Caste is a social and political reality, not the essence of Hindu spirituality, and plenty of Hindu teachers condemned it. Isn’t tying it to the religion a cheap shot?

The condemnation from within is real and should be credited, which is why this is framed as a contested argument rather than a verdict. But the tie to scripture is not invented by critics. The texts are there, and karma was used for centuries to justify the hierarchy as deserved. A fair account holds both: caste is not the essence of Hindu devotion, and it is not a mere accident bolted on from outside. It is a scripturally rooted feature the tradition itself is still arguing about.