but Dr. Ambedkar's riddles are only those that were/are relevant to (then) contemporary Indian society. To be sure, the riddles as a work was unfinished and uncompiled by the time of his death. They were edited and published by the BAWS committee and now, in the edition I've read, a selected few were recompiled, edited and released with annotations.
The riddles were selected probably for their importance to counter the current Hindutva narrative in India. They all challenge some of the most deeply held beliefs of Hindus, although some more successfully than others. The first riddle included is the one of the difficulty in knowing whether one is Hindu or not- the concept of Hinduism is so nebulous that anywhere from 10% to 85% of Indian citizens are Hindus, based on your definition. Further riddles question the institutions of ahimsa, varnashrama, the yugas, and Rama and Krishna, from religious, social, and political perspectives. The specific riddles on varnashrama are most informatory while the ones on Rama and Krishna seem incomplete and inaccurate in places.
Navayana's annotations in the book, like their counterparts in Navayana's Annihilation of Caste, are often not useful. The first problem is that they are too numerous. They ruin the flow. No text needs annotations in every page, especially that of a writer as lucid as Dr. Ambedkar. Secondly, they are sometimes redundant or unnecessary. If Dr. Ambedkar quotes some Indophile author, I don't need to know the biography of that author and the origin of his interest in Vedas. I would Google if I felt the need to check them out.
Dr. Ambedkar's writing is as incisive and precise as in his other works and I wish he were able to finish all the riddles and compile them into a cogent and complete work. Buy partly due to fate and partly due to supreme negligence and barbarity of Indian government, we only have a partial work. Even then it is extremely informative and important and is worth more without Navayana's annotations.
There's all kinds of weird stuff in there but Dr. Ambedkar's riddles are only those that were/are relevant to (then) contemporary Indian society. To be sure, the riddles as a work was unfinished and uncompiled by the time of his death. They were edited and published by the BAWS committee and now, in the edition I've read, a selected few were recompiled, edited and released with annotations.
The riddles were selected probably for their importance to counter the current Hindutva narrative in India. They all challenge some of the most deeply held beliefs of Hindus, although some more successfully than others. The first riddle included is the one of the difficulty in knowing whether one is Hindu or not- the concept of Hinduism is so nebulous that anywhere from 10% to 85% of Indian citizens are Hindus, based on your definition. Further riddles question the institutions of ahimsa, varnashrama, the yugas, and Rama and Krishna, from religious, social, and political perspectives. The specific riddles on varnashrama are most informatory while the ones on Rama and Krishna seem incomplete and inaccurate in places.
Navayana's annotations in the book, like their counterparts in Navayana's Annihilation of Caste, are often not useful. The first problem is that they are too numerous. They ruin the flow. No text needs annotations in every page, especially that of a writer as lucid as Dr. Ambedkar. Secondly, they are sometimes redundant or unnecessary. If Dr. Ambedkar quotes some Indophile author, I don't need to know the biography of that author and the origin of his interest in Vedas. I would Google if I felt the need to check them out.
Dr. Ambedkar's writing is as incisive and precise as in his other works and I wish he were able to finish all the riddles and compile them into a cogent and complete work. Buy partly due to fate and partly due to supreme negligence and barbarity of Indian government, we only have a partial work. Even then it is extremely informative and important and is worth more without Navayana's annotations.
June 5, 2023
EVery Hindu must read this enlightening book. Ambedkar has drawn up a mirror upon the rituals prescribed in Hindu scriptures. which reflects the anomalies, stark contradictions, obsolescence and at times the sheer foolishness. The mirror however is guilty of disproportionate distortion and cherry picking. By former I mean that the way the author has pointed out the anamolies et al, it might seem to an uninitiated reader that the Hindu scriptures are nothing but a pile of garbage. Now we all know that isn't the case. In his defense one can argue, that his objective in writing the book was to expose just these and realize their grip over society. For the cherry picking aspect of this book, one most note that the author had his own political and social agenda to serve. Hence he has deliberately chosen those and kept harping only on those that help further his agenda.
Another aspect, I would like to highlight here, is that the several Riddles posted by the author as belonging to Hinduism were actually applicable to many of the leading cultures of yesteryears, eg : propiatiating ceremonies , sacrifices, incest, consumption of liquor, etc etc. Although they were bane for the progress of any society, just want to highlight that weren't solely defects of Hinduism, but defect prevalent as a fashion of the times.
However the times in which this book was written , epitomizes Ambedkar's courage to even entertain such blasphemous thoughts, let aside write it down. So kudos to that effort.
His writing is as always entertaining, objective and has a scientific temper. I wish that masses of Ambedkar followers start reading and digesting his writings. That will help their cause more than just blind worship, ( which was repulsive to Ambedkar).
Another aspect, I would like to highlight here, is that the several Riddles posted by the author as belonging to Hinduism were actually applicable to many of the leading cultures of yesteryears, eg : propiatiating ceremonies , sacrifices, incest, consumption of liquor, etc etc. Although they were bane for the progress of any society, just want to highlight that weren't solely defects of Hinduism, but defect prevalent as a fashion of the times.
However the times in which this book was written , epitomizes Ambedkar's courage to even entertain such blasphemous thoughts, let aside write it down. So kudos to that effort.
His writing is as always entertaining, objective and has a scientific temper. I wish that masses of Ambedkar followers start reading and digesting his writings. That will help their cause more than just blind worship, ( which was repulsive to Ambedkar).
May 27, 2023
The crux of this book is Ambedkar trying to show multiple exhibits of immorality and iniquities in the sacred texts. At risk of whataboutism, I point out the fact that applying modern ethical standards to all religious texts would be a hazardous endeavor. An extensive exercise in cherry picking it may be, but it does not take away from the fact that Ambedkar does make some great points - on how Brahmanism stifled other schools of thought in Hinduism, for example. Reading the first half of the book truly gave me some deep insights into how Hindu society came to be. Ambedkar must have been a truly exceptional thinker, I am excited to continue reading his works.
Yet, the author's argument is that as these texts seem to be the only discernible basis for Hindu rites, they should have had a great role in the development of Hindu society and history as well. I personally believe that the need for the existence of the 'revelations' in this book show that the average modern Hindu has next to no knowledge of the Vedas or the epics. Here's a riddle which emerged from my reading of this book: How can these texts be so foundational and important, without weighing half as heavily on the collective Hindu consciousness as other religious books tend to do for their adherents?
Yet, the author's argument is that as these texts seem to be the only discernible basis for Hindu rites, they should have had a great role in the development of Hindu society and history as well. I personally believe that the need for the existence of the 'revelations' in this book show that the average modern Hindu has next to no knowledge of the Vedas or the epics. Here's a riddle which emerged from my reading of this book: How can these texts be so foundational and important, without weighing half as heavily on the collective Hindu consciousness as other religious books tend to do for their adherents?
July 28, 2021
3.75*
The book is not exactly readable but it is very well researched. The flaws and questions raised are valid, well backed with proof and give us a much needed insight into not just Hinduism but how it pertains to the caste system among several other issues. Ambedkar knew what he was doing.
The book is not exactly readable but it is very well researched. The flaws and questions raised are valid, well backed with proof and give us a much needed insight into not just Hinduism but how it pertains to the caste system among several other issues. Ambedkar knew what he was doing.
April 7, 2018
Why am I reading Ambedkar?
While reading an author, one invests his time and energy. It demands attention to understand the point of views of any author. It creates an unusual bonding and if you do not have a strong reason then the chances are low to get that bonding. The reason for me to read Ambedkar is the partiality of our system. As far I can remember, during our school life, we never got expose to Ambedkar as compared to other Indian leaders like Gandhi, Nehru, Shivaji, Savarkar, Bhagat Singh and many more.
I feel that the Ambedkar is one of the most impactful leaders among his peers Mahatma Phule, Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda, Mother Teresa and many more in the Indian society. He was highly educated person in those days. Well, the naysayers will say, Gandhi & Nehru also educated one & had the foreign degree, but the main contrast is Ambedkar was from the lower strata of society while others were from an affluent background and upper strata.
Not only our education system but also the mainstream media is estranged towards Ambedkar. There are lots of movies, TV series, books, research papers and documentaries are available on the numerous Indian leaders (Social Reformer, Political leaders and Freedom fighters) except Ambedkar.
Ambedkar was the chairman of the constitution drafting committee and he helped establish the Finance Commission of India. He emphasised on the free economy with the stable rupee. But sadly, he never got his fair and square share and belittle to "Dalit Demi-God" by masses because of his views on the reservation. Ambedkar has taken more brickbat in his lifetime and posthumously as compared to any other leader in India. And this is the well-known fact that most of the time Ambedkar's statue gets vandalise as compared to any other national leader. I think most of the populace has a peculiar obsession with Ambedkar and why not, he has raged a war against their 330 million Gods.
About the novel "Riddles in Hinduism"
Ambedkar is trying to find out pith of Hindu religion and raised a few critical questions about the creed and dogma of Hindu religion. The author has done exhaustive research, you can find a lot of references to Veda, Vedanta, Puran, Upnishadas and other scholarly work while reading the book.
The book is divided into three parts viz Religious, Social and Political riddles.
In the first religious part, Ambedkar has pointed out total 15 riddles like why one is Hindu, the origin of Vedas, the infallibility of Vedas, analysis of Vedas neither man-made nor by God, why Gods fight each other, etc.
In the second social part, there are 5 riddles, the origin of four varnas, the four Aashram, Manu's explanation about the mixed castes, the shift from paternity to maternity in Hindu religion and blunder of Kali Varjya.
In the third political part, there are 4 riddles, the theory of Manvantara, the importance of Bhramha, unending Kali Yuga and lastly the riddle of Kali Yuga.
The overall tone of the author is scientific, critical and logical. It is an informative read for those who want to have a deeper knowledge and analysis of Hindu literature like Vishu Puran, Kali Puran, Vedas and other ancient texts. For me, few parts were hard to understand and assimilate all the information as there are a lot of Sanskrit terminologies used in this book and the debate is vast in nature, cannot be concluded in a single book!
CAUTION:The author has focused on most of immoral, inhuman practices that were prevalent in ancient India in the name of religion. For example, he has summarised about Kali Puran and methods of sacrificing a human to worship the goddess, Kali. The description of such practices is morbid, ghastly and make you feel sick.
November 2, 2016
I'm amused that B.R. Ambedkar was not only a lawyer par excellence who framed out constitution, a revolutionary leader but also a person who has dived into the depths of Hindu literature before of course criticizing it. Because off late we see people criticizing something without knowing about it fully. I'm proud that we had a leader like Ambedkar.
I should also say that, despite having faced the wrath of caste Hindus through out his life, Ambedkar has been gracious enough to give credit to the Hindu thoughts wherever it deserved so. The concept of Brahmaism and the thoughts of Thatvamassi and Aham Brahmasmi have been duly given the credits of being the first democratic thoughts of the world, much ahead of the Greeks, who are credited with the invention of democracy.
The siting of incest, Niyoga and flesh eating as the hall marks of ancient Aryans, is not surprising as what else was expected from a primitive tribe. I believe not just Aryans , but even primitive Dravidians or Sumerians or even Mangolians should have done the same. But just because of that, one cannot downgrade whatever came out of that tribe thereafter. But he must have done that because of the Aryan religion which downgraded and suppressed the Dasyu/Dravidian religious ideas. But that has been done by every invading religion, see what the Christians did to Jews and Pagans. See the concept of converting or killing the khafirs.
But incorporating a legitimacy of perennially suppressing the Dasyu's terming them as untouchables or Mlechas is unpardonable. Whoever has built that into the Rigveda has done an unpardonable sin to the humankind.
The Millions of souls who had to live and die as untouchables would never forgive the forces who tamper great books to serve the vested interests. The Chaturvarna theory in Rig Veda is the best example to what level people can stoop to serve their selfish ends.
I should also say that, despite having faced the wrath of caste Hindus through out his life, Ambedkar has been gracious enough to give credit to the Hindu thoughts wherever it deserved so. The concept of Brahmaism and the thoughts of Thatvamassi and Aham Brahmasmi have been duly given the credits of being the first democratic thoughts of the world, much ahead of the Greeks, who are credited with the invention of democracy.
The siting of incest, Niyoga and flesh eating as the hall marks of ancient Aryans, is not surprising as what else was expected from a primitive tribe. I believe not just Aryans , but even primitive Dravidians or Sumerians or even Mangolians should have done the same. But just because of that, one cannot downgrade whatever came out of that tribe thereafter. But he must have done that because of the Aryan religion which downgraded and suppressed the Dasyu/Dravidian religious ideas. But that has been done by every invading religion, see what the Christians did to Jews and Pagans. See the concept of converting or killing the khafirs.
But incorporating a legitimacy of perennially suppressing the Dasyu's terming them as untouchables or Mlechas is unpardonable. Whoever has built that into the Rigveda has done an unpardonable sin to the humankind.
The Millions of souls who had to live and die as untouchables would never forgive the forces who tamper great books to serve the vested interests. The Chaturvarna theory in Rig Veda is the best example to what level people can stoop to serve their selfish ends.
June 6, 2016
Few chapters (riddles) on origin of caste, supremacy of Upanishads over Vedas, treatment of untouchables are really thought provoking but for the most part, the book relies only on orientalist explanations and translations to prove its murky points.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar deserves an appreciation for the prodigious collection of ancient literature (and that too in the non-internet era) on numerous topics but that he is prejudiced and seems to have written with a sole purpose of bashing Brahmanism is quite evident.
Good luck reading this one without falling asleep.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar deserves an appreciation for the prodigious collection of ancient literature (and that too in the non-internet era) on numerous topics but that he is prejudiced and seems to have written with a sole purpose of bashing Brahmanism is quite evident.
Good luck reading this one without falling asleep.
June 18, 2016
Ambedkar engages in an epic rap battle against Hindu Sanatan and wins
May 2, 2024
Navayana’s version of Riddles in Hinduism is supposed to be “An Annotated Critical Edition” – a fancy way of saying they have massacred the book, cherry picked bits and pieces from here and there, omitted several chapters altogether, and added random unnecessary footnotes that take up space on every other page to ‘explain’ to you what Ambedkar ‘really’ meant. It is often jarring and erratic, breaks the flow of reading, and contributes virtually nothing to what you learn, on top of that it can easily confuse a new reader as to what is even supposed to be the takeaway from what they're reading.
For anyone who’s properly read Ambedkar would tell anyone else that reading Ambedkar is an exercise that takes a lifetime, and yet it is the easiest thing ever to read him. Just do not be intimidated by the sheer volume of texts, and dive in.
The difference between Ambedkar and most other writers of the intellectual tradition is that while they wrote to impress, he always wrote to explain and express.
He knew that the people reading him would be the untouchables who just climbed out of centuries of literary darkness and the foreigners who would need to read him to be able to see India beyond the lens of Hinduism – both of these categories were usually unaware of most things and needed to be told everything from scratch. Ambedkar knew he needed detailed explanations, background information, all the references that were possible, and all the evidence that he could collect. He knew that people in his time needed all the information that was available. He also knew that his people in the future will be reading him, and he made sure that all the context was provided – a stark difference as compared to Marx’s and Lenin’s writings which often have missing contexts and references that make no sense to someone from the 21st century.
You can literally pick any books of his without any prerequisite knowledge, and you will not need any extra explanations, no companion books, no pontificating suvarnas pausing the text in every second paragraph and then chiming in with their worthless tidbits and trivia.
Anyone who really reads Ambedkar, and especially someone who can deemed themself qualified enough to edit or annotate Ambedkar’s books, should know that his books are best read as a whole piece, without interruptions and sidebars, just simply following the train of thought he takes you on. You follow the information and the reasoning, and go from one step to the next, you take every step on the way without skipping. There are no non-essential parts in his writing that the Navayana editors can shamelessly cut away.
Arguably the densest book he wrote, What Have Congress and Gandhi Done to the Untouchables, comes with so many charts and tables and inclusion of letters and news articles and many many excerpts. Most of it is mere reference, we don’t even need to study them in detail but just to know the essence of it and to know that it is there as a piece of evidence.
And that’s why the most important thing Dr Ambedkar knew was that in the future there will be those who will try to disprove him, to claim that he had no proof for what he said or that he was wrong. But Dr Ambedkar made sure that can never happen, because there is evidence and reference for literally everything he says. There’s just no way to prove him wrong.
Navayana editors seem to have completely missed this point. They cut and chop away pieces of his work, sell expensive books with only half the original content, and misguide the readers who buy their books by mistake.
S Anand, the publisher at Navayana writes shamefacedly in the preface of the book, without a hint of dry irony:
“Given the irony of both the annotators being born Brahman, the exercise in writing a commentary of Ambedkar’s text made us self-conscious about following what ultimately seems a Brahmanical bhashya tradition. But truth to be told, reading Ambedkar’s work only exposed our profound ignorance of the texts and theology he so consummately discusses and demolishes. And how else is one to join Ambedkar’s Sangha than by aiding and abetting him? Is redemption ever possible for a Brahman may well be another lost riddle.”
He admits that the brahmans are doing brahmansplaining, he admits that they are ignorant of the profound implication of Ambedkar’s texts, and yet he wholeheartedly believes that these brahmans are qualified to decide which parts of Ambedkar’s books are essential and which parts are non-essential and that they can cut and chop his work at will, add their own bullshit interjections and make money from it.
They only know how to hijack the stage and hog the limelight instead of letting an actual Dalit person be involved in the editing process of Ambedkar’s books.
It is one of the things that has genuinely hampered the anti-caste movement, that is the ‘well-meaning’ suvarnas barging in with their newfound love for Ambedkar. Instead of shutting up and listening and learning, they begin to speak with their half-baked knowledge and half-assed intent, and then they use their social capital to take the attention away from the actual dalit writers and artists and creators. Instead of educating their own casteist families and relatives and friends, they start their verbal diarrhoea in the dalit circles and start telling us what they think about what Ambedkar was. They keep telling us what we already know. But they won't preach this in their own social circles where they happily celebrate their Holi and Diwali and casteist weddings without speaking a word of protest, and then come back to us in the changed garb of the anti-caste revolutionary.
Navayana takes this tradition of stage-hijacking to another level where they’re selling you half-books for double the price, and the dalit writers and editors do not get a say in this.
Unfortunately, Navayana does not care. Their purpose is limited to making money and hijacking Ambedkar by selling some zombified versions of his words to as many people as possible by feeding them half-knowledge and suvarna-aided mal-explanations.
Never ever buy an Ambedkar book from Navayana publications. Look for others who publish the whole book, and you can get it for a far less price and in better appearance as well. Or better yet, buy the volumes of BAWS if you can afford it.
For anyone who’s properly read Ambedkar would tell anyone else that reading Ambedkar is an exercise that takes a lifetime, and yet it is the easiest thing ever to read him. Just do not be intimidated by the sheer volume of texts, and dive in.
The difference between Ambedkar and most other writers of the intellectual tradition is that while they wrote to impress, he always wrote to explain and express.
He knew that the people reading him would be the untouchables who just climbed out of centuries of literary darkness and the foreigners who would need to read him to be able to see India beyond the lens of Hinduism – both of these categories were usually unaware of most things and needed to be told everything from scratch. Ambedkar knew he needed detailed explanations, background information, all the references that were possible, and all the evidence that he could collect. He knew that people in his time needed all the information that was available. He also knew that his people in the future will be reading him, and he made sure that all the context was provided – a stark difference as compared to Marx’s and Lenin’s writings which often have missing contexts and references that make no sense to someone from the 21st century.
You can literally pick any books of his without any prerequisite knowledge, and you will not need any extra explanations, no companion books, no pontificating suvarnas pausing the text in every second paragraph and then chiming in with their worthless tidbits and trivia.
Anyone who really reads Ambedkar, and especially someone who can deemed themself qualified enough to edit or annotate Ambedkar’s books, should know that his books are best read as a whole piece, without interruptions and sidebars, just simply following the train of thought he takes you on. You follow the information and the reasoning, and go from one step to the next, you take every step on the way without skipping. There are no non-essential parts in his writing that the Navayana editors can shamelessly cut away.
Arguably the densest book he wrote, What Have Congress and Gandhi Done to the Untouchables, comes with so many charts and tables and inclusion of letters and news articles and many many excerpts. Most of it is mere reference, we don’t even need to study them in detail but just to know the essence of it and to know that it is there as a piece of evidence.
And that’s why the most important thing Dr Ambedkar knew was that in the future there will be those who will try to disprove him, to claim that he had no proof for what he said or that he was wrong. But Dr Ambedkar made sure that can never happen, because there is evidence and reference for literally everything he says. There’s just no way to prove him wrong.
Navayana editors seem to have completely missed this point. They cut and chop away pieces of his work, sell expensive books with only half the original content, and misguide the readers who buy their books by mistake.
S Anand, the publisher at Navayana writes shamefacedly in the preface of the book, without a hint of dry irony:
“Given the irony of both the annotators being born Brahman, the exercise in writing a commentary of Ambedkar’s text made us self-conscious about following what ultimately seems a Brahmanical bhashya tradition. But truth to be told, reading Ambedkar’s work only exposed our profound ignorance of the texts and theology he so consummately discusses and demolishes. And how else is one to join Ambedkar’s Sangha than by aiding and abetting him? Is redemption ever possible for a Brahman may well be another lost riddle.”
He admits that the brahmans are doing brahmansplaining, he admits that they are ignorant of the profound implication of Ambedkar’s texts, and yet he wholeheartedly believes that these brahmans are qualified to decide which parts of Ambedkar’s books are essential and which parts are non-essential and that they can cut and chop his work at will, add their own bullshit interjections and make money from it.
They only know how to hijack the stage and hog the limelight instead of letting an actual Dalit person be involved in the editing process of Ambedkar’s books.
It is one of the things that has genuinely hampered the anti-caste movement, that is the ‘well-meaning’ suvarnas barging in with their newfound love for Ambedkar. Instead of shutting up and listening and learning, they begin to speak with their half-baked knowledge and half-assed intent, and then they use their social capital to take the attention away from the actual dalit writers and artists and creators. Instead of educating their own casteist families and relatives and friends, they start their verbal diarrhoea in the dalit circles and start telling us what they think about what Ambedkar was. They keep telling us what we already know. But they won't preach this in their own social circles where they happily celebrate their Holi and Diwali and casteist weddings without speaking a word of protest, and then come back to us in the changed garb of the anti-caste revolutionary.
Navayana takes this tradition of stage-hijacking to another level where they’re selling you half-books for double the price, and the dalit writers and editors do not get a say in this.
Unfortunately, Navayana does not care. Their purpose is limited to making money and hijacking Ambedkar by selling some zombified versions of his words to as many people as possible by feeding them half-knowledge and suvarna-aided mal-explanations.
Never ever buy an Ambedkar book from Navayana publications. Look for others who publish the whole book, and you can get it for a far less price and in better appearance as well. Or better yet, buy the volumes of BAWS if you can afford it.
August 2, 2016
Ambedkar questions everything that the high class brahmins and other two 'upper' classes have held very close to themselves over centuries. He mostly questions the manusmriti and vedas....their infallability and the contradictions that are much too apparant in Hindu society. He was brave to question it all. I can't really imagine someone writing such a book even in present times. Or may be, it is more difficult now than it was at that time.
On a larger canvas, the important point that one can bring home is that it is very necessary for a culture to question its 'everything', as bhuddha did 2500 years back or Ambedkar did 70 years back, if it really wants to remain relevant.
On a larger canvas, the important point that one can bring home is that it is very necessary for a culture to question its 'everything', as bhuddha did 2500 years back or Ambedkar did 70 years back, if it really wants to remain relevant.
May 14, 2018
Well, It's unfair to judge an incomplete work. And especially of scolars like ambedkar. No wonder he was a lawyer. His writing shows it. He playfully investigates both sides and even questions his own conclusions making them strong enough. He knows his stuff very deeply. I'm saying this based on his all other works included,not only this one.
Though,incomplete it may be, it still holds the power to baffle anyone's mind. Each chapter holds that potential.
It's a must read.
Though,incomplete it may be, it still holds the power to baffle anyone's mind. Each chapter holds that potential.
It's a must read.
May 30, 2024
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Riddles of Hinduism was an unfinished, unpublished draft by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Written during a time of intense social and political upheaval in India, the book reflects Ambedkar's critical perspective on Hinduism. While I don't find it offensive, I understand that religious individuals might perceive it as blasphemous. If you find it offensive, don't judge Ambedkar solely based on this work. I recommend exploring his other writings for a more comprehensive understanding.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a key architect of the Indian Constitution and a prominent leader of the Dalit movement, used his scholarship to challenge the social injustices perpetuated by the caste system. In my view, Riddles of Hinduism presents a cynic's interpretation. The original authors of scriptures like the Vedas are long dead, and only they truly knew what they meant. Therefore, every interpretation is equivalently admissible. Unless someone claims these scriptures are the word of the divine, consider Riddles of Hinduism a rebuttal by a person who is Naraz (discontent) with the divine.
Many regard Ambedkar as a politician with a nefarious purpose behind his writings. While some might see Riddles of Hinduism as an attempt to insult Sanatan Hindu Dharma, others view it as a response to historical injustices. However, considering his other works like The Buddha and His Dhamma, I believe Ambedkar's aim was the genuine emancipation of Dalits, whose plight in India he likened to that of American slaves.
Religion has often been used to justify atrocities, such as the enslavement of African Americans, who were considered the descendants of Ham and thus cursed to be slaves according to Master's Christian beliefs. Similarly, Dalits are said to suffer due to their past life's bad deeds, while their masters' favorable positions are attributed to their past life's good deeds. After the Civil War and the civil rights movement, slaves in America were freed but many adopted Christianity, the religion of their former masters. Ambedkar would argue that this did not constitute true liberation, as they remained mentally enslaved.
With Riddles of Hinduism, Ambedkar aimed to prevent Dalits from adopting the religion of their oppressors. He later introduced Navayana Buddhism to Dalits, a rational and just system focused on the present rather than ancient scriptures and mythical glorious past. By rejecting traditional Hindu narratives, Ambedkar sought to offer Dalits a path to true emancipation and dignity.
Navayana Buddhism, however, is not just a liberation religion for Dalits. It is a universal path for anyone, including Brahmins and individuals from other privileged backgrounds, who seek a life guided by rationality, science, and justice. Navayana Buddhism reinterprets the teachings of the Buddha, focusing on contemporary issues and promoting values that are aligned with modern principles of liberty, fraternity, equality, and most importantly, rationality. For those who wish to transcend the confines of caste and embrace a more inclusive and rational spiritual path, Navayana Buddhism offers a compelling alternative.
The book has sparked considerable controversy and debate over the years. Supporters praise Ambedkar's courage in confronting oppressive practices, while critics accuse him of fomenting religious discord. Regardless of where one stands, Riddles of Hinduism remains a pivotal work for understanding Ambedkar's vision and the broader struggle for Dalit rights.
If we consider this as Ambedkar's purpose for writing the book, it becomes evident that his intention was far nobler than merely offending Hindu sensibilities. Reading Riddles of Hinduism has deepened my understanding of the complexities within Hinduism and the persistent challenges faced by Dalits. It underscores the importance of approaching historical and religious critiques with an open mind and a nuanced perspective.
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Riddles of Hinduism was an unfinished, unpublished draft by Dr. B.R. Ambedkar. Written during a time of intense social and political upheaval in India, the book reflects Ambedkar's critical perspective on Hinduism. While I don't find it offensive, I understand that religious individuals might perceive it as blasphemous. If you find it offensive, don't judge Ambedkar solely based on this work. I recommend exploring his other writings for a more comprehensive understanding.
Dr. B.R. Ambedkar, a key architect of the Indian Constitution and a prominent leader of the Dalit movement, used his scholarship to challenge the social injustices perpetuated by the caste system. In my view, Riddles of Hinduism presents a cynic's interpretation. The original authors of scriptures like the Vedas are long dead, and only they truly knew what they meant. Therefore, every interpretation is equivalently admissible. Unless someone claims these scriptures are the word of the divine, consider Riddles of Hinduism a rebuttal by a person who is Naraz (discontent) with the divine.
Many regard Ambedkar as a politician with a nefarious purpose behind his writings. While some might see Riddles of Hinduism as an attempt to insult Sanatan Hindu Dharma, others view it as a response to historical injustices. However, considering his other works like The Buddha and His Dhamma, I believe Ambedkar's aim was the genuine emancipation of Dalits, whose plight in India he likened to that of American slaves.
Religion has often been used to justify atrocities, such as the enslavement of African Americans, who were considered the descendants of Ham and thus cursed to be slaves according to Master's Christian beliefs. Similarly, Dalits are said to suffer due to their past life's bad deeds, while their masters' favorable positions are attributed to their past life's good deeds. After the Civil War and the civil rights movement, slaves in America were freed but many adopted Christianity, the religion of their former masters. Ambedkar would argue that this did not constitute true liberation, as they remained mentally enslaved.
With Riddles of Hinduism, Ambedkar aimed to prevent Dalits from adopting the religion of their oppressors. He later introduced Navayana Buddhism to Dalits, a rational and just system focused on the present rather than ancient scriptures and mythical glorious past. By rejecting traditional Hindu narratives, Ambedkar sought to offer Dalits a path to true emancipation and dignity.
Navayana Buddhism, however, is not just a liberation religion for Dalits. It is a universal path for anyone, including Brahmins and individuals from other privileged backgrounds, who seek a life guided by rationality, science, and justice. Navayana Buddhism reinterprets the teachings of the Buddha, focusing on contemporary issues and promoting values that are aligned with modern principles of liberty, fraternity, equality, and most importantly, rationality. For those who wish to transcend the confines of caste and embrace a more inclusive and rational spiritual path, Navayana Buddhism offers a compelling alternative.
The book has sparked considerable controversy and debate over the years. Supporters praise Ambedkar's courage in confronting oppressive practices, while critics accuse him of fomenting religious discord. Regardless of where one stands, Riddles of Hinduism remains a pivotal work for understanding Ambedkar's vision and the broader struggle for Dalit rights.
If we consider this as Ambedkar's purpose for writing the book, it becomes evident that his intention was far nobler than merely offending Hindu sensibilities. Reading Riddles of Hinduism has deepened my understanding of the complexities within Hinduism and the persistent challenges faced by Dalits. It underscores the importance of approaching historical and religious critiques with an open mind and a nuanced perspective.
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September 5, 2023
எனது பார்வையில் இராமாயணம் மற்றும் மகாபாரதம் எனும் நூலில் அண்ணல் அம்பேத்கர் கூறுவன பின்வருமாறு.
இராமாயணம் மகாபாரதம் ஆகிய இதிகாசங்களின் மூலம் அவற்றில் கொண்டாடப்படும் நாயகர்களான் இராமன் மற்றும் கண்ணனைத் திறன் ஆய்கிறார் அண்ணல் அம்பேத்கர். அதுவே இந்நூலாகும்.
வியாசரின் இராமாயணத்தில் இராமனின் பிறப்பே கேள்விக்குறியதாயும் ஏற்கும் படியுமாக இல்லை என்பதை வியாசர் வரிகளிலேயே மேற்கோள் காட்டுவதே திகைப்பைத் தருகிறது.
எல்லோர் மனதிலும் இராமன் என்றாலே தோன்றுவது யாதெனின் தன் துணைவிக்கு உண்மையானவன் என்பது தான். ஆனால் வியாசரின் இராமாயணம் இதற்கு எதிரான கருத்தைக் கொண்டதாகவேயுள்ளது. இராமன் பல மனைவிகளை உடையவனாகவே உள்ளான். அதுமட்டுமல்லாது அந்தப்புரத்தில் தன் மாலைப் பொழுதுகளைச் செலவிடுபவனாகத்தான் உள்ளான். இவையாவும் வியாசரின் வரிகளை மேற்கோள் காட்டியே சொல்லப்படுகின்றன. ஆனால் இராமன் போன்ற கணவன் வரவேண்டும் என்று எல்லோரும் ஏங்கும்படியான நிலைக்கு இராமனை எப்படி இவற்றை மறைத்து உயர்த்தினர் என்பது புரியாதவொரு புதிரே.
இராமன் தன் துணைவியான சீதையை நடத்துவது பெரும் சர்ச்சைகளைக் கொண்டதாகவே உள்ளது. இலங்கையில் இருந்து சீதையை மீட்டு வந்த இராமன் சீதையின் மீது ஐயமுறுகிறான். நாள்பல பிரிந்து கிடந்த மனைவி தூய்மையானவள் என்பதை தீயில் இறங்கி நிரூபிக்க வேண்டும் என்று எல்லோர் முன்னாலும் கோருகிறான். இதையே அம்பேத்கர் ஏற்கமுடியாக் கொடுஞ்செயல் என்கிறார். சீதைக்கு அனுமன் மூலம் செய்தி அனுப்பும்போதெலாம் கூட சீதைக்கு எச்செய்தியையும் சொல்லி அனுப்பவில்லை. என் இராமன் எனக்காக எதுவும் சொல்லி அனுப்பவில்லையா என்று அனுமனிடம் சீதை கேட்கிறாள், இல்லை என்றே அனுமன் சொல்கிறான். இதற்குக் காரணமாய் வியாசர் சொல்வது இராமன் சீதையை மீட்க நினைத்ததே அன்பின் பேரால் அல்ல தன் மேன்மையை நிலைநாட்டவே என்பதுதான்.
சீதையை அயோத்திக்கு மீட்டுவந்தபின் தீயிலிறக்கிவிட்டுக் கொடுங்கூத்தடித்த பின். சில நாள்கள் கழித்து கருவுறும் சீதையின் மீது மீண்டும் ஐயங்கொள்ளும் இராமன் அவளைக் காட்டிற்கு அனுப்புகிறான். காட்டிலேயே இரட்டைக் குழந்தைகளை ஈன்று பல்லாண்டுகள் காட்டிலேயே முனிவர் ஒருவரின் ஆசிரமத்தில் வாழ்கிறாள். பின்னர் இராமன் தன் மகனைத் தானே கண்டு சீதையையும் இலவக் குசர்களையும் தன் அரண்மனைக்கு அழைக்கிறான். அரண்மனையில் அவையோர் முன்னர் சீதௌயிடம் இராமன் கேட்பது "முனிவன் ஒருவன் ஆசிரமத்தில் இத்தனை ஆண்டுகள் கழித்த உன்னை எப்படி நம்புவது" என்பது தான்.
ஏற்கனவே இத்தனை ஆண்டுகள் பிரிந்திருந்து இதற்கு முன்னரே மக்கள் முன் தீயிலிறங்கி மனம் நொந்த சீதைக்கு இராமன் அளிக்கும் பரிசு சீதையின் தூய்மையை நிரூபிக்கும்படி கேட்டு இன்னொரு அக்கினிப் பிரவேசமே.
பல்லாண்டுகளாய் இந்நாட்டு மகளிர் சந்திக்கும் கொடுமைகள் யாவற்றுக்கும் சாட்சியாய் மனம் நொந்து தன்னை ஈன்றதாய்ச் சொல்லப்படும் மண்ணுக்குள்ளேயே தரையைப் பிளந்து உட்செல்கிறாள் சீதை. அதன்வழி மண்ணுக்குள் புதைந்தது இராமனின் பெயரன்றி பிறிதில்லை.
ஆனாலும் இராமனே கிடைத்தற்கரியச் சிறந்த கணவனெனப் பெரிதும் கொண்டாடப்படுவது மாபெரும் புதிரே!
அதேபோல் இராமன் வாலியைக் கொன்றதையும் விமர்சிக்கிறார் அம்பேத்கர். பொதுவாக செழிப்பான ஒரு அரசாட்சியைக் கொடுக்கும் அரசை இராமராசியம் என்று சொல்வர் ஆனால் இராமனின் ஆட்சியையும் இராமனின் தினசரி வழக்கத்தையும் வான்மிகி குறிப்பிடுவதைப் பார்த்தால் அதில் மக்களுக்கு நன்மை தருவதாய் எதுவும் இல்லை. கேளிக்கையிலும் அந்தப்புரத்திலுமே இராமன் தன் மாலைகளைக் கழிப்பார் என்றுதான் வான்மிகி குறிப்பிடுகிறார்.
கீதையில் கண்ணன் வருணத்தைக் கடைபிடிப்பது உன் விதி என்று கூறுவதை மேற்கோள் காட்டி இதுவே இறைவன் உரைத்ததாய்க் கீதை சொல்வது என்கிறார்.
கீதையின் எழுத்துமுறையை ஆய்ந்து அதுவும்கூட பல காலகட்டங்களில் எழுதப்பட்டதே என்று நிறுவுகிறார்.
அஃதோடு நில்லாம��் இதிகாசங்கள் புராணங்கள் வேதங்கள் சிமிருதிகள் என எல்லாவற்றின் தோற்றக் காலத்தினைப் பற்றிய ஆய்வுக் கணிப்பைக் கட்டமிட்டுக் காட்டுகிறார். அவை சில நூறு ஆண்டுகள் முந்தினவாய் உள்ளன. ஆனால் பெரும்பாலான கருத்து இவை இலக்கக் கணக்கான ஆண்டுகள் பழையன என்பதுவாம்.
இப்படிப் பெரும் இதிகாசங்களின் போர்வையின் பின் இருக்கும் அரசியலை விளக்குகிறார் அண்ணல் அம்பேத்கர்.
இராமாயணம் மகாபாரதம் ஆகிய இதிகாசங்களின் மூலம் அவற்றில் கொண்டாடப்படும் நாயகர்களான் இராமன் மற்றும் கண்ணனைத் திறன் ஆய்கிறார் அண்ணல் அம்பேத்கர். அதுவே இந்நூலாகும்.
வியாசரின் இராமாயணத்தில் இராமனின் பிறப்பே கேள்விக்குறியதாயும் ஏற்கும் படியுமாக இல்லை என்பதை வியாசர் வரிகளிலேயே மேற்கோள் காட்டுவதே திகைப்பைத் தருகிறது.
எல்லோர் மனதிலும் இராமன் என்றாலே தோன்றுவது யாதெனின் தன் துணைவிக்கு உண்மையானவன் என்பது தான். ஆனால் வியாசரின் இராமாயணம் இதற்கு எதிரான கருத்தைக் கொண்டதாகவேயுள்ளது. இராமன் பல மனைவிகளை உடையவனாகவே உள்ளான். அதுமட்டுமல்லாது அந்தப்புரத்தில் தன் மாலைப் பொழுதுகளைச் செலவிடுபவனாகத்தான் உள்ளான். இவையாவும் வியாசரின் வரிகளை மேற்கோள் காட்டியே சொல்லப்படுகின்றன. ஆனால் இராமன் போன்ற கணவன் வரவேண்டும் என்று எல்லோரும் ஏங்கும்படியான நிலைக்கு இராமனை எப்படி இவற்றை மறைத்து உயர்த்தினர் என்பது புரியாதவொரு புதிரே.
இராமன் தன் துணைவியான சீதையை நடத்துவது பெரும் சர்ச்சைகளைக் கொண்டதாகவே உள்ளது. இலங்கையில் இருந்து சீதையை மீட்டு வந்த இராமன் சீதையின் மீது ஐயமுறுகிறான். நாள்பல பிரிந்து கிடந்த மனைவி தூய்மையானவள் என்பதை தீயில் இறங்கி நிரூபிக்க வேண்டும் என்று எல்லோர் முன்னாலும் கோருகிறான். இதையே அம்பேத்கர் ஏற்கமுடியாக் கொடுஞ்செயல் என்கிறார். சீதைக்கு அனுமன் மூலம் செய்தி அனுப்பும்போதெலாம் கூட சீதைக்கு எச்செய்தியையும் சொல்லி அனுப்பவில்லை. என் இராமன் எனக்காக எதுவும் சொல்லி அனுப்பவில்லையா என்று அனுமனிடம் சீதை கேட்கிறாள், இல்லை என்றே அனுமன் சொல்கிறான். இதற்குக் காரணமாய் வியாசர் சொல்வது இராமன் சீதையை மீட்க நினைத்ததே அன்பின் பேரால் அல்ல தன் மேன்மையை நிலைநாட்டவே என்பதுதான்.
சீதையை அயோத்திக்கு மீட்டுவந்தபின் தீயிலிறக்கிவிட்டுக் கொடுங்கூத்தடித்த பின். சில நாள்கள் கழித்து கருவுறும் சீதையின் மீது மீண்டும் ஐயங்கொள்ளும் இராமன் அவளைக் காட்டிற்கு அனுப்புகிறான். காட்டிலேயே இரட்டைக் குழந்தைகளை ஈன்று பல்லாண்டுகள் காட்டிலேயே முனிவர் ஒருவரின் ஆசிரமத்தில் வாழ்கிறாள். பின்னர் இராமன் தன் மகனைத் தானே கண்டு சீதையையும் இலவக் குசர்களையும் தன் அரண்மனைக்கு அழைக்கிறான். அரண்மனையில் அவையோர் முன்னர் சீதௌயிடம் இராமன் கேட்பது "முனிவன் ஒருவன் ஆசிரமத்தில் இத்தனை ஆண்டுகள் கழித்த உன்னை எப்படி நம்புவது" என்பது தான்.
ஏற்கனவே இத்தனை ஆண்டுகள் பிரிந்திருந்து இதற்கு முன்னரே மக்கள் முன் தீயிலிறங்கி மனம் நொந்த சீதைக்கு இராமன் அளிக்கும் பரிசு சீதையின் தூய்மையை நிரூபிக்கும்படி கேட்டு இன்னொரு அக்கினிப் பிரவேசமே.
பல்லாண்டுகளாய் இந்நாட்டு மகளிர் சந்திக்கும் கொடுமைகள் யாவற்றுக்கும் சாட்சியாய் மனம் நொந்து தன்னை ஈன்றதாய்ச் சொல்லப்படும் மண்ணுக்குள்ளேயே தரையைப் பிளந்து உட்செல்கிறாள் சீதை. அதன்வழி மண்ணுக்குள் புதைந்தது இராமனின் பெயரன்றி பிறிதில்லை.
ஆனாலும் இராமனே கிடைத்தற்கரியச் சிறந்த கணவனெனப் பெரிதும் கொண்டாடப்படுவது மாபெரும் புதிரே!
அதேபோல் இராமன் வாலியைக் கொன்றதையும் விமர்சிக்கிறார் அம்பேத்கர். பொதுவாக செழிப்பான ஒரு அரசாட்சியைக் கொடுக்கும் அரசை இராமராசியம் என்று சொல்வர் ஆனால் இராமனின் ஆட்சியையும் இராமனின் தினசரி வழக்கத்தையும் வான்மிகி குறிப்பிடுவதைப் பார்த்தால் அதில் மக்களுக்கு நன்மை தருவதாய் எதுவும் இல்லை. கேளிக்கையிலும் அந்தப்புரத்திலுமே இராமன் தன் மாலைகளைக் கழிப்பார் என்றுதான் வான்மிகி குறிப்பிடுகிறார்.
கீதையில் கண்ணன் வருணத்தைக் கடைபிடிப்பது உன் விதி என்று கூறுவதை மேற்கோள் காட்டி இதுவே இறைவன் உரைத்ததாய்க் கீதை சொல்வது என்கிறார்.
கீதையின் எழுத்துமுறையை ஆய்ந்து அதுவும்கூட பல காலகட்டங்களில் எழுதப்பட்டதே என்று நிறுவுகிறார்.
அஃதோடு நில்லாம��் இதிகாசங்கள் புராணங்கள் வேதங்கள் சிமிருதிகள் என எல்லாவற்றின் தோற்றக் காலத்தினைப் பற்றிய ஆய்வுக் கணிப்பைக் கட்டமிட்டுக் காட்டுகிறார். அவை சில நூறு ஆண்டுகள் முந்தினவாய் உள்ளன. ஆனால் பெரும்பாலான கருத்து இவை இலக்கக் கணக்கான ஆண்டுகள் பழையன என்பதுவாம்.
இப்படிப் பெரும் இதிகாசங்களின் போர்வையின் பின் இருக்கும் அரசியலை விளக்குகிறார் அண்ணல் அம்பேத்கர்.
July 18, 2021
The Introduction itself kills the Sanatana part of Hinduism, as ambedkar proves that Brahmins need only dakshina and they haven changed their means several times and went on to worship muslim deities.
He sets out to break the sanctity of vedas and myths in Hinduism and he has done that well.
The Riddles mentuined in this books are as follows:
Riddle 1- Who is a Hindu?
-Hindus do not worshop gods ( some worship muslim and christian gods also)
-All does not hold same belief (saivite-vaishnavite. Veg-non-veg)
- all do not follow caste, and some branches christians and muslims also folloe caste.
So who is a Hindu?
Riddle 6- The Vedas have no spiritual value, the why are they considered as holy?
- Vedas are considered to be having no autborities in ancient times itself
-they have no discussion on morality, instead they spread obscenitt
- no discussion on philosophy
- huge source of black magic in atharvaveda and rig veda
Riddle 13- Why is Hinduism considered sanatana as there is striking difference to the present hindus and the old ones
- Aryans were a race of gamblers: stakes were so high and not seen elsewhere in the world eg: wives, kindgdoms
- relation of sexes were of looose sort
- they were meat eaters as meat is considered an essential in welcoming guests
Riddle 14 -From ahimsa to himsa
- Why did they stop eating meat and resumed again
Riddle 16 - Origun of four Varnas
- the birth of varna itself has no single origin, this us something that forms the core of hinduism but thid itself has no clarity
Riddle 17- Four Ashramas
-initial days a man can become a brahmacharya, but later manu compels everyone get married, ehy was this done?
Riddle 18 - Manu' s Madness on explaining mixed castes
- Many triess to explain the existence of varieities of castes from the mix of four varnas and fails miserably in doing so
- it also perverses history by giving shameful history to actual and glorious races.
- why did manu tries to explain the mixed castes, has it admitted that chaturvarna has failed?
Riddle 19 - The changr from Paternity to Maternity
- Manu cites that varna of mother csn be considered in some cases instead of varna of father, why was this done?
Riddle 22 - The Riddle of Brahma
- Philosophy of Hinduism has three schools, Brahmaism: believes all is brahma (teaches equality),
Vedanta: believes in brahma and maya
Brahminism: belives in varna and sacrifices to gods
- why did Brahmaism fail to produce a new society even though it is in constrast with brahminism?
Riddle 23 - Why Kaliyuga was made unending?
- the four yugas have established time periods but in recent times, the Kali Yuga has been made unending. Why was it done?
Riddle of Rama and Krishna
- the two glorified gods of Hinduism Rama and Krishna, do they deserve their place? As in several places they violate fairness and does immoral acts
He sets out to break the sanctity of vedas and myths in Hinduism and he has done that well.
The Riddles mentuined in this books are as follows:
Riddle 1- Who is a Hindu?
-Hindus do not worshop gods ( some worship muslim and christian gods also)
-All does not hold same belief (saivite-vaishnavite. Veg-non-veg)
- all do not follow caste, and some branches christians and muslims also folloe caste.
So who is a Hindu?
Riddle 6- The Vedas have no spiritual value, the why are they considered as holy?
- Vedas are considered to be having no autborities in ancient times itself
-they have no discussion on morality, instead they spread obscenitt
- no discussion on philosophy
- huge source of black magic in atharvaveda and rig veda
Riddle 13- Why is Hinduism considered sanatana as there is striking difference to the present hindus and the old ones
- Aryans were a race of gamblers: stakes were so high and not seen elsewhere in the world eg: wives, kindgdoms
- relation of sexes were of looose sort
- they were meat eaters as meat is considered an essential in welcoming guests
Riddle 14 -From ahimsa to himsa
- Why did they stop eating meat and resumed again
Riddle 16 - Origun of four Varnas
- the birth of varna itself has no single origin, this us something that forms the core of hinduism but thid itself has no clarity
Riddle 17- Four Ashramas
-initial days a man can become a brahmacharya, but later manu compels everyone get married, ehy was this done?
Riddle 18 - Manu' s Madness on explaining mixed castes
- Many triess to explain the existence of varieities of castes from the mix of four varnas and fails miserably in doing so
- it also perverses history by giving shameful history to actual and glorious races.
- why did manu tries to explain the mixed castes, has it admitted that chaturvarna has failed?
Riddle 19 - The changr from Paternity to Maternity
- Manu cites that varna of mother csn be considered in some cases instead of varna of father, why was this done?
Riddle 22 - The Riddle of Brahma
- Philosophy of Hinduism has three schools, Brahmaism: believes all is brahma (teaches equality),
Vedanta: believes in brahma and maya
Brahminism: belives in varna and sacrifices to gods
- why did Brahmaism fail to produce a new society even though it is in constrast with brahminism?
Riddle 23 - Why Kaliyuga was made unending?
- the four yugas have established time periods but in recent times, the Kali Yuga has been made unending. Why was it done?
Riddle of Rama and Krishna
- the two glorified gods of Hinduism Rama and Krishna, do they deserve their place? As in several places they violate fairness and does immoral acts
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 2, 2022
Thought-provoking!
The foreword by Kanche Illiah provides a perspective to Ambedkar's thoughts in the context of the book.
As the title suggests, Dr. Ambedkar poses many riddles and contradictions in the way of life mentioned in the Hindu scriptures with that of actually followed and preached. This work is not a neutral opinion, it has a hard stance. Perhaps Hindus would be offended by this book but I expect this book to be a revelation of their understanding of Hindu scriptures.
"Is it even a religion? Who is a Hindu?”
He manages to dissolve the halo surrounding the sacred texts and expose the numerous contradictions in them, in fact some of the sections attack the foundation of the religion itself. He throws light on the archaic nature of these works, and the inhumane ideology that they espouse at times.
There are areas where I disagree with the author, but the general themes dealt with in this book strike a chord with me.
My second book after Annihilation of Caste by Dr. Ambedkar. Mighty impressed with the vast research with his limited access to resources around half a century ago.
The following excerpt made me take up this book.
“The Vedas are a worthless set of books. There is no reason either to call them sacred or infallible … The time has come when the Hindu mind must be freed from the hold which the silly ideas propagated by the Brahmans have on them. Without this, the liberation of India has no future”—B.R. Ambedkar
Keep in mind that it is a selected parts of the incomplete work of Dr. Ambedkar published posthumously and annotated contemporarily. Wish this was refined by the author himself rather than the annotations by the publisher.
The foreword by Kanche Illiah provides a perspective to Ambedkar's thoughts in the context of the book.
As the title suggests, Dr. Ambedkar poses many riddles and contradictions in the way of life mentioned in the Hindu scriptures with that of actually followed and preached. This work is not a neutral opinion, it has a hard stance. Perhaps Hindus would be offended by this book but I expect this book to be a revelation of their understanding of Hindu scriptures.
"Is it even a religion? Who is a Hindu?”
He manages to dissolve the halo surrounding the sacred texts and expose the numerous contradictions in them, in fact some of the sections attack the foundation of the religion itself. He throws light on the archaic nature of these works, and the inhumane ideology that they espouse at times.
There are areas where I disagree with the author, but the general themes dealt with in this book strike a chord with me.
My second book after Annihilation of Caste by Dr. Ambedkar. Mighty impressed with the vast research with his limited access to resources around half a century ago.
The following excerpt made me take up this book.
“The Vedas are a worthless set of books. There is no reason either to call them sacred or infallible … The time has come when the Hindu mind must be freed from the hold which the silly ideas propagated by the Brahmans have on them. Without this, the liberation of India has no future”—B.R. Ambedkar
Keep in mind that it is a selected parts of the incomplete work of Dr. Ambedkar published posthumously and annotated contemporarily. Wish this was refined by the author himself rather than the annotations by the publisher.
May 12, 2022
Who could have three years to argue every objection Ambedkar has about Hinduism.
He took 2 years to write this and it wasn't published until after he died.
He rips in to the Vedas, the Upanishads and the caste system with the skills of a London trained lawyer, which, oh yes, he was. Not having read all of the Hindu religous texts myself I found this book to be an all out massive attack on Hinduism. Ambedkar was of course a Hindu but of the lowest caste and no doubt he blames ridiculous Hindu beliefs for his peoples being kept at the bottom rung of society.
He converted to Buddhism later in in life and about 80.000 other untouchables follopwed his lead.
The book is very detailed in it's analysis of the Mahabharata and Bhagvad Gits are scrupulous and sometimes petty. He presents a book of overkill here and I believed his aim within the first 50 pages.
I skipped parts where he discusses the riddles of mythology because nobody needs to be told they are myths over and over.
Perhaps Hindus would be offended by this book but I expect only about 2% of Hindus know much detail about their own religion.
He took 2 years to write this and it wasn't published until after he died.
He rips in to the Vedas, the Upanishads and the caste system with the skills of a London trained lawyer, which, oh yes, he was. Not having read all of the Hindu religous texts myself I found this book to be an all out massive attack on Hinduism. Ambedkar was of course a Hindu but of the lowest caste and no doubt he blames ridiculous Hindu beliefs for his peoples being kept at the bottom rung of society.
He converted to Buddhism later in in life and about 80.000 other untouchables follopwed his lead.
The book is very detailed in it's analysis of the Mahabharata and Bhagvad Gits are scrupulous and sometimes petty. He presents a book of overkill here and I believed his aim within the first 50 pages.
I skipped parts where he discusses the riddles of mythology because nobody needs to be told they are myths over and over.
Perhaps Hindus would be offended by this book but I expect only about 2% of Hindus know much detail about their own religion.
May 21, 2025
Dr Ambedkar is one of those Sociologists who never fails to amuse me with his ability to research. Reading his books, you understand why a person who was born in the so called “Untouchable” community went on to write the constitution of India defying all the odds. All his books are very well researched and very well written including this one. He puts forth valid proofs regarding his arguments about his findings and thoughts. And boy! He loves to argue. He would have become the best lawyer had he wanted to.
At many locations in the book he has given excerpts from the Vedas and Upanishads as proofs for his arguments. I would reading a few excerpts and skipping the others as they all would mostly say the same thing which becomes a bit boring to read. But the arguments and conclusions are very interesting. They would definitely make you wonder about what happened in the past.
All his books are a must read for those interested in Sociology especially in the context of India, the caste system and its origin, the Upanishads, Vedas and their origin etc.
At many locations in the book he has given excerpts from the Vedas and Upanishads as proofs for his arguments. I would reading a few excerpts and skipping the others as they all would mostly say the same thing which becomes a bit boring to read. But the arguments and conclusions are very interesting. They would definitely make you wonder about what happened in the past.
All his books are a must read for those interested in Sociology especially in the context of India, the caste system and its origin, the Upanishads, Vedas and their origin etc.
December 30, 2022
Stinging indictment of Hinduism, this is supposed to be the unfinished work of Bhim Rao Ambedkar. Apparently, riots happened when this book was published. I can surely see the reason why. What amazes me more is that Hindus of yesteryears were so much more tolerant of a man who was so given to deride, deface and devalue Hinduism had such an important role in politics. This is possibly foreign to the politics of the day. If it were today, he would be fodder of lynch jobs.
Coming to the writing, I have just one comment to make, Ambedkar exchanges allegory with interpretation at will. He also chooses when to take something metaphorically and when to take it literally on his whims. If you disregard that the arguments are precise. Though I am not much of a believer myself but as varna Hindu, some of his arguments are bitter pills to swallow.
Coming to the writing, I have just one comment to make, Ambedkar exchanges allegory with interpretation at will. He also chooses when to take something metaphorically and when to take it literally on his whims. If you disregard that the arguments are precise. Though I am not much of a believer myself but as varna Hindu, some of his arguments are bitter pills to swallow.
November 7, 2024
This book was published posthumously and, therefore, has not undergone the process of editing and rewriting, which any other book would have gone through.
This is why I found the book to be meandering. It contained too many verbatim quotes from various Hindu texts, such as Manusmriti, Bhagvad Geeta, Vedas, etc. etc. Many pages of them. While it is good to quote your references, but as they say, there is too much of a good thing. Most of these references could have been relegated to appendices, and the actual riddles could have been posted in a few pages each.
Regardless of this flaw, the questions raised by this book are important and interesting, which is the reason I'm giving it one-star extra, else it would have been a three-start review. I hope I can find a meaningful rebuttal to these riddles to also be informed about opposing perspectives.
This is why I found the book to be meandering. It contained too many verbatim quotes from various Hindu texts, such as Manusmriti, Bhagvad Geeta, Vedas, etc. etc. Many pages of them. While it is good to quote your references, but as they say, there is too much of a good thing. Most of these references could have been relegated to appendices, and the actual riddles could have been posted in a few pages each.
Regardless of this flaw, the questions raised by this book are important and interesting, which is the reason I'm giving it one-star extra, else it would have been a three-start review. I hope I can find a meaningful rebuttal to these riddles to also be informed about opposing perspectives.
June 23, 2024
Riddles in Hinduism by Dr BR Ambedkar
This book has raised questions on Hinduism. Not everyone will like this book. In fact, a handful few would finish reading the book. The book is divided into three parts viz., Religious, Social, and Political. If you decide to read the book, here are the chapters you should look out for:-
A. The Riddle of Ahmisa
B. The Four Varnas: Are The Brahmans sure of their origin?
C. Manu’s Madness
D. Kali Yuga: Why have the Brahmans made it unending?
Dr Ambedkar has annotated each of his statements to the respective Vedas/ Puranas, and epics written by renowned ancient scholars. Read it, only if you have an heart for critical analysis.
This book has raised questions on Hinduism. Not everyone will like this book. In fact, a handful few would finish reading the book. The book is divided into three parts viz., Religious, Social, and Political. If you decide to read the book, here are the chapters you should look out for:-
A. The Riddle of Ahmisa
B. The Four Varnas: Are The Brahmans sure of their origin?
C. Manu’s Madness
D. Kali Yuga: Why have the Brahmans made it unending?
Dr Ambedkar has annotated each of his statements to the respective Vedas/ Puranas, and epics written by renowned ancient scholars. Read it, only if you have an heart for critical analysis.
March 8, 2018
A brilliant analysis that chronicles the multiple discrepancies that plague the literature of Hindu religion. Additionally the book pushes the critic of religion through a ration lens further and it's a marvel that this was written in the 20th century.
Although the multiple citations and references can overwhelm the reading experience, the book clearly gives the other side to normally accepted norms about the gods of Hinduism.
Although the multiple citations and references can overwhelm the reading experience, the book clearly gives the other side to normally accepted norms about the gods of Hinduism.
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