what is sanskrit?
sanskrit traces its roots to the proto-indo-european language family and evolved in vedic society around 1500 BCE, following the migration of aryan peoples into the indus river plains of ancient south asia. it developed as the language of the brahmins, and was primarily used in the realm of religion and ritual. access to sanskrit was (and still is in many places) restricted to the brahmin caste. most sanskrit texts that we come into contact with today were written by, and for, brahmin men - this includes its vast body of literature that is not religious or philosophy-based.
how does sanskrit relate to caste?
during the late vedic period, the priestly caste of brahmins created a system of exclusion (the caste “system”). this system was based on the brahmins’ access to the so-called divinity of the sanskrit language, endogamy practices, and ideas of “purity” and “pollution”.
the system of caste evolved and seeped into every aspect of South Asian society. The system as a whole is referred to as brahminism. Similar to the system of patriarchy, or the system of colonialism, brahminism is a dominator system of oppression that marginalises people at the lower end and outside the caste system (Dalit Bahujans, Adivasis and lowered castes).
we can therefore see sanskrit as a symbol, and carrier, of brahminism, and one of the many ways in which the caste-oppressed community continues to be marginalised.
how does this all relate to yoga?
the origins of yoga are contested, but something that is undeniable is that yoga as a philosophy has been heavily influenced by brahminism and vedic practices. in fact, processes such as sanskritisation and brahminical absorption have ensured that traditions which emerged outside of vedic brahminism have been appropriated and absorbed into the folds of it. shifting the focus to non-vedic streams of yoga, philosophy and culture, and naming the ways in which brahminism has marginalised or hidden them, is part of a process to “debrahminise” yoga. yoga as we know it today is inherently an appropriation, and this is essential to recognise.
within this context, centring Dalit Bahujan and Adivasi voices, stories and contributions and supporting their leadership, is vital and urgent.
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