Thottam on Pottan is a unique cultural text that blends folk vitality with profound philosophical insight. Its power lies in how it takes a story rooted in Vedantic philosophy and retells it in the idiom of Kerala’s ritual performance traditions. The poem functions at multiple levels—dramatic, social, philosophical, and spiritual—making it a layered and enduring work.
The Thottam of Pottan Theyyam is a powerful, ritualistic song that narrates the story of Lord Shiva, disguised as the low-caste Pottan, confronting Adi Shankaracharya to challenge the caste system and champion social equality. Critically, the Thottam is appreciated for its socially relevant, satirical, and humanistic messages, using simple yet profound arguments—like comparing blood colour to question caste—to expose the hollowness of caste divisions. The lyrics serve as a form of question-and-answer teaching within the Theyyam performance, which allows the performer to embody the persona and the community to absorb these core lessons of unity and secularism.
The poem Thottam on Pottan, as translated by K M Tharakan, belongs to the oral ritual traditions of Kerala, associated explicitly with Pottan Theyyam. This performance form dramatises social resistance and spiritual truth. The poem recounts the legendary encounter between Adi Shankara, the great Advaita philosopher, and a Chandala (outcaste). At its heart, the narrative critiques caste hierarchy and affirms the universality of human dignity.
The poem opens with the figure of the Chandala, depicted in starkly negative, even grotesque, terms. He is presented as a toddy drinker, unruly in his movements, abusive in speech, and even threatening with a knife. This initial imagery reflects the dominant caste perception of the outcaste as filthy, lawless, and uncivilised. Opposite him stands Shankara, the “learned sage,” a representative of Brahmanical orthodoxy and spiritual authority.
When Shankara commands the Chandala to move aside, his words drip with caste arrogance. He accuses the Chandala of ignorance, filth, and lack of divine knowledge, and ridicules his diet and way of life. He even threatens him with violence, revealing the coercive nature of caste power. The path in question symbolises not just the physical road but also the spiritual path, from which the Chandala is excluded.
The turning point occurs when the Chandala responds. Instead of reacting with anger, he poses profound philosophical questions. What does “path” mean, and who has the right to it? Can one truly discriminate between truth and untruth, sacred and profane, learned and low-born? He challenges Shankara to demonstrate real justice and to explain the basis of caste distinctions. His most striking argument is visceral: if their bodies were cut, would the blood of a Brahmin and a Chandala be different?
Through this confrontation, the Chandala reveals the hollowness of caste discrimination. He embodies the very Advaitic truth that Shankara himself preached—that the self (Atman) is universal, beyond distinctions of birth and status. The poem, therefore, is not only a folk performance but also a philosophical critique couched in accessible, dramatic language.
Thottam on Pottan stands out as a counter-narrative to caste orthodoxy, giving dignity to the marginalised through ritual performance. Its power lies in transforming a ritual chant into a socially critical text, where the so-called outcaste is elevated to the status of a philosophical teacher. The work seamlessly blends folk vitality with profound metaphysical questioning, ensuring accessibility while challenging entrenched power structures.
The poem resonates with both social critique and spiritual depth. By making the Chandala articulate truths that Shankara himself must acknowledge, it universalises human equality. Blood, the ultimate marker of life, becomes the symbol of unity beyond caste. The artistry of the dialogue—the sharp invective of Shankara offset by the calm rationality of the Chandala—adds dramatic intensity, making it not just a recitation but an ethical and intellectual spectacle.
Thottam on Pottan illustrates how Kerala’s oral and ritual traditions interrogate orthodoxy, uphold human dignity, and bridge the gap between folk expression and philosophical insight. It is both a literary and cultural artefact of resistance, ensuring that wisdom may spring from the most unexpected quarters.
Thematic Richness
The central theme is the critique of caste arrogance and the affirmation of human equality. Shankara’s initial pride as a Brahmin contrasts sharply with the Chandala’s wisdom, producing dramatic irony. The Chandala, though socially despised, becomes the mouthpiece of universal truth. This reversal of roles—where the outcaste becomes teacher and the Brahmin becomes learner—subverts orthodox hierarchies.
Conflict and Dialogue
The poem begins with Shankara rebuking the Chandala, demanding that he leave the path. The language reflects Brahmanical arrogance: the Chandala is branded devilish, unclean, ignorant, and unworthy of spiritual pursuit. However, the Chandala’s reply undermines such prejudice. Through rhetorical questions—“Any difference of colour in the blood of a Brahmin and mine?”—he destabilises casteist assumptions. This moment transforms the narrative into a dialogue on truth versus illusion, social constructs versus universal essence.
Philosophical Depth
At its core, the poem enacts Advaita Vedanta’s principle that all beings share the same Atman, or ultimate self. The Chandala’s rhetorical questions dissolve boundaries between the sacred and the profane, the clean and the unclean, the high and the low. The blood imagery is compelling, presenting equality not in abstract terms alone but also in visceral, bodily reality. The text thus merges folk realism with metaphysical philosophy.
Dramatic and Poetic Style
The language of the poem is vivid, alternating between ridicule and reason. Shankara’s invective—filled with terms like “devil,” “ignoramus,” “smelly of beef and fish”—reflects the violence of caste prejudice. In contrast, the Chandala’s calm, philosophical tone dismantles these insults. The diction alternates between mocking invective (in Shankara’s rebukes) and measured philosophical argument (in the Chandala’s reply). This interplay of aggression and rationality creates dramatic tension, making the performance both engaging as a spectacle and a debate. The imagery of toddy drinking, running, leaping, and falling builds a deliberately coarse, disruptive picture of the Chandala—yet ironically, he becomes the voice of wisdom. The contrast between appearance and essence is central to the poem’s aesthetic.
Social and Cultural Significance
As part of Pottan Theyyam, the poem has deep cultural resonance. Theyyam is not only ritual worship but also a theatre of protest, giving voice to the marginalised. By enacting the triumph of the Chandala’s wisdom, Thottam on Pottan becomes a performative assertion of equality, a reminder that truth may come from the most unexpected sources. It reclaims dignity for those historically excluded from mainstream narratives.
Aesthetic Power
The strength of the poem lies in its ability to speak simultaneously to the intellect and the emotions. The earthy, physical imagery grounds it in folk realism, while its philosophical arguments elevate it to metaphysical insight. This duality ensures accessibility to familiar audiences while retaining spiritual depth.
Thottam on Pottan is both a cultural artefact and a philosophical text. It exposes the hollowness of caste hierarchy, dramatises the tension between orthodoxy and truth, and elevates the voice of the marginalised. As folk performance, it embodies Kerala’s traditions of resistance; as a philosophical dialogue, it enshrines Advaitic principles of universal equality. Its lasting value lies in bridging the gap between ritual, literature, and philosophy, making it a timeless text of both social critique and spiritual affirmation.
