The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c5.13

c5.13

So the brahmin and the total independence he represents cap the dichotomous system, signifying that it is still felt to be one, albeit contradictory, whole. But this does not create a system of hierarchical interdependence, for such a system can only be given reality in actual relations. The brahmin ideal, however, rejects all relations in favor of absolute independence. It can therefore only be an outside reference point for each separate group and cannot relate them to each other, either vertically or horizontally.