Tamil Arts Volume 16
Śankara on Caṇdāla
Dr. R. Nagaswamy
We have seen earlier that Śankara refers to Vidura from the Māhābhāratha and Dharma-Vyādha from a Purāṇas. The story of Dharma-Vyādha who was a hunter who achieved mokṣa by righteous life is narrated in the Varāha Purāṇa. It is therefore evident that Śaṅkara was aware of the Varāha Purāṇa.
There is a legend in the Varāha Purāna which deals with the life of a Caṇdālā. The outline of the story is this:
There was a Caṇdāla in Northern India in the Mathurā region who was a great devotee of Nārāyaṇa. He used to observe a vrata in which he will fast for the whole day and the next morning he would go to a near by Nārāyaṇa temple and sing the greatness of Nārāyaṇa with his Vīṇā and after the worship in early morning he would break his fast. He adhered to this vrata for several years. Once he passed through a forest to reach the Nārāyaṇa temple in the night. He was caught by a Brahma-rākṣaṣa afore mentioned devil who wanted to kill him and eat his flesh. The Caṇdālā requested the Brahma-rākṣaṣa to let him go to the temple to enable him to fulfill his vrata and then return by the same route so that the Brahma-rākṣaṣa could eat him. The Brahma-rākṣaṣa told him that he was not a fool to let his prey go for there were so many ways through which he can escape. He also said he was hungry for the past several days as he had no prey and would not let go this opportunity. The Caṇdāla told him that he valued truth (satya) and having made a promise would never go back on it. For, he believed that the world is sustained by truth and at all cost he would fulfill his promise.
The Brahma-rākṣaṣa thought that he was an honest man and would certainly come back as per his promise. He allowed him to go the temple and return after his worship. The Caṇdālā went to the temple and after worshiping Nārāyaṇa returned through the same route. En route an old man came and asked the Caṇdālā to escape through other routes so that he will not fall a prey to Brahma-rākṣaṣa. The Caṇdālā stoutly refused and went through the forest as per his promise. The Brahma-rākṣaṣā appeared and asked the Caṇdālā if he presented all the spiritual merits he gained by going to the temple and singing the praise of Nārāyaṇā he would let him go. Caṇdālā refused. The Brahmar-ākshashā asked him whether he would at least present the merit of singing one song which the Caṇdālā refused but asked him who he was and why was roaming in the forest in this despicable form preying on human beings. The Brahma-rākṣaṣa said that he was a Brāhmaṇa in his previous birth and he did not study the Vedas or performing Vedic sacrifices, but pretended as if he knew the Vedas and started doing a Vedic sacrifice. Half way through he could not complete the sacrifice and died. As a result of his falsehood he was born a Brahma-rākṣas in this life. He now prayed to the Caṇdālā to give at least the merit of singing one song in the temple of Nārāyaṇā. The Brahma-rākṣas fell at his feet and requested him to save him from this wretched life and this was his last chance to be redeemed. So, the Caṇdālā gave him the merit of singing one of the songs to the Brahma-rākṣas. As a result of his devotion and truthfulness the Caṇdālā attained mokṣa. The Brahma-rākṣas was born in a good family and after attaining several puṇyās in successive births attained mokṣa.
This story is set against two personalities, one a Brāhmaṇa, an out right cheat who did not study the Veda and as a result was born a Brahma-rākṣas, the worst type of devil. The other was a Caṇdālā who was lowest in caste hierarchy was an honest devotee of Nārāyaṇa. By his devotion and honesty, he attained mokṣa. The other Brāhmaṇa who was born in a Vedic family attained only a state of devilhood for his cheating and after several births was able to get redemption. This is a story illustrates that birth and Vedas alone does not confer moksha, but sincere devotion (even without Vedic aid) and honesty, a Caṇdālā could attain mokṣa immediately.