Front matter

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Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar (14th April 1891 - 6th December 1956)

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DR. BABASAHEB AMBEDKAR WRITINGS AND SPEECHES Volume No. : 4 Compiled

by VASANT MOON Dr. Ambedkar Foundation Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment Govt. of India

Volume No. : 4 First Edition: Education Department, Govt. of Maharashtra: 14 April, 1979 First Re-Printed by Dr. Ambedkar Foundation: Jan, 2014 Second Re- Printed by Dr. Ambedkar Foundation: August, 2019 Third Re-Printed by Dr. Ambedkar Foundation: August, 2020 ISBN: 978-93-5109-175-2 Cover Design: Dr. Debendra Prasad Majhi, Ph.D.

Monogram used on the Cover page is taken from Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar’s Letterhead.

© Courtesy: Secretary, Education Department, Government of Maharashtra. ISBN (Set): 978-93-5109-171-4 Discounted Price: One Set of 1 to 17 Volumes (20 Books): Rs. 2250/- Discount Policy Annexed.

Publisher:

Dr. Ambedkar Foundation Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India 15, Janpath, New Delhi – 110 001 Phone: 011-23320571 Public Relation Officer : 011-23320588 Email: cwbadaf17@gmail.com Website: http://drambedkarwritings.gov.in The Education Department, Government of Maharashtra, Bombay-400032. For Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar Source Material Publication Committee Printer:

M/s Aravali Printers & Publishers Pvt. Ltd., W-30, Okhala Phase – 2, New Delhi – 110020

Collected Works of Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar (CWBA) Counselling and Collaboration Dr. Thaawarchand Gehlot Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India and Chairperson, Dr. Ambedkar Foundation Shri Ramdas Athawale Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India Shri Krishan Pal Gurjar Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India Shri Rattan Lal Kataria Minister of State for Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India Shri R. Subrahmanyam Secretary, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment, Govt. of India Ms. Upma Srivastava Addl. Secretary and Member Secretary, Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, Govt. of India Dr. Debendra Prasad Majhi, Ph.D.

Director, Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, Govt. of India Dr. Brijesh Kumar Co-ordinator (CWBA), Dr. Ambedkar Foundation

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The Complete Sets of Collected Works of Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar, popularly known as CWBA / lEiw.kZ ok³~e;] in Hindi and English, being released by Dr. Thaawarchand Gehlot, Hon’ble Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, Government of India and Chairman, Dr. Ambedkar Foundation at New Delhi. Dr. Debendra Prasad Majhi, Director of the Foundation and Sh. Surendra Singh, Member Secretary were also present on the occasion. The V olumes in Hindi (V ol. 22 to V ol. 40) have been published for the first time in 2019. CWBA VOLUMES RELEASE

PREFACE

Babasaheb Dr. B.R. Ambedkar was an erudite personality, a symbol of knowledge and a great son of India. He was a public intellectual, social revolutionary and a prolific communicator. He has left behind thought provoking writings and speeches bearing interdisciplinary perspectives, with insightful analysis of sociopolitical situations which evoke intellectual reasons and emotions. His writings are having profound sense of justice manifested in emancipation of marginalized masses. He not only dedicated his life for ameliorating the conditions of deprived sections of the society, but his views on inclusiveness and “Samajik Samrasta” continue inspiring national endeavor. It is expected that these V olumes may provide contemporary relevance of his thought and open up the possibilities of rethinking Dr. Ambedkar in the present day context.

The mandate of Dr. Ambedkar Foundation, inter-alia, include implementation of programmes and furthering the ideology and message of Babasaheb Dr. Ambedkar among the masses in India as well as abroad. It is a matter of great happiness that consequent upon a decision by the Governing Body of the Foundation Chaired by Hon’ble Minister of Social Justice and Empowerment, the Foundation is getting the third edition of Collected Works of Babasaheb Ambedkar (CWBA) V olumes, reprinted on popular demand of the readers. It is informed for the benefit of all concerned that the Foundation always endeavors to make the V olumes available to the readers at an affordable price, and accordingly, it has also been decided to continue with the discount policy as per the past practices on Sale of V olumes. The discount policy of the Foundation has been annexed with each V olume. It is hoped that the V olumes will continue to be source of inspirations for the readers.

15, Janpath, (Dr. Debendra Prasad Majhi)

New Delhi

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Riddles in Hinduism An Exposition To Enlighten the Masses By B. R. Ambedkar

M.A., Ph.D., D.Sc, LL.D., D.Litt., Barrister-at-Law.

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TABLE OF CO NTENTS

Page

1. Introduction .. 5 PART I—Religious

2. Riddle No. 1 The Difficulty of Knowing why one is a Hindu.

13

3. Riddle No. 2 The Origin of the Vedas—The Brahminic Explanation or an exercise in the art of circumlocution.

16

4. Riddle No. 3 The Testimony of other Shastras on the origin of the Vedas.

19

5. Riddle No. 4 Why suddenly the Brahmins declare the Vedas to be infallible and not to be questioned? 25

6. Riddle No. 5 Why did the Brahmins go further and declare that the Vedas are neither made by man nor by God ?

28

7. Riddle No. 6 The Contents of the Vedas: Have they any moral or spiritual value?

37

8. Riddle No. 7 The turn of the tide Or How did the Brahmins declare the Vedas to be lower than the lowest of their Shastras?

53

9. Riddle No. 8 How the Upanishads declared War on the Vedas ?

62

10. Riddle No. 9 How the Upanishads came to be made subordinate to the Vedas? 67

11. Riddle No. 10 Why did the Brahmins make the Hindu Gods fight against one another?

71

12. Riddle No. 11 Why did the Brahmins make the Hindu Gods suffer to rise and fall?

80

13. Riddle No. 12 Why did the Brahmins dethrone the Gods and enthrone the Goddesses?

99 CONTENTS MESSAGE v PREFACE vii

Page

14. Riddle No. 13 The Riddle of the Ahimsa . . 108

15. Riddle No. 14 From Ahimsa back to Himsa . . 113

16. Riddle No. 15 How did the Brahmins Wed an Ahimsak God to a Bloodthirsty Goddess?

117

17. Appendix I The Riddle of the Vedas . . 128

18. Appendix II The Riddle of the Vedanta . . 151

19. Appendix III The Riddle of the Trimurti . . 161

20. Appendix IV Smarth Dharma and Tantrik Dharma . . 176

21. Appendix V The Infallibility of the Vedas . . 183 PART II—Social

22. Riddle No. 16 The Four Varnas—Are the Brahmins sure of their origin?

189

23. Riddle No. 17 The Four Ashramas—The Why and How about them.

205

24. Riddle No. 18 Manu’s madness or the Brahmanic explanation of the origin of the mixed castes. 215

25. Riddle No. 19 The change from Paternity to Maternity. What did the Brahmins wish to gain by it?

226

26. Riddle No. 20 Kali Varjya or the Brahmanic art of suspending the operation of Sin without calling it Sin.

233

27. Appendix I The Riddle of the Varnashram Dharma . . 236

28. Appendix II Compulsory Matrimony . . 262 PART III—Political

29. Riddle No. 21 The Theory of Manvantara . . 275

30. Riddle No 22 Brahma is not Dharma. What good is Brahma? 281

31. Riddle No 23 Kali yuga—Why have the Brahmins made it unending? 288

32. Riddle No 24 The Riddle of the Kali yuga . . 307

33. Appendix I The Riddle of Rama and Krishna . . 323

34. DISCOUNT POLICY ON SALE OF VOLUMES