Practicing Caste by Jaaware Aniket

Author:Jaaware, Aniket
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fordham University Press

5

TOUCH AND TEXTS

Ancient and Modern

THE PLACE OF TEXTS IN SOCIETY AND ITS ANALYSIS: CLASSICAL TEXTS

It is here that we discuss the issue of classical texts. We are more than aware of the vast number of texts that are available, from the Vedas onward. However, the argument that follows does not depend on any knowledge of some of them, since it is an argument purely in principle. As is well known, great debate is possible on the supposed meanings of the differences between a tradition written down and a tradition oral. It is a brahmanical myth that “Hindu” society is a laudable example of an oral tradition. Three arguments can be made here, two of them complementary but different within the framework of the brahmanical myth and the third outside its framework. The first is simple: These texts, the various Vedic, Brahman, and Puranic texts, were always written down anyway. There is a tacit acceptance of the fallibility of human memory in the writing down.

The second is a little less simple. We assume for this purpose that the business of writing down these texts—all of them—is taken up in the first place in order to stabilize, standardize, and preserve them in the assumed purity of their supposed origins. The various techniques of memorizing that evolved within orthodox brahmanism for the preservation of oral texts, especially of the Vedas, ensure that the texts retain their stability. After mastering the text in a variety of combinations of letters, forward, backward, skipping, or exchanging every second or third letter, and so on, the text is as stable in memory as any text written down and preserved in that material form; it is as good as a written text, and the distinction and supposed difference between written and oral collapses. It can be referred to at any point in time and debate, and depending on cues, relevant passages cited. In fact, it is further possible to argue that the material on which the text is preserved in writing is more capable of corruption than this solemn, sacralized, and dutiful memory—it is more written than texts written on material surfaces. Within the essentialist-idealist framework, texts are strictly nonbiodegradable because of this specific use and operation of memory—and we have in mind here Derrida’s essay on biodegradables.1 What the techniques of memorizing indicate is the effort that was made to maintain the repeatability of the text, and, in a case of the tail wagging the dog, of maintaining a certain social hierarchy by being able to repeat a text. It is perfectly understandable, from this point of view, that education was equated to being able to repeat convenient pieces of nonbiodegradable texts in real situations of tension and conflict. Transgression of the existing social order is rendered almost impossible, since the memorized text as such (because it consists of such a variety of things) contains all manner of disparate elements, which is what we tried to indicate with the earlier adjective convenient. These disparate elements can be

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.