Savarkar’s Coding of Hindutva; Metacode Rashtra, Part 8; Code Mythos (1/20)
When we hear the word myth today, we often think of stories that are not meant to be taken literally—legends with little claim to truth. Yet myths can do far more than entertain: they can inspire fascination, bind people together, and create a sense of shared identity. Plato once called myth a “lie for the benefit of the nation.” For Vinayak Damodar (Veer) Savarkar, myth played precisely such a role in shaping his vision of the Hindu nation.
Blurring the Line Between Hinduism and Hindutva
Savarkar tried to distinguish between Hinduism (as a religion) and Hindutva (as a broader socio-political identity). But in practice, he deliberately softened this boundary. Hinduism, he argued, was only one element of Hindutva – —just a subset. By embedding Hinduism within Hindutva, he left the door open to draw upon its rituals, imagery, and mythology whenever useful for political ends.
This was strategic. Hinduism, according to Savarkar, could not alone serve as the basis for a national identity:
- Internally, it was too individualistic, a “way of life” without collective boundaries, unable to forge the solidarity he sought.
- Externally, it failed to counter the centrifugal tendencies of Indian society. In Savarkar’s view, it even contributed to them.
Unlike Islam, Christianity, or Judaism—religions that, in his eyes, bound communities tightly together—Hinduism needed transformation. His solution was the creation of a “political religion”: a fusion of myth and politics designed to provide postcolonial India with unity and purpose.
Myth as Political Instrument
For Savarkar, myths were not quaint relics but powerful tools. He consciously imported and reinterpreted myths to strengthen Hindutva:
- Initiation rites like the ancient horse sacrifice.
- Fire and blood cults, including the idea of Aryan blood kinship.
- The union of blood and soil, sacralizing the land of Hindustan.
- Elevating his own works, such as Hindu-Pad-Padashahi, to a near-sacred status, demanding every Hindu read them as a patriotic duty.
- Invocations of a Golden Age, oaths, martyrdom, and messianism—especially framing Shivaji as an avatar or redeemer.
Through such instruments, Savarkar embedded loyalty, discipline, and identity into the very fabric of Hindutva.
Why Myths Matter
As the scholar Rüdiger Voigt observed, myths shape human worldviews so deeply that people are often unaware of their influence. They root communities in the past, giving meaning to the present. “Myths themselves are neither good nor evil,” Voigt wrote, “but they can be used.” Savarkar understood this well—and his Hindutva concept reveals just how thoroughly he used them.
Early History as Mythology
Savarkar argued that even India’s earliest history was “clothed in the poetic garb of mythology.” Anecdotes, folklore, and the glorification of national heroes filled the Puranas, which he regarded as a treasure house of early historical memory. For him, these texts preserved not only the grandeur of Hindu civilization but also its resilience through chaotic and uncertain times.
Historians like Hermann Kulke and Dietmar Rothermund confirm this significance: the Puranas, they note, are not just compendia of myths and rituals but also carry genealogies of dynasties and accounts vital to India’s historiography. In this way, they became both sacred literature and national archive.
Final Thoughts
Savarkar’s genius—and controversy—lay in his ability to politicize myth. By fusing the sacred and the political, he constructed Hindutva as more than an ideology: it became a political religion, capable of binding millions through shared stories, symbols, and rituals. Whether one sees this as visionary or as a distortion of faith, its impact on modern India remains undeniable.
💭 What do you think? Do you agree with Plato’s idea that myths can be a “lie for the benefit of the nation”? Can myths serve a positive role in shaping identity? Savarkar blurred the boundary between Hinduism and Hindutva. Do you see this as a clever political strategy? Are myths like the Golden Age, Sacred Land, or Messianic Heroes still powerful tools for creating national unity today?
👉 Share your thoughts in the comments below!
Sources:
KULKE, Hermann und Dietmar ROTHERMUND. 1998. Geschichte Indiens. Von der Induskultur bis heute. 2. überarbeitete Auflage. Verlag C.H. Beck: München.
SAVARKAR, Vinayak Damodar. 2007. Hindu Rashtra Darshan. Bharat Bhushan. Abhishek Publications: New Delhi.
SAVARKAR, S. S. and G. M. JOSHI. (Eds.). [HS]. 1992. Historische Statements (Prophetic Warnings). Statements, Telegrams & Letters. 1941 to 1965 by Veer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar. Veer Savarkar Prakashan: Bombay (Mumbai).
SAVARKAR, Vinayak Damodar. 1971. Six glorious (golden) epochs of Indian history. Savarkar Sadan: Bombay. 1971.
SAVARKAR, Vinayak Damodar. 1950. The story of my transportation for life. Sadbhakti Publications: Bombay.
SAVARKAR, Vinayak Damodar. 1941. Whirlwind propaganda: Statements, messages and Extracts from the President’s Diary of his Propagandistic Tours, Interviews from December 1937 to October 1941, (Ed. by A. S. Bhide, Bombay).
VOIGT, Rüdiger. (Hrsg.). 1989. Politik der Symbole. Symbole der Politik. Leske & Budrich: Opladen.
Wolf, Siegfried O. 2010. Savarkar’s Strategic Agnosticism. A compilation of his political and economic worldview, in Heidelberg Papers in South Asian Comparative Politics (HPSACP), No. 51, Heidelberg University, Germany.
Wolf, Siegfried O. 2009. Vinayak Damodar Savarkar und sein Hindutva-Konzept. Die Konstruktion einer kollektiven Identität in Indien [“Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and his concept of Hindutva: The construction of a collective identity in India.”]. Online Dissertation: Heidelberg University: Heidelberg.
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