Sreerama Varma Raja P C

Humanism of Narayana Guru

Published on September 11, 2021

Humanism is a philosophical outlook that emphasizes the individual and the agency of human beings. Even though humanistic thinking has its roots in pre-Socratic philosophers such as Protagoras, who declared that “man is the measure of all things,” humanism gained a societal dimension for the first time during the period of the Renaissance in Europe from the 14th to the 18th century. While the waves of the Renaissance influenced various aspects of life in Europe such as art, literature, and architecture, humanism was one of the main philosophical products of the Renaissance. Central to the development of a humanistic outlook was the religious reformation led by Martin Luther. He argued that Christianity was a matter between the Bible and the believer, rather than something completely owned and dictated by the Catholic Church, which at the time held significant power over both religious and state affairs throughout Europe. This religious reformation played an important role in paving the intellectual ground for much more progressive ideas of the Enlightenment, such as liberty, equality, fraternity, and the sovereignty of reason.

As we trace the history of the Renaissance and humanism in Europe, it is important not to apply the same model in the context of India and Kerala. Unlike the European context, India has the deep-seated establishment of the caste system. Without addressing the caste system, its philosophical roots, and the dominance of caste identity over religious identity in Indian society, any discussion of a Renaissance in the Indian context is incomplete. A common narrative today separates the caste system from the varna system, suggesting that the varna system represents a metaphysical truth while the caste system is viewed as a social evil. However, this is incorrect. Both historically and philosophically, the caste system is rooted in the varna system. In the caste system, a person’s caste identity supersedes their identity as a human being, making the system anti-humanistic. Therefore, eradicating caste is the fundamental and necessary task for any Renaissance figure in the Indian context.

Narayana Guru is comparable to Martin Luther in the European Renaissance and stands as one of the key figures of the Kerala Renaissance, which was active from the early 19th century to the early 20th century. His intellectual foundation was in Advaita Vedanta philosophy, which significantly shaped his humanistic outlook. The essence of his humanism is captured in his poetic works such as Jatinirnayam, Jatilaksham, Anukambhadashakam, and Jeevakarunya Panchakam. Through these short yet powerful poems, Narayana Guru envisioned the identity of a human being as “narajati,” an identity that stood on its own, in a society where caste identity often took precedence. This imaginative leap marked the first half of his humanistic project, which was complemented by his activism. He carried out revolutionary actions like establishing temples open to all, leading protests advocating for the right of lower-caste people to enter temples, and organizing inclusive feasts where people, regardless of caste, shared meals. In a way, his activism was an exploration and implementation of his intellectual discovery of the identity of human beings, or the "narajati."

Narayana Guru’s literary and activist efforts provided a foundation for other important figures of the Kerala Renaissance, such as Sahodaran Ayyappan, who envisioned a caste- and religion-free Kerala society. His influence extended to literary figures like Kumaran Asan and Vaikom Muhammad Basheer, whose works propelled the Kerala Renaissance forward by focusing on the lives of individuals who had historically been sidelined in literature dominated by gods, epics, and legends. This shift in focus mirrors the contributions of Petrarch’s poems to the European Renaissance, which elevated human experience in art and literature.

Today, some narratives attempt to confine Narayana Guru’s intellectual and activist work to mere religious reformation. However, this interpretation overlooks the broader historical context of Renaissance and Enlightenment thought. Narayana Guru was far more than a religious reformer—he was a critical figure in the Kerala Renaissance, a movement that sought to uplift society by challenging caste and promoting human dignity. Unfortunately, the progressive seeds of societal change sown during the Kerala Renaissance seem to be fading in recent decades. Organizations that aim to complete the work of the Kerala Renaissance are being sidelined, while religious populism is gaining political traction. This underscores the importance of understanding the historical evolution of the society we live in today.

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