Programme
S. Gunasekaran
Graduate Student
Centre for Historical Studies
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Confronting Immoralities: Radical Humanism in Tamil Cittar Tradition
"What I can do but laugh"—the sense of exasperation was actually expressed after asking a number of questions. Is there any distinguishing mark in flesh or skin or bone? Do you find any difference when you sleep with pariah or brahman woman? You ate no venison, is not the thread on your bosom made of deerskin? You ate no mutton, do you not perform your sacrifices with sheep’s flesh? Do gods ever become stone? These questions of Sivavakkiyar, the 7th century mystic poet, extend classical examples to the ideological paradigm in which the Tamil cittar tradition had anchored.
The cittars were antagonists to the caste system, rituals and ceremony, authority of Veda, idol worship and all other sorts of orthodoxy. They were madmen by appearance, healers by practice, radicals by thinking and humanist by approach. Though they composed their texts in folk languages, they are often double entendres not easy to comprehend and always ridiculed the meaningless elements in contemporary religious practices. Like other mystic traditions, they also emphasized the necessity of detachment. To masses, they taught the importance of purity of character rather then external purity. Altogether, the cittar tradition envisaged a new perception of human that was much radical during those days.
The tradition of "radical humanism" was carried forward by not less than 18 such cittars ( siddhas), who lived from the 7th century to early modern period. It developed as a counter movement to Bhakti tradition that, being dominated by brahman and upper-caste non-brahman, helped the extension of classical Hindu society and emphasized upon the temple centered idol worship and rituals. It was radical because it challenged the contemporary ideology that intended to structure a hierarchical society. It was humanism since it emerged out of strong love and sympathy upon humanity.
It is a descriptive as well as explorative study divided into three sections. The first section situates the Tamil cittar tradition in proper historical and societal context. The second will focus upon the basic theme of the conference. The teachings and ideological discourses of cittars will be studied in order to understand how human or personhood was perceived. The third section will explore its continuity and contribution.
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Mr. Gunasekaran is currently pursuing his doctoral studies in Pre-Colonial South
Indian history. His other research interests are Historical Anthropology and
Social and Ethno history. He regularly contributes articles on contemporary
cultural and political issues in Tamil magazines. A recent academic article is
“Cattle Raiding and the Heroic Tradition: Sedentary Pastoralism in Upland Tamil
Nadu,” Indian Historical Review (2007).