ശുദ്രനും മനു സ്മൃതിയും

By Aravind Janardhanan 


The remnants of their food  must be given to him, as well as their  old clothes, the refuse of their  grain, and their old household  furniture. [Chapter 10, 125] (ബ്രാഹ്മണന്‍  തന്റെ ഭക്ഷണത്തിന്റെ ബാക്കിയോ,  പഴയ വസ്ത്രങ്ങളോ, പാഴ് ധാന്യങ്ങളോ ശുദ്രന്  കൊടുക്കണമെന്ന് മനു)

  But let a (Sudra) serve Brahmanas,  either for the sake of heaven,  or with a view to both (this life and the  next); for he who is called  the servant of a Brahmana thereby gains all  his ends.[Chapter 10, 122]  The service of Brahmanas alone is declared  (to be) an excellent  occupation for a Sudra; for whatever else besides  this he may perform  will bear him no fruit.[Chapter 10, 123] (ബ്രാഹ്മണനെ  സേവിക്കലാണ്  ശുദ്രന്റെ ഏറ്റവും പറ്റിയ പണിയെന്നു മനു)
ഇതിലും കൂടിയ പല നിയമങ്ങളും മനു പറയുന്നുണ്ട്.

Killing a Brahmana, drinking (the spirituous liquor called) Sura,   stealing (the gold of a Brahmana), adultery with a Guru’s wife, and   associating with such (offenders), they declare (to be) mortal sins   (mahapataka).[Chapter 11,55]
(ബ്രാഹ്മണഹത്യ മഹാപാതകം)

One fourth (of the penance) for the murder of a Brahmana is   prescribed (as expiation) for (intentionally) killing a Kshatriya,   one-eighth for killing a Vaisya; know that it is one-sixteenth for   killing a virtuous Sudra.[Chapter 11,127]
(ശുദ്രന്റെ ജീവന്റെ വില...)

  He who has slain a  Sudra, shall perform that whole penance during  six months, or he may  also give ten white cows and one bull to a  Brahmana.[Chapter 11,131]
  (ശുദ്രന്റെ ജീവന്റെ വില പത്തു പശുക്കളും ഒരു കാളയും)

31. Let (the first part of) a Brahmana's name (denote  something)   auspicious, a Kshatriya's be connected with power, and a  Vaisya's with   wealth, but a Sudra's (express something) contemptible.
32. (The second part of) a Brahmana's (name) shall be (a word)   implying  happiness,of a Kshatriya's (a word) implying protection, of a   Vaisya's  (a term) expressive of  thriving, and of a Sudra's (an   expression)  denoting service.
ശുദ്രനെ ഒരു നികൃഷ്ട ജീവിയായി അടിച്ചമര്‍ത്താനുള്ള വകുപ്പുകള്‍ ആണ് മനു പടച്ചു വച്ചിട്ടുള്ളത്.

13. It is declared that a Sudra woman alone (can be) the wife of a    Sudra, she and one of his own caste (the wives) of a Vaisya, those two    and one of his own caste (the wives) of a Kshatriya, those three and  one   of his own caste (the wives) of a Brahmana.[ഇന്റര്‍ കാസ്റ്റ്‌  കല്യാണം   പാടില്ല എന്ന് മനു. ഇപ്പോള്‍ നടക്കുന്ന ദുരഭിമാനഹത്യയുടെ  പിന്നിലെ ശക്തി   ഇത് പോലുള്ള നിയമങ്ങള്‍ ആണ്.]

സ്വാമി വിവേകാനന്ദന്റെ സമ്പൂര്‍ണ കൃതികള്‍ (കേരളം ഭ്രാന്താലയം):
"Was there ever a sillier thing before in the world than what I saw  in  Malabar country? The poor Pariah is not allowed to pass through the  same  street as the high-caste man, but if he changes his name to a   hodge-podge English name, it is all right; or to a Mohammedan name, it   is all right. What inference would you draw except that these Malabaris   are all lunatics, their homes so many lunatic asylums, and that they  are  to be treated with derision by every race in India until they mend   their manners and know better. Shame upon them that such wicked and   diabolical customs are allowed; their own children are allowed to die of   starvation, but as soon as they take up some other religion they are   well fed. There ought to be no more fight between the castes."
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Complete_Works_of_Swami_Vivekananda/Volume_3/Lectures_from_Colombo_to_Almora/The_Future_of_India