Ramdas Lamb: Rapt in the Name page i Rapt in the Name Ramdas Lamb: Rapt in the Name page ii SUNY series in Hindu Studies Wendy Doniger, Editor Ramdas Lamb: Rapt in the Name page iii Rapt in the Name The Ramnamis, Ramnam, and Untouchable Religion in Central India (cid:1) Ramdas Lamb State University of New York Press Ramdas Lamb: Rapt in the Name page iv Published by State University of New York Press, Albany © 2002 State University of New York All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission. No part of this book may be stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means including electronic, electro- static, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise with- out the prior permission of the publisher. For information, address State University of New York Press, 90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207 Production by Judith Block Marketing by Anne Valentine Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Lamb, Ramdas. Rapt in the name : the Ramnamis, Ramnam, and untouchable religion in Central India / Ramdas Lamb. p. cm. — (SUNYseries in Hindu studies) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN0–7914–5385–5 (alk. paper) — ISBN0–7914–5386–3 (pbk. : alk. paper) 1. Ramnami-samaj. 2. R¯ama (Hindu deity)—Cult. 3. Dalits—Central India— Religion. I. Title II. Series. BL1295.R36L36 2002 294.5'5—dc21 2002070695 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Ramdas Lamb: Rapt in the Name page v For Susan,Sachi,Ravi Meena Bahin,Leelaji and all the Ramnamis Ramdas Lamb: Rapt in the Name page vi Ramdas Lamb: Rapt in the Name page vii (cid:1) Contents Preface ix Notes on Transliteration xi Introduction 1 Chapter 1 Providing the Context 11 Chapter 2 Historical Development of the Ram Tradition 25 Chapter 3 Ramnam and the Ram Story in Hindi 35 Chapter 4 Religion and the Low Caste in Central India 45 Chapter 5 The Ramnami Samaj:Its Contemporary Forms 77 Chapter 6 Ramnamis’Contemporary Use of the M¯anas andRamnam 113 Chapter 7 The Ramnami Life:Six Biographic Sketches 135 Conclusion: A Question of Values 175 Appendix I 183 Appendix II 195 Notes 197 Glossary 215 Bibliography 219 Index 231 Ramdas Lamb: Rapt in the Name page viii This sect member’s mukut(hat) shows the physical diversity with which Ram- namis can express themselves. Ramdas Lamb: Rapt in the Name page ix (cid:1) Preface It has been nearly three decades since I first became aware of the Ramnami Samaj, an Untouchable religious movement in Central India, and nearly two- and-a-half decades since I began my relationship with the group. I was a Hindu monk at the time I first met them and my interest was strictly personal. I was initially attracted by their striking visual appearance, then by their theological, philosophical, and social views. Later, after returning to America and beginning my academic career, my interest in the samaj expanded to include a variety of scholastic curiosities and concerns as well. This book, then, is a result of both my personal and professional relationship with the Ramnamis. I first visited India as a tourist for three weeks in 1968. Intrigued by my experiences there, I returned in the spring of 1969 and resided there until 1977. Since then, I have returned more than a dozen times to the subcontinent to continue my research on and relationship with the land and its people. Although I have continually sought to expand my horizons and understanding of India over the last several decades, the magnitude and multivalence of the country is such that it is extremely difficult for any one individual to do more than scratch the surface and comprehend all that is there. However, with each contact, I have been fortunate to broaden my understanding of, and experiences with, the Ramnamis. I hope this presentation will pay tribute to their uniqueness, sincer- ity, and genuineness. Thepurposeofthepresentstudyistwofold:(1)toexaminetheevolution andelaborationoftheRambhaktitraditioninIndia,withspecificreferencetothe rolesoftheRa¯ mcarita¯ nasandthepracticeofRamnamtherein;and(2)toprovidea detailedexpositiononapresent-daymanifestationofRambhaktiintheformof theRamnamiSamaj.WhiletheRamnamisexistontheirownasauniqueillus- trationofcontemporaryantinomianHindudevotionalism,thesectisalsoavi- brantexampleofwhathasbeenanintegralpartoftheever-changingRamtradi- tioninIndia,fromitsinceptiontothepresent:theinvolvementandinfluenceof thoseonthesocialandreligiousperipheryinthegrowthofRambhakti. Among the corollary South Asian issues addressed in these pages are the concepts of self-identity formation and the role of brahmanical scholars and