I periodically see arguments about how Rāvana, Mahābali or some other Asura in Purānic stories is a Brahmin. The arguments are often given as counter to colonial/missionary propaganda of racist theories that infested the humanities, that Hindu Purānas describe a racial struggle.

I feel this is all rubbish. Firstly, the colonial theories of racial struggles in India are sheer rubbish. The theories were developed by very deeply convinced racists like Bishop Caldwell, and now repeated ad nauseam. But secondly, even the counter arguments are also rubbish.

The colonial racist camp builds an theory that the Asuras or other exotic evil races in Purānas are “aboriginal” races of India, who were overrun by a fair skinned race. Sheer rubbish!

The counter argument is that the Asuras in Purānas were descendents of some Rishi (Brahmin).

The counter argument is also rubbish. Why so?

All Asuras are descendants of the Prajāpati, as are all the Dēvas. Prajāpati refers to the originator of the civilization, who increased the population numbers through science (astronomical observations) and technology (irrigation).

The native tradition of India is that all the races of humans, along with all the Varnas (personality variations), have all descended from Prajāpati, who is the very personification of Brahma (Creator). How can it be anything otherwise!? Population needs to grow from somewhere.

Since Prajāpati is the very personification of Brahma, he would of course be classified as Brāhmana Varna. Everybody descended from him only: all the Dēvas, all the Asuras, all the Nāgas, or the mighty heroic bird Garuda. They all are supposed to have descended from Kaśyapa Muni.

So the Asuras Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyāksha were also born of Kaśyapa, through his wife Diti. But it will be absurd to call them Brahmins. They are simply Asuras. Their descendants Prahlāda and Mahābali, great virtuous characters, are also not Brahmins.

It will be equally absurd to say the celestial snakes (Nāgas), who are born of Kaśyapa through his wife Kadru, are Brahmins.

It will be no less absurd to say Garuda, who is born of Kaśyapa through his wife Vinata, is Brahmin.

They are exotic races, have no Varna whatsoever!

It is similarly absurd to claim Rāvana , born of the sage Viśrava through his Rākshasa wife Kaikēsi, as Brahmin. The role of Viśrava is similar to Prajāpati at a later epoch. Rāvana is just a Rākshasa, with no human Varna.

Similarly, his half-brother Kubēra is Yaksha, not human!

If we look at the Nātyaśāstra, all the exotic races have been classified as separate from humans. They have idealized personalities, either good or bad. We humans have a confluence of these personality traits, but we can change our mental makeup and cultivate virtues (or vices).

The different Varnas refer to people who seek to cultivate very different type of virtues. But they are all human. The Rākshasas, Asuras, Yakshas, Dēvas, Gandharvas, Nāgas etc. are not human. Hence, it doesn’t make any sense whatsoever to discuss their Varna! It is really absurd.

I understand that we are stuck in a stupid game of rhetoric, imposed by stupid colonial racists. But can we please transcend from this stupidity and just enjoy our own traditions and stories !? I hope it is not too much to ask. (end of thread)

Anyway, I have a theory that the Prajāpati Kaśyapa, so important in the Hindū Purānic stories, refers to the civilization at an ancient time which was observing the skies around the pole star Abhijeet. https://twitter.com/vakibs/status/1039157907806474242