Ananda access

Intro

  • Unrestricted ability to enter intellectual/ spiritual life and pursue the ultimate Ananda (joy).
  • Prior to the turuShka invasion, the nAstika sects especially offered channel of entry to an intellectual life and social respect by common people.
  • “far from the non-brāhmaṇa population being disenfranchised and deprived of knowledge and rituals, the brāhmaṇa-s constantly innovated new texts, paths and strategies to significantly circumvent any restrictions, which may have been in place… As it is in a diverse, polytheist society, every group of Hindus, has a general right to create its own traditions and develop an exclusive ritual space for its own needs. The rural traditions centred around their local, village pantheons as well as the tribal systems had their own separate, sacred spaces. Even then, brāhmaṇa-s, who overwhelmingly were responsible for developing the śrauta, gṛhya, paurāṇika and āgamika ritual content, were interested in expanding access for their non- brāhmaṇa brethren.” [AS17]
  • The case of niShAdha-sthapati-s and rathakAra-s in the veda-s set a good precedent for expanding access for others to enter the broad vaidika system [AS17]

shrI-vaiShNava-s

  • āgamaprāmāṇya of yAmunAchArya - “kimiti vā tatparigrahādaprāmāṇyam atraivarṇikatvāditi cet kiṃ bhoḥ traivarṇiketarasavarṇa rathakāraniṣādādi parigṛhītānuṣṭhīyamānārthānām atharvaṇavacasāṃ rathakāra ādadhīta etayā niṣādasthapatiṃ yājayet ityādivacasāṃ prāmāṇyaṃ nāsti |” [AS17]
  • bhaṭṭāraka śrī vedottama: “śūdrasyāpyādhikārād avaidikatvam iti yad uktaṃ tad asat, sthapatīṣṭivad upapatteḥ। yathaiva hi “niṣāda sthapatiṃ yājayed” ityatra vācaniko’dhikāraḥ siddhaḥ, tathehāpi bhaviṣyati। “śrāvayec caturo varṇān” iti vacanād itihāsa purāṇādai yathaiva śūdrasyāpyādhikārād, na cāvaidikatvaṃ, tathātrāpi bhaviṣyati ।” [AS17]
  • The shrIvaiShNava tradition includes shudra saints ( Alvars ) with stories of their greatness and brAhmaNa-s falling at their feet. Plenty are such religious movements - eg: vIrashaiva-s, sikh-s.
  • shrIvaiShnava Initiation - pancha-samskAra (prapatti/ samAshrayaNam) is available to all people irrespective of caste - YT.

shaiva-siddhAnta

  • kāmikāgama uttarabhāga 23.220-221a : “ityevaṃ kathitā dīkṣā sarvapāpavimocanī | catvāro brāhmaṇādyāścāpyanulomāśca ye matāḥ || nyāyajā gūḍhajātā vā dīkṣāyāmadhikāriṇaḥ |” [AS17]
  • hierarchical guru-authority: “viprādayastrayo varṇāḥ dīkṣāyāṃ sthāpane’pi ca | brāhmaṇakṣatriyādīnāṃ kṣatriyaḥ śūdra vaiśyayoḥ || vaiśyaḥ śūdrasya dīkṣāyāṃ svasyajātāvapīṣyate | svārtheṣṭau cala liṃgasya pratiṣṭhāyāṃ trayasvime || śūdropi śūdradīkṣāyāṃ svārthe ca calasaṃjñake |” [AS17]