Ambedkar-Philosophy of Hinduism

AMBEDKAR'S PHILOSOPHY OF HINDUISM AND CONTEMPORARY CRITIQUES
PROF. M. M. NINAN
Indian History; to justify the misdeeds of brahmanical counter-revolution against Buddhism which stood for equality,
liberty, fraternity and humanism (pp. 71, 266-331, 423, BAWS Vol. 3). In this category of literature Dr. Ambedkar
includes Gita along with Manu Smruti, Shankarcharyas' Vedant, Mahabharat, Ramayana and Puranas. (pp. 239-65,
BAWS, ibid)
Further in Chapter 13 Philosophic Defence of Counter Revolution - Kirishna and His Gita Dr. Ambedkar
proves that how Bhagwat Gita justifies war & killing without remorse or shame. How it offers a philosophic
basis to the theory of chaturvarnya [inequality & injustice] and karma marga by yajnas. How Gita is written by
different authors and in different parts and that how the brahmins elevated Krishna; originally a tribal deity to
Parmeshwara for pleasing the Gupta kings for their religious trade, when they Guptas adopted Krishna as their
family deity.
According to Dr. Ambedkar, though Bhagvat Gita which borrowed from Buddhism, it was written as a
positive dislike against Buddha and His revolutionary gospel which produced the Buddhist Age - "most
enlightened and the most rationalistic age India has known". (pp. 357-80, ibid)
Dr. Ambedkar in The Hindu Social Order : Its Unique Features quoting verses IV.13, VIII, 41-44, III.26 &
IV.7-8 of Gita proves that Gita justifies the creation of 4 varnas as a divine order; fixes their natural duties
(particularly services of all the 3 classes as inherent natural duty of shudra); forbids propaganda against the Hindu
Social Order (HSO) - which is build up on inequality & injustice, that which is sacred and therefore [not] to be
violated. Thus neither the dharma nor the ashramadharma or varnashramadharma or gunadharma is to be
transgressed. Thus Gita justifies HSO and denies the creation of a 'free social order' based on E-L-F. (pp. 127-8,
93-129, ibid). Thus Gita is 'Manu in a nutshell' according to Dr. Ambedkar.
Dharma is nothing but an irreligious law of varna & caste i.e. in-humanity and in-equality. Gita is no
exception to this.
Actually the meaning of 'dharma' means the privileges, duties and obligations of a man, his standard of
conduct as a member of the Hindu community, as a member of one of the castes and as a person in a particular
stage of life. Dharma means both laws & moral. Their is no difference between law and religion or law & ethics.
Both are concerned with regulating the conduct of the low class Hindus to subserve the ends of high caste Hindus
(p. 81-4, BAWS Vol. 3; pp. 273-4, BAWS Vol. 5). Dharma according to the (a)darmashatras [from Rigveda to
Balambatti] actually means an 'irreligious law of varna and caste'. It is both a customary law and penal law
sanctified by Hindu religion to maintain the inhumanities, indignities, inequalities, injustices of HSO to protect the
privileges & rights of traivarnikas (brahmans, kshatriyas, vaishya). It is nothing more than a 'code of conduct' and
not 'religion' which is generally taken to denote a particular faith, dogma/doctrine, rites & rituals. Dharma is law - an
(ir)religous law for maintaining varna & caste. Varnashramadharma is central to 'dharma' in dharmashastras and
Gita is no exception to this. It does not 'defines' dharma in any different way but only justifies it through a different
dogma of innate gunas. This becomes amply clear by reading Bharatratna. P. V. Kane's History of Dharmashastra -
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