UnCommon Core | Wendy Doniger: An Alternative History of the Hindus

Wendy Doniger speaks about Hinduism and her upcoming book, "The Hindus: An Alternative History," as part of the UnCommon Core.
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[@mawalir937]

Great research and thorough scholarship. We have to remember that Hinduism is a collection of great literature and should be enjoyed just such.

[@drsangbartachattopadhyay]

It's a fascinating idea to interpret 'dog' as a metaphor of 'lower caste'. Madam, If we do agree to that, isn't it possible that, in that first story, in fact, the moral teaching of that ancient text is to stand by that same lower caste and include him even at the risk of personal loss, in this case , the right to entry into heaven? It clearly tells that, only when Yudhistir passes that final test of inclusiveness he gets the reward of entry into heaven. Isn't it a completely different issue that the 'lower caste' was actually not a lower caste but a God, Dharma himself pretending to be one. It was a simulated condition to design a test. Does it change the conclusion of the test? What I understand is that the test was designed to check Yudhistir's resolve for the inclusion of that lower caste. It is quite possible that the regular practice at that time and socio- political motivation was to exclude the lower caste ,however, can it not be that the particular religious text was actually trying to teach people differently?

[@wasimganju]

nice reply. yuddhistir has to pass the test, he didn't leave the dog alone!

[@guileniam]

Exactly

[@coconutsmv]

But did Yudhistir's test make any difference to the status of lower caste or dog. The lived experience of the lower caste or dog remained the same. The need to exclude the polluted got reaffirmed.

[@drsangbartachattopadhyay]

@@coconutsmv you are re-contextualising the story with dog's assumed low quality of life. However as it is an interpretation and dissection of the referred story, the narrative states that the dog was the guide and companion.

[@coconutsmv]

@@drsangbartachattopadhyay Thank you for bringing in this perspective

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 16: See the irony here, you laugh when we have talking animals in our stories and tell us that we were cow eaters and that we are all meat eaters, as I am sure are you.., but here you go on and on about a poor dog because you want to make a point in your story. 24:15

[@hgjhg2341]

@Rainbow Traveller How? it died right? how is it different?

[@sureshkrishnamoorthy5556]

Blind leading the blind. I always knew she was slightly mad. But this is ridiculous - she conveniently forget, more likely has no clue, that Ekalavya was allied with Jarasandha, who was himself allied with Kamsa. Drona foresaw the problems Ekalavya would create for Krishna and the Kauravas as well as the Pandavas. Far from being this caste related nonsense she is painting it to be, the lesson of Ekalavya is about being obedient to the Guru and paying a consequence for disobedience. The beauty of this particular story is that it shows both sides: the ills that fall to those who do not properly follow a Guru's instruction and simultaneously shows how Drona was always strategizing.

[@vickrant3523]

Eklavya was just a student and the rest were too then from where did you find that he was allied with Jaraasandh

[@stuarthastie6374]

Suresh Krishnamoorthy you must be slightly mad yourself, wasting so many words to correct afivtional a wise-guy’s reputation.

[@susandmelli9273]

@@stuarthastie6374 shut up, Wendy Doniger is a bitc

[@dawnfm00]

She is a great scholar, smart and intelligent. Damn sure hindutva manuwaadis hate her like hell but it doesn't stop her being so bold! Thanks Doniger.

[@videolover1489]

Hindutva manuwaadis don't hate her but just pointing out her shortcoming on translating other culture which she lacking a understanding of it

[@Aman-qr6wi]

All the triggered brahmins are in the comment section.

[@literarymusings8886]

Please ignore the comments made my brahminical patriarchs in the comment and read the brilliant book !

[@siddarthshah1773]

babes there are more hindus in the country bharat than jst brahmins.. dumbfuck

[@literarymusings8886]

@@siddarthshah1773 shut up , go to Pakistan , if you don't like Brahmins , brahmans created this great country and other Hindus should go to Pakistan

[@RR-pc7yv]

Brahminical Patriarchs? Wtf is that? Lol, this shows only your intellectual bankruptcy.

[@lemonlimelukey]

one things for sure, shes light years ahead of the average dogmatist.

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 28: 56:45: so now you talk about scholarship on Hinduism that says, ‘this is our best guess’ but that is not how you present your book, you are so certain that Hindus were oppressors, not kind to animals. How come everything you have to say is as if Islam and Christianity, both of which have been killing each other and and themselves for centuries (as compared to Hinduism where there have been no interreligious wars, neither any with Buddhism) -civilized Hinduism. Why can’t you say, ‘WELL, PLEASE READ MY BOOK WITH A BIT OF DOUBT TOO, SINCE REALLY, IT IS ONLY A GUESS?’ Put a disclaimer on it.

[@WorldofSports331]

Beautiful presentation with some important ideas which need to be considered seriously. It is getting difficult to discuss Hinduism openly these days just like Islam and Christianity. Hope we Indians realise that such attitude are anti - Hinduism and will destroy the most beautiful religion.

[@shikharyadav1999]

It really breaks my heart to see all the hateful comments here. But I shall ignore them (as I suggest you should too). Doniger is definitely very passionate about the subject she's studying and I think she manages to bring out exactly what I have personally experienced as a person who was born in this faith. Namely, it's immense diversity and vibrancy. Hinduism has always been a religion in conversation with itself. Its beauty lies in its ability to embrace difference. I too believe that most of those who call themselves Hindus are people who believe in this beauty. Thanks for sharing this talk!

[@haragopal1]

It breaks my heart that your don't even know how dumb she sounds... Watch some Rajiv Malhotra videos.....

[@geetakharva7733]

You need to study Sanatana Dharma.

[@warhead967]

It's actually more hurtful to see people like you exist who will listen and follow to whatever these english speaking people say. If you had even a ounce of knowledge about Hinduism then you had know how foolish she sounds. She's literally making things up and is only seeing things with her own screwed vision. These people have little to no real Mythology or gods and hence start questioning tales and stories of the most ancient religion in the World.

[@intellectuallycurious6443]

Agreee with you fully

[@radeonblue1816]

Rajiv Malhotra challenged her for debate but she said "I moved on". If she is a great intellectual why she is afraid of purvapaksha?? Also, her book "Hindu An Alternative History" was pulped by one of her publisher because a case was filed against the book in India exposing her lies on Hinduism and she can't even defend her case in the court. What is the use of studying Hinduism since 1960 if you can't even defend your theory that you propose?? Nothing.

[@sarfarosh1621]

taking symbolic example about law - this lady is like a smart child who went to a library and read a lot of law books, and because she is smart, she remembers many things and people come to her to talk about law she has read; .... but it doesn't look like she understand anything about justice in the whole process. the only good thing that she is doing is touching many things/stories that may surface again for discussion. i wonder what made her study more and more law books when she has so lowly feeling about justice :P

[@sendakan666]

In fairness to Prof Doniger, she seems to have a passion for ancient Indian stories and a talent for arriving at alternative interpretations. I think the difficulty comes when this is then somehow presented as "the Hindu worldview"

[@hgjhg2341]

she is creative as a fiction writer is creative and she should acknowledge that.

[@suyashpawar9761]

FYI folks, *she is a JEW* & not a Christian.. while we are careful around the Christians we need to be extra careful around the Jews..Just saying..no hate.

[@surendraswami9755]

I think j sai Deepak should be there

[@pinkpanther1947]

😂😂😂🤣🤣😿🤣😿

[@hgjhg2341]

Ms Doniger (not doctor, not prof.) please ---we will respond to your work --- word by word. 'These people can be nasty?' you mean as the White westerners were to the Real Indigenous, americans and wherever they went? Just because your culture has always had a class system which had nothing to do with 'value' does not mean every country followed the same system. Every society cannot be understood in terms of possessed and the disposed as in Marixsm. Marx himself called India a 'functioning anarchy' and we are as in his latest Book Prof. Juluri has identified us--'spiritual anarchists'. We do not fall into your cut, dried and marinated in biased lenses categories.

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 27: 39:32 Hinduism being monotheistic and polytheistic. 1st. it is Pantheistic. We believe life lives in everything. 2nd. Sorry you have such a narrow vision ---we DO NOT FIT INTO YOUR CATEGORIES….IS THAT THE PROBLEM? THERE ARE NO WORDS, NO DEFINITIONS THAT CAN FIT US AND IT WILL BE THAT WAY…..THERE WILL REFORMATIONS BECAUSE WE HAVE NO ISSUES WITH CHANGE, RATHER THAN HAVE GRAVEN IDEAS OF DIVINITY…..SO ACCEPT YOUR OWN NARROWNESS….YOUR OWN SMALL WAY OF EXAMINING THINGS. YOU MAY HAVE READ BOOKS YOU AND ALL THOSE WHO STUDY US LACK WORDS -FOR US TO UNDERSTAND YOU MUST LIVE IT, YOU MUST KNOW IT BY HEART……

[@user-pl7el1fp6k]

Bro it's clear that she is Fake and her book Far from Reality. She must have Recieved tons of Million Dollars for Writing this Fake Book from Middle East. We all know how Great Sanatan Dharm is. They are Just jelly.

[@sanzhirrzmusic]

Shut up if you dont know anything huh

[@indiaandisrael662]

@@sanzhirrzmusic we read them 1000 of times those Books and we don't know ? This woman's alternative history book is based on total bs

[@cibiraj1275]

wow, this woman conveniently forgets the Manisha PAnchakam where Adi shankara himself fell at the feet of the so called untouchable publicly. Woman, you got to read more hinduism to become an expert of any sort.

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 20: So, according to you W, people in India do not pray for moksha? And use it mainly to get fruits in this life and get away from husbands. But from my research there are two things. 1. Ordinary folks are not that articulate and cannot always respond in the way researchers ask and so researchers assume a lot. 2. And this is FROM LIVING HINDUISM. WE DO NOT PRAY FOR MOKSHA, FOR WE DO NOT GET THAT BY PRAYING. WE HAVE TO DO AND BE TO ATTAIN MOKSHA AND IT IS IN EVERY MOMENT, EVERY SECOND THAT WE HAVE TO LIVE AND THEN IT COMES…..IT IS A LONG PROCESS IT IS A DEDICATED PROCESS, YOU WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND.

[@pmvura01]

She is some "scholar" ...the worst of her creed.

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 29: 56:05: Well, talking about religion text-books, caste is not the same as Jati and Varna. Both of which will be too complicated compared to middle eastern religions (both Christianity and Islam) to be explained. In addition, caste was created by the British (just like the Spanish made sure locals knew Spanish to get jobs and thereby erased local languages) -who created categories and asked people to join one if they needed a job. So unless you write about British atrocities along with caste system the story is incomplete. Mistreatment of women is not any more than any other country and we are well travelled and well read. Dowry deaths, yes, NOT RELATED TO HINDUISM, related to social class and greed, which can be an issue anywhere. How many cases are there in the US when women were killed for the money they had etc. same reasons. NOT RELIGIOUS.

[@studyhelp1965]

SHE IS A PERFECT EXAMPLE OF UNDERSTANDING HINDU PHILOSOPHY WITH ABHRAHAMIC AND WESTERN MINDSET.

[@binduroy6495]

She doesn't know what's pious , great , ancient Hindu religion is

[@yeett173]

@@binduroy6495 pretty sure she knows more about Hinduism than you do.

[@bhavyap590]

@J C lol! She is Rothschild stooge

[@indiaandisrael662]

@@yeett173 we Hindus don't know but she do 👏👏👏👏👏

[@Aman-qr6wi]

Philosophy itself is a western idea. There was no philosophy in india.

[@jamesstevenson7725]

Why is she talking about caste. Anthropologists say that caste came with the British

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 12: Can you for a minute say that you are making all this up, I mean you have a good imagination, could it be that you are not completely right? I mean this is not history, it is w hat you think of it, can you have that disclaimer?

[@pappi3]

She has mastered the art of creating fake narratives.

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 1. British influence on Hinduism: Really? The enlightenment in the west very much occurred at the same time they encountered the east. Christianity is much influenced by Hinduism. As for reform in Hinduism of practices that were not widespread to begin with, that happened with social change. Sure when cultures interact some things are always given and taken. But let us not forget that the dark ages ended around the time West encountered the east.

[@Shahi-bangalah_1352]

37:44 Correction: Delhi sultanate began in the late 12th century.

[@rokun3167]

Dogs are considered "Unclean" in Hinduism 11l:47??? A dog attains moksha for it deeds Mahabharata, ... Who's this lady spreading FALSE INFO...BTW Dogs are considered Unclean in ISLAM and NOT HINDUISM!!!

[@Teamup353]

Hindogs dont even know that Indra in Mahabharat clearly blocked the path of dog and said such an unclean animal like dog can't enter hinduism. A dog pollutes everything with its side. That's what God indra said in Mahabharat

[@Aman-qr6wi]

Manusmriti says chandalas can only own dogs, not cows, so yes.

[@prashantjohnmichael]

Wendy life is short dear. Don't waste your time on the periphery of Hinduism with the things you perceive as wrong or bad. Use it and anything else to leave this life peacefully and with consciousness of the glory of continuity beyond death of the physical body and all its concerns that your mind is entrenched in. Break free, Love really is the greatest truth and all intellectual positions are merely that. Not very valuable or useful. There's an opinion about the good or bad customs of different cultures for every person in the world.the immortal devi lives in you too. Don't sell yourself short.

[@geetakharva7733]

A Hinduphobic is what I call her with due respect. Deliberately trying to misinterpret the texts which are older than the founder of the religion in you were born, it's very immoral of you.

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 17: 'Eklavya, He is a Prince among tribals' that counts for nothing.' Listen to yourself. In 'Roots' when the young African girl says to the white girl, 'My father was a chief' after the white girl had said, 'This guy who is coming is related to royalty', the white girl smirked and said, 'Please, I am being serious'. And you think that a prince among tribals meant nothing? Our stories are covered with how kings had to take the permission from tribals to hunt in the forest. They honoured all. And hierarchy did not work the way it did in other countries. Hierarchy was dependent on ability. and that meant a prince could be sickly and a tribal strong, and adept.

[@barthwalabhishek]

cast system doesn't mean "skin colour" system Varna is colour of mind of a dharmic individual. Every child born is a shudra.

[@user-pl7el1fp6k]

@Youthoob Gamer Ya That Old woman was very funny

[@ashutoshsingh221]

Don't preach what you don't follow

[@Aman-qr6wi]

That's so pretentious.

[@keerthi321]

Cows are symbol of Bramhin and women? Wtf

[@indiaandisrael662]

🤣🤣🤣 i laughed on it

[@literarymusings8886]

Yes.

[@hgjhg2341]

POint 11: More and more we realise why it is important to allow only those who practice hinduism to write about it (all levels, all castes, but at least practicing hinduism). Since you do not believe in Dharma, and therefore no concept of dharma coming as a dog, to take a shape .....so that people would discard him. You come with this idea that the entire story is only about the form, 'dog or not dog'. It is beyond your understanding to see how energy can be manifested in different forms for humans to learn as well. but you have to give it your spin, for why should you understand, agree and believe in any thing that hindus hold sacred.

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 29: 1:11:00 You could not even say or cared to say it right, Sarabhai is her name. SARAHBHAI and you just mumbled, what sort of a scholar are you, studying the country for so long and still having difficulty with words like Guru.

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 30: STOP saying these are computer engineers. You forget that many of them have lived a life of dharma, they do this full time and are not engineers for a long time. We have a whole team. Devoting their life to Dharma. Second, this is quite interesting you pick and choose how you are going to interpret Hinduism, a religion you DO NOT LIVE, and then complain when those who live it are offended by your interpretations? But yes, YOU ARE HURT….AND ANGRY…THAT someone is standing up to you. You guys cannot take it that Hinduism has survived centuries of propaganda from the likes of you, You cannot take it that even today, it is not Africa, south America or the pacific but Asia a continent that did not entirely convert…..to Islam or Christianity that can STAND UP TO THE WEST……

[@yogi9844]

she is totally wrong about the mark on the forehead. the horizontal stripes are for shaivaites and vertical stripes are vishnu followers

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 30: 1:11:25 oH, you have a problem with Peter Brooks Mahabharata because …it makes it a story of the world. Which in many ways IT IS… btw, notice the ‘White Krishna’. I enjoyed the rendition except that Krishna was not dark, which he should be, as is his name and Bheeshma was not strong, as he was. But, your problem is that a French guy makes it a universal story, which in many ways it can be….but ofcourse, ‘to point out the flaws, to support your book, you must say, this is a Hindu story that tells how horrible hindus are….’ You are a champ woman, champion of insulting things that you do not understand rather than say, ‘wait, I might have a flaw since I have no Shraddha’ (forget it, you cannot even pronounce the word, let alone understand it).

[@ugprashanth]

My dear respectful professor - you even got the caste marks association with Vaishnava\Shaiva wrong. I cannot believe you can be the 'AUTHORITY' that you are. Nevertheless I enjoyed the lecture.

[@swapnazingade5642]

Liar 🤥... now they are writing their own Sanskrit versions 🙄 ... sick mentality... whatever she says are her own desires and fantasy...time pass .... good for you😠😡

[@anubhavsingh9471]

hahahaha Dosen't have a single Sanskrit quote in her book. She is just a shit show. SHe is avoiding any debate regarding her claims and hiding out there. lol loser supported by a loser

[@vikramchahal9676]

She look like a sychopath

[@vladimirjosh6575]

@@anubhavsingh9471 she's been interviewed by other people and those vids are available on KZbin. Watching them, you might realize she's ready!

[@user-pl7el1fp6k]

@Rajiv Malhotra Nikal Laude. Mene uski Book padhi hai. Reality aur Book ka 36 ka Akda hai.

[@asmisharma3163]

This is wrong on so many levels!

[@literarymusings8886]

You can write another book , instead of barking here

[@Nagendra1121986]

Fake narrative

[@pmm7268]

How is it alternative, lady. What you speak is mainstream stuff, and you make it marketable by calling it 'alternarive'. The hight of your nonsense is that, the alternative actually exists is far greater than what you make it to be. Write history without motives madam. An apologist of anti-hindu, strangely by her own imagination of her 'hinduism'. There is nothing alternative, there is nothing hindu in it, and finally there is no history. Then, what have you written madam 'scholar'?

[@indiaandisrael662]

See she thinks we are stupid to believe it

[@bhargabsaikia7876]

To understand Supreme personality of Lord Rama or Krishna you will need a Bonafide spiritual master. You can never understand Lord Rama or Krishna by such mental speculation. Please stop your nonsense. If you want to understand Sanatan Dharma you to India and learn it from the qualified Bonafide spiritual masters.

[@mihirdutta5617]

Most Hindu Stories are metaphorical and one needs to understand the underlying intent behind any incident quoted. Also there are various ancient authors like herself who have undertaken creative freedom to express their own understanding about various subjects. I think barriing the vedas, upanishads and the original texts of mahabharata and ramayana we need to take various commenteries even though ancient with a skeptical view. However, any narrative which does not stand the test of science and humanity needs to be discarded however ancient. But we do not find too many authors taking such interest in debunking narratives of abrahamic faiths. Perhaps Hinduism is a loosely worn faith by its followers, unlike the other ones from the Arab world and is an eazy target. An abrahamic template to study Hinduism is a wrong place to start.

[@hellbird1381]

so we read watched understand lived mahabharat thousand times from childhood and been in india for generations understand hinduism by heart..and than a grand nani thousands kilometers away like her come and say she knows better cauz she read few lines in some book :) just as Bane said to Batman..""" Ahh, you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it. Molded by it""" :) but the good and most satisfying thing is fear she is holding about those hindus who now capable enough to stand white supremacy and are back in the game..now how can she sell things by saying cauz she knows few sanskrit words and stories she knows things better than those who actually lived it for generations :)

[@snehashispanda1651]

The reservation excludes Brahmins in areas in which they are under-represented such as education and employment. Brahmins oppose reservation to achieve goals such as bridging inequalities in employment and pay, increasing access to education, and redressing existing injustices, prejudices or obstacles against Brahmins. The reservation purely targets the Brahmins by discouraging them for increased participation. Brahmin drawback is the societal drawback that disadvantages Brahmin people over non-Brahmin people in societies, if they are under the same social, political, or economic circumstances. Current innocent Brahmin people must not bear a collective responsibility for the harm which had resulted from historical casteist treatment of people belonging to other groups. Discrimination against any individual on the basis of their Brahmin origin is unjustified. Reservation is discriminatory, discarded meritocracy and is driven by lower caste vote-bank politics.

[@hgjhg2341]

POINT 21. Seriously? a few converted by sword and much fuss has been made about it? All of Europe converted under a sword, that is history. With islam it may not have always been the sword (though it was--they came with swords) but then there were other ways, taxes......that were levied only on non-islamic people and if the king converted then it was beneficial for the poor people to convert. so coercion on many levels and of course marriage. so there is your egalitarian Islam or christianity for that matter. when you marry you have to convert. dear God does not like other religions.

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 7: So, that is what you are -- digging for difference? Where does difference not exist? But in which country did the king willingly leave his throne at a certain stage to retire into woods with a begging bowl? does that sound like a culture of oppression? (7:20).

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 14: Tribals were not considered unclean. If they were it would not be that Lord Rama uses Khewat to take him to the other side of the river. And then make sure that he meets him on his way back. And eat the berries that Shabri picked for him. Drona was arrogant, everyone knows that. If you are using that story, then you should also talk about how Drona died and how humiliated he was. When asked by his son, why did his father who was such a great master die such a sad death, the answer was that because he broke the rules of 'being a teacher and being a brahman'. Don't overlook the stories that talk about how Brahmans when they abused power were ....dealt with.

[@thephilosophermma8449]

Triggered Hindus in comments

[@radeonblue1816]

Rajiv malhotra challenged her for discussion on the book "The Hindus An Alternate theory" but she ran away by saying "I have moved on". Also, when a case was filed against her for spreading misinformation by the help of this book then one of the publisher had to pulp the book because the case filed against her exposed her lies in the book. Why if she is such a big intellectual she don't have guts to debate on sanskrit with Rajiv Malhotra??? I am still waiting for debate if she thinks herself as an authority on Hindu tradition?? She is a coward because she can't defend herself.

[@lazypops3117]

malhotra is a crank and a crude aggressor. there is no prerogative for decent and disciplined academics to subject themselves to his kind of disingenuous "debate". plenty of the right wing live off that grift, like shapiro in the US.

[@hsram1985]

She try to destroy Hinduism all her life.Defaming the Hindu culture is a huge bad karma.She will pay for her karma.

[@auroraorha]

Thank You! Wendy Doniger. The book is a fascinating exploration of Hinduism. Ignore the dislikes and comments of these flag-waving Indians. They are everywhere.

[@Sweetetika]

Oh she as a foreigner knows truth better than Indians.🤷‍♀️🙄

[@hellbird1381]

yea yea yea..u people know it better than us who lived it for generations 🙄🙄🙄

[@mr.profundis3804]

Surely a western jew with hinduphobic agenda knows more than brown skinned indians about their religion......

[@user-pl7el1fp6k]

Foolish Person. I guess how Dumb you are too Believe her. She can't even recite one Shlok or Mantra let alone talk on Mahabharat and Ramayan. She doesn't even know Proper Pronunciation of Simple Normal words. I guess But Einstein was correct on Human Stupidity, its over ♾

[@bhavyap590]

Flag waving Indians! We got independence in 1947. Before that we were ruled by British and Mughals for almost 1000 years. What are you smoking?

[@peacekeeper007chap4]

Brave lady..

[@user-pl7el1fp6k]

Yes it take Courage to Have 1 Million Dollars in Account Illegally.

[@peacekeeper007chap4]

@@user-pl7el1fp6k old school smear tactic.

[@user-pl7el1fp6k]

@@peacekeeper007chap4 I do not have Problem but you will be reading some shits of Lies in her Book.

[@user-pl7el1fp6k]

@@peacekeeper007chap4 And I will not let my Friend in Delusion isn't it.

[@peacekeeper007chap4]

@@user-pl7el1fp6k everyone says this when someone challenges their religion.

[@manishkk5325]

Unfortunately she can only read books.

[@indiaandisrael662]

@J C eat pork

[@literarymusings8886]

😄🤣😭😁😆😅😁 unfortunately ?

[@ratri6110]

Hinduism believes in Pantheism 🙏

[@learntherightful]

I can very clearly see that none of the hindus refuting her has never read the texts she is speaking about. They are just refuting without giving the original meaning of the verses she is talking about. Dear hindu people please read the text and give the original meaning for others to know the true meaning.

[@yeett173]

True. These are the same people getting Atheist Republic banned in India because their feelings were hurt, but they are also the ones who laughed the heartiest when it's Christianity or Islam being made fun of.

[@indiaandisrael662]

@@yeett173 you are making fun of us

[@indiaandisrael662]

We know the truth you don't she is clearly lying for your information she got everything wrong that was written 🤦 you don't know it don't talk about it

[@yeett173]

@@indiaandisrael662 Who is making fun of you? Aren't you the same people calling the Prophet as "p@do", Christians as "ricebags" etc?

[@indiaandisrael662]

@@yeett173 i know you would say this yeah the same propaganda artists also no one referred to them as this lol 🤣 we name those psudo muslims and critisans as theses names not the entire community

[@abbakkachowta6326]

I listened to this lady with open mind. But her discourse doesnt add up with lot of factual errors.

[@shankart3429]

Any Tamils here???

[@arjitas]

Wow, where do I begin!!! I wanted to give her a patient hearing, and do not comment publicly often but she has forced me to in a way. While there are some nuggets of reality in what she says, her tone and the attitude is terrible. Also, most things she said is utter rubbish, her personal opinions more like it and often factually wrong. I am really surprised she is a professor.

[@salmanhyder1655]

Thanks for the informative language.

[@harmony202]

Yeah yeah looking at your name I can understand your thankfulness

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 15: Eklavya was tribal not low caste. He is physically filthy coz he is living in a forest very different from living in a city. But your mind reads that it means they were not treated well. Only if you could focus on two things....1. they exist in the stories, 2. when the world interacted with Christianity, all countries, all religions, the tribals were converted and always treated lowly, told that where they came from and their worshiping of nature was wrong. In interaction with religions of the book they were only to be converted to be turned into humans from heathens.

[@markservice8735]

Thank you for when you mentioned the Israel-Palestine conflict you didn't take sides, but pointed out that fundamentalists on both sides attach each other. Thank you for being balanced and neutral on that issue. It was refreshing coming from an academic. Usually, academics just take sides in that conflict. Dispassion from scholars is a breath of fresh air.

[@aek12]

I can only say to people before you listen to her read Socrates. Look for only facts. Look for only truth. Speculation is not the truth. If you look at Human knowledge. How do Human beings get knowledge? You will find India has done work only in the direction of the truth. Only look for the facts don't have any presupposition

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 4: You ought be kidding Doniger (from here on, Ms. is dropped). My grandmother could barely read english, she knew Gita by the heart. She was certainly not the one who knew India's philosophical traditions through europe, nor did my other older relatives. Till today talk of karma, reincarnation, puja (NOT PRAYER), connections with food and nature--remain an integral part of our everyday life. It was not the british or europeans who brought us that knowledge, it was always there. It is Western myopia and arrogance that thinks that they brought us that knowledge. As for temples with beautiful women with breasts as mangoes that is because even today asian women have the more voluptuous and womanly figure compared to european women. We drew what we had and saw. At the same time, it is you who separates beautiful and aesthetic from the spiritual. 'the lover, all as frantic, Sees Helen's beauty in a brow of Egypt' You are devoid of that 'eye'

[@dgvirgo]

Is wendy seriously a professor? Who hired her. Appalling standards for this University.

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 22: Greeks were rationalists and Indian folks have piety. That is because we understand the poetry of life. What would you call the transcendalists? Who revered India and its wisdom and their works were inspired by India? They turned t all into poetry. Well, we live the poetry and become the poems ourselves. As said earlier-YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND.

[@sanatanishardool]

Hello! Birtish looted 128 trillion dollars from Hindus, if Brahmins were educated class, kshatriyas were warriors, vaishya was business class then who was manufacturing class and whose money was looted by Brit. What happened to them once their money was looted and they became poor?

[@indiaandisrael662]

Brits were happy

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 9: There is an old story by Prem Chand I think that talks about horse and a story between two people. One pretends to be a leper so that his neighbour would let him sit on the horse. when the pretend leper runs away with the horse, the owner says, dont do that again, or people won't trust lepers and poor people. It was a rich m an who let a leper sit on his horse for he could not walk. That is Indian sensibility, so your claim that people ran because taxes were being collected on horses....sorry......that is not how a Dharmic society works. You have it confused with what pilgrims did to the Natives and what happened in europe...NOT THE SAME...

[@hrt-snp-321-skrd]

She hasn't don't her research properly on Ramayana and Mahabharata. It takes a lifetime to read, understand, digest and know the essence of it. One thing is certain. She has no proper guidance, or guide or references. Her 40+ years of work has gone down the drain. It's one thing to know English and master Medicine and become doctor. Similarly, it's one thing to learn Sanskrit and know Ramyana. In her case 2, Ramayana & Mahabharata. She feels she has come to a stage, to give commentaries on the 2 mahakavyas, infact judge the Author. Laughable. Waste of resources of University of Chicago, if at all she used them 🙏

[@gauravpandey8101]

Dog is about lower caste ; here are so many species in India alone then how many caste she came to know about .one year of internship and you think you have learned much more ;thanks for still focusing on In dia

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 18: comparing BJP and their sane policies to any (if there is) normal thing that Bush (take your pick, you are allowed to choose from both) did? Seriously? Point 19: 47:23…. Women going to pilgrimage to hang out with their cities can be compared to sex and the city? Seriously? Sex and the city was nothing but women who did not respect themselves and were focused on their first and second chakra, power and sex. While women going to pilgrimage with their women friends can be frivolous, they are certainly not going their to talk about body parts as did women in sex in the city. In addition, women in the sex and the city would NEVER go on a religious spiritual pilgrimage, they were not that deep.

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 22: Greeks were rationalists and Indian folks have piety. That is because we understand the poetry of life. What would you call the transcendentalists? Who revered India and its wisdom and their works were inspired by India? They turned it all into poetry. Well, we live the poetry and become the poems ourselves. As said earlier-YOU WILL NOT UNDERSTAND.

[@ArrowBast]

Sanskrit was never a common spoken language ,not in 600 AD, not even in 600 BC , not in 1200 BC- it was meant for record keeping , liturgy and formal administrative language and as a metalanguage which defined rules for grammar and composing texts. Beef was consumed by poorer castes , especially in the tribal forest belts and by lay Buddhists , but cattle or buffalo both were more valued as a form of exchangeable wealth and trading commodity and hence less likely to be consumed as food - in a land where agricultural productivity was highest in the old world.

[@Benbravo]

She has no idea about Hinduism or something when we try to examine something about we should mingle with that kind of society...how to describe🤔🤔 aware something

[@trem876]

I heard that it explained that drona knew the nishadas would eventually fight against the pandavas and that is why he requested his gurudakshina as such.

[@sanatanishardool]

Hello! Birtish looted 128 trillion dollars from Hindus, if Brahmins were educated class, kshatriyas were warriors, vaishya was business class then who was manufacturing class and whose money was looted by Brit. What happened to them once their money was looted and they became poor? Eklavya was Nephew of Lord Krishna who has taken pratigya to kill Lord Krishna as lord Krishna has killed Shishupal his uncle. This whole was family matter, Dronacharya was Rajguru who had vowed not to teach anyone except Princess you can think as a modern day contract and you know what happens if you betray the king, and despite that Dronacharya asked him to go and learn from some other Guru which he didn't obey and was learning by hiding and think of the consequences for a Guru if the king thinks that he broke his vows.

[@maruthimacha1847]

yes that is true

[@ratri6110]

1:02:58 Wrong Even today Shiva worshipper use Horizontal Tilak And Vaishnav use Vertical Tilak

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 13: Dark skin does not mean low SES, as you suggest. Till this day we have all skin colours in all levels. and dark women were considered gorgeous and beautiful until the brits came and changed the idea of beauty....and we like idiots believed them.

[@vladimirjosh6575]

Man, I can savvy you were insanely angered 4 years back! Duh! _Have you recovered from this?_

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 6: These people can be very nasty? meaning you? how much venom do you hold in your hold? Dead white male? again bringing your own vocabulary and your own lens? do you not get it. the whole world is not to be seen through your large glasses? and just because you come from a place that does not have as much diversity in language does not mean that Indians were just as restricted in language. In India I have seen rural people come to the city and pick up they city language without an accent very quick and then continue to speak to their folk in their own language. So it is always the rural, the uneducated who are even smarter in picking up several languages. why won't they learn sanskrit? sorry, India ain't europe.....where eventually they have but one written script.....we have several of everything from thousands of years before christianity. and we learn sanskrit in school even today. I have written essays in sanskrit.....and many of the words in most languages in india, including the south indian languages have sanksrit in common

[@backbencher6667]

I wonder why it took me 5 years to find this.

[@lakshyakaparwan8984]

Because it is completely wrong lol

[@backbencher6667]

@@lakshyakaparwan8984 And you are the Greastest Historian the world never found. ROFLMAO

[@lakshyakaparwan8984]

@@backbencher6667 I am not never gonna claim to be one but I'll ask you this can you name one act of terrorism outside of india that was done by a Hindu man

[@Rahul109s2y]

sick lady

[@sabitrisahu1582]

She is 60 percent wrong.

[@CowBhai]

Yuck thoo, blah blah blah rubbish.

[@hgjhg2341]

Cow Bhai That is what the woman deserves. She may have been writing books for 40 years, we have lived the beauty of hinduism for thousands of years. Something she will never understand so, in that frustration she tried to concoct stories that are reflective of her own background. (read V. Juluri's Re-arming Hinduism)

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 3: OOh, hindu version of the terror is relatively mild mostly consisting of people who are engineers and in the communication industry (you forget to mention that they are a better scholar than you are, and certainly can match you and challenge you.). we also know who you are pointing at. These few people have started a revolution. And you Ms. Doniger should know that we are awake. You are not allowed to comment on our behalf. You have not lived hinduism, you do not know its poetry, nor do you understand its science.

[@sandy17oct]

Freudean slip at 18:00…

[@SumiOccult]

True. Thanks.

[@sonus6921]

Wendy doniger 👍

[@pallavarora7467]

She got horse wrong. Horses among Indians have all different stories. What doninger doesn't know about Ekalavya and the dog, that he fills dog's mouth with 7 arrows but none of the arrow hurts his mouth, none of them Pierced dog's mouth . This was a superb feat which even Arjuna could not have achieved. Hence, cruel treatment to dog can't be a topic.

[@thisisme24610]

A very informative exploration and commentary...what is interesting to noteis the number of negative comments. There's much to learn from people, particularly from another culture and background, who take the time to study and investigate another culture...they could be wrong and they could be right...what matters is the investigation, study and exploration - it is deserving of praise and applause. And having spent my life in India and many other parts of the world, I applaud the learning and inquiring... ps - from Wikipedia - "Since she began writing in the 1960s, Doniger has gained the reputation of being "one of America's major scholars in the humanities".[10] Assessing Doniger's body of work, K. M. Shrimali, Professor of Ancient Indian History at the University of Delhi, writes: it (1973) also happened to be the year when her first major work in early India's religious history, viz., Siva, the Erotic Ascetic was published and had instantly become a talking point for being a path-breaking work. I still prescribe it as the most essential reading to my postgraduate students at the University of Delhi, where I have been teaching a compulsory course on 'Evolution of Indian Religions' for the last nearly four decades. It was the beginning of series of extremely fruitful and provocative encounters with the formidable scholarship of Wendy Doniger.[11]Her books both in Hinduism and other fields have been positively reviewed by the Indian scholar Vijaya Nagarajan[13]. And those wondering about the University - here are a couple of alumni who have made significant contributions to India - www.chicagobooth.edu/faculty/directory/r/raghuram-g-rajan, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikhil_Mohan_Pattnaik. Furthermore, here's the list of Noble Prize winners from the same University en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Nobel_laureates_affiliated_with_the_University_of_Chicago. Among these, I personally knew Myron Scholes, who was actually has been a very closely associated with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

[@radeonblue1816]

Read "snakes in Ganga" and then you will understand why many Indians want validation from west and how they give grants to these poeple even without studying what filth they spread. We Indians have inferiority complex and that is why these people are able to spread their lies in our Indian universities. Just becuase she has been studying Indian history doesn't mean anything if it is not being validated by Indian scholars.They don't have the process of purvapakhsha so whatever they write they don't debate about that. Why? Because our Indian intellectuals don't even comment on the filth they write.

[@nvHumanist]

The questionnaire part was interesting. It's interesting to know you gathered lot of information. You must have lived in India to Have an understanding of most of the culture and how people think.

[@SarveshShrivastava-vi4vg]

Please stick to essence of the stories. Also what is the central thought of Hinduism

[@vladimirjosh6575]

LOL *_The dislikes makes all this tons more interesting!_* (😎 Hmmm...)

[@user-pl7el1fp6k]

If you are Ricebag and Love Imagination and Unreal stories than go for her Book which made her earn 1M $

[@indiaandisrael662]

@@user-pl7el1fp6k lol

[@literarymusings8886]

@@user-pl7el1fp6k You fool , do you think she is a Christian ? You fool , even if she was Christian , no Christian would bark constantly like Hindus do over one single book You fool , there are hundreds of thousands of books which are critical of Christianity and have been written You fool , and the authors of those books roam freely in Christian countries without being constantl abused by people with excessive time of their hands

[@jivaryan560]

She does NOT understand the truth of Vedic texts. This is all a misinterpretation.

[@RubenSingh]

49:25 *"Hindu polytheism is much more passionate..,"* nice interpretation of a passionate religion, professor. She seems to be bothered by dog cruelty over a low caste man exploited to dismember his thumb. 👎 Thousands of years of sub-human treatment and torture of low caste people dictated by Hindu religion - she calls Hinduism a "passionate religion?!" Seems like she is either scared of Hindu opposition, thus kissing someone's behind to appease opposition; or she is just a wanna-be foreigner mesmerized with her knowledge of this evil religion that has exploited, oppressed, tortured, killed its society for the benefit of few.

[@KhattaMeethaOficial]

I like her thinking when story about dog and Heaven...... The person will not have doubt in his Mind If has read Bhagvat Geeta that it is not about what u think it is about what is right and to judge these holy interactions we might bring our own views, Thts why krishna says do what u believe in dharma is and Fruit will come later.....,........... The fact that she missed the measure point that story is telling that Dogs are not Lower state and they can be Brough to heaven with good deeds, she is focusing on physical aspect of the story rather than the moral..... ❤❤

[@hgjhg2341]

Point 5: Pray tell how are we ignoring the most 'important' aspects of hinduism? taken upon yourself to write or -RE-write the history ....nay, re-create...the history from your mind?

[@DineshKumar-eo3sb]

She come up the lower cast is also identify as dog and she made her own story but as she said Hinduism is so vast so even dog is a God I. E vehro.

[@shashiranjan7813]

What stories you are concocting. Shameful lies. Every age some books are written by people against and they don't become reference. Just like your book. Egg thrown at you Madam! . Thank God Hindus don't believe in France kind of acts. We are very generous.

[@KhattaMeethaOficial]

I dont blame her, If u study anything with your own baised understanding and only focus on latest part after 1600..

[@subodhbhattarai2222]

Don't fool us. Your life is wasted.