Casteism Poem by Narayana Guru

JATI NIRNAYAM
(A Critique on Jati1)
Written in 1914, this work deals with the concept of Jati (Casteism) . Its first verse is in Sanskrit and the remaining five are in Malayalam. The metre in Anustup.
1

Humanity marks out,
Of what species humans are.
Even as bovinity
Does with cows.
Brahminhood* and such
Do not do so in this case.
No one does realise, alas!
This apparent truth.

2

Of one kind, one faith, one God is man;
Of one womb, of one form
Difference herein is none.

3

Within a species, does it not,
Offspring truly breed?
The human species, thus seen,
To a single species belongs.

4

Of the human species
Is a Brahmin* born
As is a Pariah* too.
Where is caste difference, then,
Amongst the human species?

5

Of a Pariah woman
Was born the great sage
Parasara in bygone days.
And even the sage who
Condensed the Vedic secrets
Into great aphorisms,
Was born of the daughter
Of a fisherman.

6

Species-wise, does one find,
When considered
Any difference between man and man?
Is it not that
Difference exists apparently
Only individual-wise?


*upper caste*
*lower caste*