Jagannath University Research Journal

Published Volumes Issues

Volume-6 Issue-I

Title : The Jurisprudence Of Inner Sovereignty: Sree Narayana Guru And The Epistemology Of Liberation

Author : Dr. Pratheesh P*a and Dr. Saritha S. R. *b

Abstract :

Sree Narayana Guru's philosophy can be seen as a response to the external forces of colonialism that sought to undermine indigenous identities and autonomy, paralleling the historical processes that led to the marginalization of native populations. By emphasizing the importance of self-governance and the reclamation of cultural practices, Guru's work aligns with the ongoing struggles of indigenous communities to assert their rights and preserve their heritage, as highlighted in contemporary movements for cultural revitalization. This study addresses the philosophical, legal, and symbolic components of Sree Narayana Guru's radical interventions, particularly the consecration of the mirror idol at Kalavamkodam, as fundamental acts of epistemic resistance and ethical education. Guru challenged colonial Kerala's Brahmanical orthodoxy by reconfiguring caste as an epistemological distortion founded on ignorance (avidya), rather than a metaphysical order. His perspective, based on Advaita Vedanta but reinterpreted via an egalitarian and decolonial lens, marked a significant "epistemic turn" in the rhetoric of social justice in India. Using hermeneutic, phenomenological, and symbolic jurisprudential methodologies, the research places Guru's praxis within the larger context of constitutional morality, indigenous modernity, and experiential knowledge systems. The mirror is analysed not just as a ceremonial item, but also as a legal-symbolic artifact that affirms inner divinity, democratizes the holy, and establishes a vernacular language of justice. The paper contends that Guru's contributions should be reclaimed as living precedents for postcolonial constitutionalism and inner sovereignty jurisprudence, drawing on oral histories, legal philosophy, and post-representational semiotics.

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