Nepal is not an inherited land of Hindus

Prakash Bom, USA

We Nepalese people have after the successful historical people’s movements – ‘half a century long Socialist Democratic Evolution’ tried to understand the declaration of secular democratic Nepal with our reasoning, with our eagerness we have tried to revisit our nation’s history, with our curiosity we have tried to find the truth about our religious practice and traditions that have confined us to the poorest social, economic and political conditions.

People’s Rational for Declaration:

Rationally, if we honestly ask ourselves, “Who are Nepali people in the first place of our existence?”  The obvious answer will be that Nepali people are not other than human beings who deserve basic human rights protections as per the United Nations’ Universal Human Rights Declaration (1948).  Then after we are bona fide citizens of a sovereign nation of which sovereignty rests in us with the guarantee of our civil liberty as proclaimed by the Interim Constitution (2007).

Of course, we are happened to born with different ethnicities in different regions of the county living together with differences yet in unity for the common cause. We are conditioned with our different ethnic identity based on languages and dialects, religion, belief and ritual, tradition and rites, social values and practice (Ethnic Demography of Nepal 1996). Can we come out of it all and stand as a free individual human being? Surely as an individual we can but our society cannot liberate over night. This is our utter reality thus we need our government firm with its declaration to treat us without marginalizing none by providing equal opportunities in every aspect of our social, political and economic life. It is time to restructure our nation for us to participate in nation building process; for us to be able to live together in our society by the rule of law that is legislated by us.

Certainly if Nepal is to be declared as the ‘Hindu’ state then that will not help us to live together with these different ethnic diversities and religious faiths in unity for the whole nation. It will rather be discriminative of one from another as per its premise of caste system and hierarchical religious supremacy. Practice of Hindu religion in Nepal fundamentally based on feudalism and oligarchic hierarchism. This is the religion of an elites group of people, who have dominated the political, social and economic life of people (Lamitare, 1978).

People Revisited the History:

“Nepal has deliberately been declared as a Hindu state so that Nepalese freedom may be suppressed and forces of feudalism continue…” (Lamitare, 1978).  Nepal was declared ‘Hindu’ state under the ‘partyless’ system Panchayet autocracy in 1962.  Before party less Panchayet regime Nepal was never ever declared Hindu state.  Why did the rulers in party less Panchayet autocracy played this role by dismantling democratic institutions established for a decade was the rebirth of the suppression of feudalism over the freedom of people of Nepal. “To many of the unlettered citizens of the country, the king was a spiritual force as well, representing the god Vishnu upholding dharma on earth. Within a span of ten years, the king had, in effect, reclaimed the unlimited power exercised by Prithvi Narayan Shah in the eighteenth century.” (Savada, 1991).

Declaration of the Hindu state played a major role with the politics of religion.  Hindu religion became politically dominant in the nation even though Nepal is a country of multi-religion, multi-lingual and multi-ethnicity.  Surely the declaration of Hindu state have had confined the ordinary people (by then only 30% literate) in the darkness of ‘Hindu’ tradition succumbed to its caste system, religious rituals and rites, superstitions and animal sacrifices. These are the basic practice of the Nepali Hindu feudalism.  It is the system of belief and practice that are antagonistic to the wisdom and knowledge, education and freedom.  It is a system of religious practice that marginalizes people who are deprived by the caste system in social, political and economic hierarchy (Lamitare, 1978).

Under Rana feudal oligarchic regime a tightly centralized autocracy even isolated the county from external influenced did not propagated the king of Nepal as the incarnation of protagonist god of Vishnupurana, one of the mythologies of Vedic literature. It was the Panchayat regime that propagated the king as the incarnation of Hindu god to politically manipulate people of Nepal (Savada 1991). The feudal elite groups were chosen ruling executives of partyless Panchayat system of government mostly from upper Hindu caste and elites of Hindu ethnic group (Rose & Fisher 1970).

Truth about the Religious Practice:

There are still many among Hindus who refuse to accept all religious Vedic literary works such as Ramayana (epic), Mahabharat (crusade), and Puranas (mythologies) as works of literature.  The Feudal Nepali Hindu religious practices are mostly dominated by the Puranas.  There are eighteen Puranas, the mythology of gods and goddesses.  Among them the most dominant Puranas are Shiva- Purana, Visnu-Purana and Devi-Purana in the feudal Nepali Hindu religious practice and traditions (Kooij, 1978).

The word ‘Hindu’ is neither a Sanskrit word nor Pali nor Devanagrik nor Dravidian. The word ‘Hindu’ nor can be found in any Vedic texts – Vedas, Upanishads, Geeta, Sutras, Mantras, Puranas, Mahabharata, Ramayana and in other Vedic literatures considered to be ancient (Jayaram, 2000).

The word ‘Hindu’ according to the linguists is a Persian word. “The earliest reference of word ‘Hindu’ can be found in the Avestha, the sacred book of the Zoroastrians.  The word “Hindu ‘ush” was also found at least in two inscriptions of king Darius (early 6th century B. C.),  whose empire said to have extended up to the boarders of river Sindhu.” (Jayaram, 2000).

The feudal Nepali Hinduism is intermingled with the ethnic beliefs, superstitions, rituals and rites even though some studies assume that in ancient Hindu epic Ramayana and crusade Mahabharata references are found regarding ethnic group of people such as Kiratas in the hills and Sakayas in the plains (Savada. 1991).  It was often practiced taboo among the elders of middle class Hindu both Brahamins, Thakuris, Ranas, and other Chhetri about reading Geeta - “those who read Geeta will lose their minds.”    In fact the elite feudal rulers regulated the feudal Nepali Hinduism in the state governance structures.  They literally managed the people and themselves to get succumbed to superstitious, rituals, rites and worships. Feudal Nepali Hindu society indulges more ethnical festivities, rituals and rites than Vedic.  Vedic rites are just practiced on the childbirth, marriage and death ceremonies.  Vedic rites and rituals are non-violent, non-life-sacrificial. But feudal Nepali Hindu rituals, rites and worships are violent and animal life sacrificial. One of the bloodiest festivals is the Vijya Dashami. The whole country sacrifice not less than a million animal lives – goats, chickens, pigs, buffalos, ducks and so on. 

Therefore, it is obvious that feudal Nepali Hindu practice is devoid of Dharma or religion practice in the context of six Vedic schools of thought – Shamkhaya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimansa, and Vedanta, & Buddhism. The word “Dharma” in Sanskrit means to observe natural law or reality as they are.  In simplest sense it means, “the way things are or the law of nature that sustains the universe.” (Tandon, 1995).  The feudal Nepali Hindu practice cannot even come close to the Dharmasharam of Manu Smriti or practice of Varnashrama system even the caste system propounded by Manu Smriti conflicts with the Sutra of Vedas (Dr. Sharma, 2004).  The feudal Nepali Hindu caste system is the most gross and deplorable of the Varnasharama system of Manusmriti.  The system is still in effect and it has marginalized lives of majority of people – ‘Hindu Vaisyas, Sudhras, Dalits, and other indigenous communities.’ Manu-smriti itself discriminates lower Hindu caste and women particularly. The main populations of Nepal are the lower Hindu caste and indigenous people (Gurung, 1996).  Manu-smriti deprives these group of people from acquiring knowledge of Sutras of Vedas in all Hindu dominated countries of South Asia (Dr. Sharma, 2004).

Vedic Sutras or Darshanas - philosophies constitutes an integral part of the culture of the great diversity in thought and practice nurtured by its liberal pluralist way of life. These Vedic Sutras were churned out from the rigorous dialogues that occurred in these six schools of thought – Samkhaya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimansa, and Vedanta. Samkhya postulates that the universe consists of two eternal realities – matter and nature (Purus and Prakriti). Liberation (kaivalya) consists of the realization that purusha and prakriti are indeed different. The founder of this philosophy was sage Kapila. “It has put forward a theory of evolution to explain all objects, animate and inanimate, of this world as an infinite number of permutations and combinations of the three gunas - sattva, rajas, and tamas. Its essence consists of two principles: Prakriti and Pursusa. It opposes Vedic sacrifices but not the Vedas. It does not deny God but states that His existence cannot be proved.” (Sinha, 2003).  Yoga philosophy is the further development of Samkhya philosophy in which self-realization or Moksha is attainable through the physical and the mental discipline that transcend Sattva (subtle), Rajas (active) and Tama (gross) gunas or attributes

(Woods, 2003).  Nyaya philosophy describes four sources of knowledge – perception (pramanas), inference, comparision and testimony. Logic in Nyaya is a valid way to obtain knowledge to gain release from sufferings. Sage Gautama was the founder of this philosophy (D’Almeida, 1973).

Vaisheshika – in this school of thought, all objects in the physical universe are reduced to a certain number of Atoms (Pramanu) and God is regarded as the fundamental force that causes consciousness in these atoms. Sage Kanada was the founder of this philosophy (Bahadur, 1979).

The fifth school of thought called Mimamsa, which insists on the spiritual power of mantras and yajñas, compiled verses of Vedas, established the authority of rituals and rites in daily religious practice.  Mimamsa believes in salvation through Vedic rituals and rites rather than liberation. Mimamsa adopted Manu-smritis (documents on tradition and customs) for Varna-ashrama Dharmas in Veda. However, Vedanta the sixth of thought discards the Smritis and adopts Surtis of Veda for the salvation.  The Mimamsa authority over the Vedas gave the birth to Brahminism that took the supreme position in Varana-ashrama hierarchy. The socio-politics of the caste system is the Brahminism (Dr. Sharma, 2003).  For example, Vedic Sutra the hymn of Rigveda the Gayentri

“Om bhūr bhuva sva, tát savitúr váreniyam, bhárgo devásya dhīmahi, dhíyo yó nam pracodáyāt” meaning: ‘O nourishing Sun, solitary traveler, controller, source of life for all creatures, spread your light and subdue your dazzling splendor so that I may see your blessed Self. Even that very Self am

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• Posted on - 2009-10-02    by     Naya_Nepal
• Some scholars said that practice of phallus stone worship might have started during Neolithic period and that the indo-aryan might have been influenced by Kirat's culture when they came in contact with them. According to Dr Yadubamshi, during the period before the hymns of the Yajuveda had been composed but later than the Rig and Atharvavedic periods, a non-Aryan god was fused with God Rudra. This non-Aryan god, he adds, was worshiped by some tribes in the Himalayan valleys, including the Kiratis. (Shaivamata :The Shaiva Sect) While some scholars pointed out that this culture(Shivaism) might have been assimilated into vedic religion to bring Kiratas into the fold of vedic society. Here's the excerpt from "Vedic Aryan entry into Nepal" by Shiva Raj Shrestha "Malla" "The "Kiratas" of Western Himalayas had hundreds of fortresses and had to fight with the Vedic Aryans. The famous war between Kirati Emperor Sambara and King Divo-dasa is described even in the Rig-Veda. After the defeat of Kiratas, the Nishadhas were the main enemies of the Aryans. Aryans must have realized this and by accepting Kiratas Supreme God Lord Shiva as their own, developed friendly ties with the Kiratas."

• Posted on - 2009-07-11    by     Nepal
• Well i am going to throw more insights about Kirant. The Kiranti came about after the Sansitization process in Nepal. That is Kirat>> Kirant and Kirati>>Kiranti Kirantis are the same non-Vedic tribes called Kiratas in Veda and many other ancient works such as Purano, Ramayana and Mahabharata epic. Here's some of the work i have come across through my studies on these group. Only after studying the aboriginal tribes you would understand the roots of Hinduism better. There is no single founder in Hinduism. In short, Hinduism =pre-vedic religion(aboriginal) + Vedic religion Please note that the term Hinduism itself is a new word coined by scholars in about 19th century to differentiate all the religious practices in India that was different from Islam. Veda never said it was going to be call Hinduism. Some definition of Hinduism are Hinduism is the oldest world religion and began in North India. It was founded by a blend of conquered people of Indus and Aryan beliefs. It is a polytheistic religion. The origin of Shivaism that is worshiping of stones and nature are believed to have originated from this non-vedic aryan. Here's some short excerpt from scholars, Western as well as Indian about Shaivism. The religion of most of the ancient communities of the Central Himalaya was primarily based on the superstitious beliefs and was connected with the practice of sorcery,exorcism, and magic. The tree worship, the worship of Mother-Goddess and Chandika Devi, snake worship, stone worship in the form of linga or the cult of phallus, held very important place among the ethnic communities in ancient India. The aborigines of the mountain tribes of the country, who had not come into contacts with Brahmin's revered an invisible supreme spirit, various other evil spirits, minor deities.., etc the practice which still survives. Shaivism: Shiva, generally considered a non-aryan deity, secured a prominent place among the Kiratas. It can be roughly asserted that Shiva-worship might have begun among the Kiratas in the mountainous regions of the Himalaya in pre-Vedic times, before the advent of aryans. Shaivism, in some form, was the prevailing religion of the aboriginal Kiratas. On the basics of an episode described in the Mahabharata, as well as in the Kiratarjuniyam(Shiva in a form of Kirat fight against Arjun), of Bharavi, the Kirata may be identified with Shiva, and it may be suggested that Shiva was their popular deity. Romila Thapar, while supporting this literary evidence, also has admitted that in all likelihood the Kiratas were the worshippers of Shiva. The assertion that Shiva, the god of the Himalayan mountain, was worshiped by the non-Vedic kiratas, can be proved in many ways. Some of the foreign scholars have also consolidated the concept that Shiva was a patron god of the aboriginals. Megasthenes has also referred to the two Indian deities-- Dionysus(identified with Shiva) and Herakles (identified with Krishna). The former was worshiped as the highest gods on the mountains and the latter was adored in the plains.Thus it is clear that the practice of worshiping Shiva might have begun much earlier to the Christian era, even though the Kiratas did not call themselves Shaivas. Chandrapida, the prince of Ujjian, in course of his expedition against the Kiratas and the kindred tribes, inhabiting the vast tract of forest extending beyond Suvarnapura, as far as the mountain Kailash(the abode of Shiva) in Tibet, saw both the Shiva temple and a cave in its southern direction, as recorded by Banabhatta in his Kadambari. That is a definite indication of Shiva worship in the Kirata region of the northern Himalaya. The concept of Shiva worship originally flourished among primitive tribes, living in the hills and forests --the Vratyas, the Nisadas, and other non-aryan. ~ Ancient communities of the Himalaya by Dinesh Prasad Saklani "The clear conception of Siva arose in the Upanisadic age. Siva as been, for the first time, explicitly mentioned as the Aryan god in the Svetasvatara Upanisad in the background of Yoni-Linga relationship. There was never mention of Siva as Aryan god in Rig Veda, the oldest text of Aryan". From here it can be ascertain that Siva was worshiped by the aboriginal Kirata before the advent of Aryan. ~Tribal roots of Hinduism By Shiv Kumar Tiwari The Aryan incorporated Sivaism which was the religion of the aboriginal Kirat people into Vedic religion and also other religion sects as given by scholars below; According to "The Indo-Aryans of ancient South Asia" By George Erdosy, the primitive Saivisim, Vaishnavism, Sankhya and Yoga which are the four corner stone of modern Hinduism was recognized as non-vedic by the orthodox exponent of the Vedism in the early periods. Kiratas along with other tribes non-conforming to Vedic teachings was classified as Mleccha(babarians) in many early texts, in a sense that they were destroyers of Aryan. Hence the Siva was name as destroyer in the Hindu Trinity. ~ G.P Singh (The Kiratas in Ancient India, 1990) "When the Aryan found that their gods like Agni, Indra, Varun etc. were loosing popularity and people did not worshiped the gods which they brought, rather they were worshiping Subra(Siva)and following Saivisim, then they placed Sibarai worshiping under banned. At first the Aryanised conquerers held this religion (Saivism) in disdain and placed in under a ban. But it did not helped; ultimately peoples over come such banned and Saivism continued to strive among the aborigines. At the same time to secure easy recognition by the aboriginal people, they placed Siva into Hindu pantheon". ~ Mohenjo-Daro and the Indus Civilization By John Marshall, John Hubert Marshall Sir