After Mahaprabhu, divine conception was polluted by sahajiya sampradayas:aula, baula

[krsna]

After Mahaprabhu, the divine conception ( Science of Krsna Consciousness ) was polluted by the sahajiya sampradyas: aula, baula, , nera, daravesha, sani sahajiya, sakhibheki, smarta, jata-gosai, ativari, cudadhari and gauranga-nagari.

Some goswamis came to re-establish it, but it again became polluted. Thirteen apa-sampradayas that polluted Mahaprabhu's pure conception are summarized as follows.

 

 

Aula-sampradaya, Baula-sampradaya

They invented their own ways of understanding Lord Caitanya’s philosophy, without following in the footsteps of the Acaryas. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu Himself indicates herein that all such attempts would simply spoil the spirit of His Community.

Direct contact is not possible. Neither that is the way of worshiping by the method of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu. That is sahajiya-vada. ``I am talking with Krsna. Krsna is snatching my cloth.'' There is a book, one lady has written, his (her) experience, that Krsna comes, He talks with her and snatches her clothe. She has written openly. But this is not Caitanya Mahaprabhu's way. There is one gentleman, Mr. Raya, in Poona, and he has got also woman. Everyone must have a woman, parakiya. This is sahajiya-vada. This is sahajiya-vada. Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu never said, ``This is the parakiya-rasa: one should have one woman.'' No. He observed complete sannyasa life. Rather there was very, very severe, rigid restriction about women. But now, these sahajiyas, they are going on in the name of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu: aula, baula, kartta-bhaja, neda, daravesa, sani, sahajiya, sakhibheki, like that, so many. They are apa-sampradaya.

 

Jati-goswami

They created a caste of goswamis, just like they created a caste of brhmanas, a caste of goswamis. So this goswami will come by hereditary birth, just like brahmana. So Bhaktivinoda thakura was very sorry to see the condition of the society.

 

Smarta

Because their leaders became vaishnavas, many lesser smartas thought it prudent to externally adopt vaishnava customs. This is how the smarta-apasampradaya, or Vaishnavism compromised by caste brahmanism, began. The smartas think they have monopoly rights on initiating persons born in brahmana families, and that only such persons as initiated by them can wear the sacred thread.

 

Kartabhaja

Awul Chand (c 1694-1770) ascetic and originator of kartabhaja cult, was born probably in 1694. He was brought up by a childless Mahadev couple in Ulabirnagar village in nadia district. His childhood name was Purnachandra. He completed his primary education at his foster father's home and afterwards studied Sanskrit and theology with Harihar Thakur.

 

According to one view, Awul Chand was a disciple of a Muslim fakir; according to another, he was initiated into vaisnavism by Balaram Das at Fulia and then took the name of Awul Chand. Awul Chand traveled to several holy places. Finally, on coming to Ghoshpara near Kanchrapada, he started living under the patronage of Ramsharan Pal. Gradually word spread about his miraculous powers. Twenty-two persons, including Ramsharan, became his disciples, forming the nucleus of the Kartabhaja community. Awul Chand's devotees regarded him as the incarnation of Sri chaitanya. Awul Chand passed away some time in 1770. Devotees still gather annually at his tomb in boalia.

 

Gauranga-Nagari

The party known as gauranga-nagari is therefore considered to be deviated from pure devotional service. This is on account of them giving Lord Caitanya the same facility as Krsna, which He did not like. Our service mood should be compatible to the attitude of the Lord. It is not that we should overlap the attitude of Krsna upon Lord Caitanya, or Lord Caitanya upon Krsna, or Krsna upon Ramacandra, or Ramacandra upon Krsna.

 

Gauranga is not in the mood of nagara (Sri Krsna, the male beloved). No one can serve Gauranga by thinking himself a gopi and thinking of Gauranga as Krsna. Everyone has to serve Him in dasya-bhava. No one should think, "I am Lalita, Visakha, or any other gopi." This is called gauranga-nagari-vada.

 

It is possible for Krsna to be the enjoyer of conjugal mellows, but not Sriman Mahaprabhu. He is always in the role of a gopi, Srimati Radhika. Anyone can serve Mahaprabhu in dasya-rasa, but no one can do so in madhurya-rasa. In this pastime, this would be absurd. Sri Caitanya-caritamrta says that this vada, gauranga-nagari-vada, is sahajjia. Sri Caitanya-bhagavat and our guru-parampara also reject this idea, and Srila Visvanatha Cakravarti Thakura has cut down their arguments.

 

Sakhibheki

The artificial way of decorating oneself in the dress of a sakhi, as is done by a class of mundaners called sakhibheki is not inspired by supramundane intelligence. Such artificial decoration of the body, which is meant for annihilation, certainly cannot please the transcendental senses of Sri Krsna. It is therefore a mundane wishful desire of the less intelligent, easygoing pseudo devotees, and as such it cannot reach the transcendental stage of the cowherd girls of Vraja.

 

We have already discussed in detail that the forms of Srimati Radharani and Her various female associates called the sakhis are composed of divine substance and their activities are therefore meant for the service of Sri Krsna. Their activities are never to be compared with the superficial activities in the material world. Sri Krsna is the all-attractive Personality of Godhead known as the enchanter of the universe, and Srimati Radharani is known as the enchanter of the enchanter of the universe. The imitative endeavors of a mundaner to become a sakhi is strictly forbidden by Srila Jiva Goswami in his commentary on the Bhakti-rasamrta-sindhu. The real devotee may thus be warned not to imitate the dress of a sakhi as a means of bhajana or worship. Such activity is offensive and strictly forbidden.

 

Cudadaharis

Think that Srimati Radharani will become attracted to them simply because they dress their material bodies like Krishna.

 

Neda or Neda-Nedi

(Vaisnava-Buddhist)

The word neda indicates a man with a shaven head. Nedi means a shaven-head woman. The neda-nedi cult is said to be still visible around the Navadvipa area, where they are indistinguishable from other shaven vaishnavas wearing tilak and white cloth. The neda-nedi apasampradaya began at the time of Sri Virabhadra Gosvami, the son of Lord Nityananda and Jahnava Mata. It is said that Sri Viracandra converted over a thousand nedas and an equal number of nedis to vaishnavism from tantric Buddhism. Under his direction, these neda-nedis took to the chanting of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra. Most of them got properly married, thus ending the illicit connections that had been going on between them in the name of tantric meditation. But after some time, a number of them again revived their old practices while passing themselves off as vaishnavas. Nowadays, the neda-nedi is taken to be a type of baul.

 

From Dr. Ramkantha Cakravarti, we get a historical account of a Buddhist monk of Orissa who became a vaishnava in Puri during the time of Srila Sanatana Gosvami's stay there. He was initiated and received the name Acutyananda das. But after mixing with the vaishnavas for some time, he became dissatisfied by their adherence to varnashrama-dharma. Buddhists are naturally antagonistic to varnashrama, so when Acutyananda consulted a Buddhist guru named Mahananda, he was advised to leave the company of the devotees. Acutyananda established his own group, preaching, bolanti prabhu bhagavan buddharupa mo sri caitanya tanka carana seva kara: "I serve the lotus feet of Lord Buddha in the form of Sri Caitanya."

 

Ativadi

Ativadi priests sometimes dress up as women on certain religious occasions; they are known for loosely mixing with women.

 

The ativadis have often exploited their influence for political ends, and can be quite fanatical. In this sense, Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur said they resemble certain Islamic sects like the wahabis. Yet at the same time, despite their fervor for Jagannatha, the scriptures they have received from their founder contain many impersonal ideas. Though they worship the Lord's form in life, they believe after death they will realize that He has no form, and that they will merge into Him.

 

They practice yoga and sometimes work magic, to cure diseases, for instance. They form a secret brotherhood, like the Freemasons in the West, and are also involved with drugs like marihuana and opium. Bhaktivinoda Thakur reckoned there were 15,000 of them in Orissa during his stay there. At that time, they were often engaged in conspiracies against the government.

 

Jagannatha das ( founder of the Ativadi ) had a sweet singing voice, which attracted women to him. He engaged these ladies in massaging his body. When brought to the court of Prataparudra Maharaja for indecent behavior on this account, he said to the King, "I don't see any difference between men and women." He was imprisoned for conduct unbecoming a vaishnava sadhu.

 

Prakrta-sahajiya

This is what hits at the heart of the prakrta-sahajiya contamination: they refuse to follow the reformatory process. Thus their perceptions of Krishna, Krishna's devotees, Krishna's service and love of Krishna are faulty creations of their lower nature.

 

"Without serving Krishna according to vidhi-marga regulative principles of the pancaratrika-vidhi, unscrupulous persons want to jump immediately to the raga-marga principles. Such persons are called sahajiyas." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.24.45-46, purport)

 

They sometimes say that one enters raga-marga only by the causeless grace of Bhaktidevi and not by a vain attempt to conquer sensual disturbances, but Srila Prabhupada says, "When a devotee strictly follows the rules and regulations, Bhaktidevi becomes very much satisfied with him, and at that time he is never disturbed by anything external." (Srimad-Bhagavatam 4.24.59, purport) "

 

kartabhaja-apasampradaya

In India, the kartabhaja-apasampradaya is nowadays lumped in with the Bauls of Bengal (aula, baula, sani, daravesa). Though indeed it is in many ways similar to the bauls, there is yet a singular feature of this cult that distinguishes it from all others: its doctrine of guruvada. To be sure, all the tantric apasampradayas venerate the guru, and they all justify this veneration with a philosophy they call guruvada. But none go to the extreme that the kartabhajas do by proclaiming the guru to be God incarnate.

 

Kartabhaja-guruvada is drawn from the mayavada idea of Absolute Oneness; the conclusion is that the guru alone is God in His worshipable form. No form other than his is worshipable, including the arca-murti. No name is chanted other than the name of the guru - if the name "Krishna" is chanted, it is because the guru is Krishna.

 

In Lord Caitanya's acintya-bhedabheda philosophy, the guru is known to be non-different from God, but that does not mean he is identical to God in all respects. He is asraya-vigraha - the receptacle of Krishna's mercy. He is vishnupadaya (situated at Lord Vishnu's lotus feet) and krishna-presthaya (very dear to Krishna). As Srila Raghunatha das Gosvami states in his Manah Siksa, yuruvaram mukunda presthatve smara parama ajashram nanu manah: "O mind, please remember again and again your spiritual master, who is most dear to Krishna."

 

The founder of the kartabhaja-apasampradaya was one Aul Chand, who lived approximately from 1686 to 1779. He was a fakir or daravesa said by his followers to be none other than Lord Caitanya Himself, whom they say reappeared at Ghosepara in Nadia 200 years after He appeared in Sridhama Mayapura. In Ghosepara, the residence of Karta Ram Sharan Pal and his wife Sati is still preserved as the kartabhaja place of pilgrimage. This husband and wife were Aul Chand's principal disciples, said to be adi-purusa and adyasakti. Nowadays, the Ghosepara Kartabhaja center is overrun with bauls during the three-day Dola Yatra festival. This is probably why many people think the kartabhajas are a kind of baul. But they are a distinct group with a distinct philosophy, and they used to be extremely influential in the last century. In 1893, an invitation was extended to Karta Dulalchand, a famous songwriter and guru of this sect, to attend the World . of Religions in Chicago (at which Vivekananda lectured). But the invitation was a little late - by that time, Dulalchand had been dead for 60 years!

 

The kartabhaja sect has its own holy book called the Bhaver-gita, most of which was written in the form of songs by Dulalchand. Much of the text is puzzling and purposefully contradictory; it is to be understood only by initiates. But there are clear hints of mayavada and tantric ideas (though it seems the kartabhaja sect does not have a reputation for sexual promiscuity like the bauls). The followers are supposed to marry and be true to their partners. And they should be vegetarian, at least on Fridays (the Muslim sabbath). Husbands and wives should not have sex on this day also. The kartabhajas share with the bauls the concept of jiyante mara - living death - as the highest goal. They chant the name of Krishna, but say the names of Kali and Khoda (Allah) are equal to it, because all are names of the guru.

 

An interesting note of history is that the kartabhajas were a powerful movement of revolt against the jati-gosai and smartas, who as mentioned earlier, had become the sedentary establishment of 18th century orthodox Gaudiya Vaishnavism. The kartabhajas and other sahajiya groups converted thousands of common folk on the plea that "the company" (their special term for the Gaudiya Vaishnavas) was once rich, but is now bankrupt. Out of the ruins of the old company, a new company has arisen (meaning the kartabhajas). This company does not carry out business in the name of religion.

 

The word karta means "master" or "boss"; with this term the kartabhajas address their gurus, beginning with Karta Ram Sharan Pal. All the kartas lived at the residence of the first karta and organized the kartabhaja mission from there.

 

The faithful followers of the kartas are called baratis, which means "members of the bridegroom's party" in the curious terminology of this sect. The business of the baratis is to fully accept and serve the karta as God on earth. Because of their fanatical devotion to this principle, the kartabhaja sect was very well organized and enthusiastic, and thus very influential among people who could see the faults of the jati-gosai and smartas.

 

The kartabhajas worship no deity other than the karta. Whatever words he speaks are themselves sastra and should be blindly obeyed. His activities are always divine. Such divine activites were revealed by Aul Chand, the founder-avatar. While living with his disciple, Ram Sharan Pal, he used to squat in a room alone without moving for many days together. But when Ram Saran had a wedding ceremony for his eldest daughter, Aul Chand suddenly came out of his room completely naked and danced all around the wedding party. Ram Sal became angry, but when Aul Chand threatened to leave his house forever, Ram Saran surrendered and begged him to stay, suddenly realizing that Aul Chand was God.

 

In Bangladesh, a new version of the kartabhaja sect was founded some years back by one Anukul Chandra. He is now dead, but latter-day devotees can be directly initiated by him through preachers known as ritviks. New initiates must agree to follow the principles - be vegetarian once a week and worship no deity other than Anukul Chandra's picture.

 

Note:

The list of anti-parties goes on and on and will branch off into it own subbranches. Sincere followers of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu must fully understand the true spiritual conception from the lips of the genuine sadhu, then work to maintain it's purity with out compromise. In order to get a clear understnding of Mahaprabhu's teaching please read Jaiva Dharma by Bhaktivinode Thakura.

 

[Kulapavana]

Neda or Neda-Nedi

(Vaisnava-Buddhist)

 

"But after mixing with the vaishnavas for some time, he became dissatisfied by their adherence to varnashrama-dharma. Buddhists are naturally antagonistic to varnashrama"

 

hmm... I see that tendency in a lot of places

[Guest guest]

It's very helpful to keep being reminded of these apasampredayas as one tends to loosen up in the name of tolerance towards all these crazy hybrid approaches.

The concern for westerners is that they have all morphed into western versions of these original perverted followings. I'd say there is a need to do an overall comparitive study of the concocted teachings to help the vulnerable stay clear of them.

[Kulapavana]

agreed. the risk is definitely there. looking at these apasampradayas one can see that in some cases deviations might be considered "minor" by many western devotees.

 

personally, I see the prevailing practical rejection of the varnashrama system by ISKCON as very, very detrimental. some leaders pretend to be both brahmanas and kshatriyas (while in reality they are vaishyas at best), sannyasis live like royalty and everybody in general is totally clueless, as to what their varna might be, and therefore cant function properly as a regulated society. it's a mess... /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[krsna]

http://www.hindu-religion.net/showflat/cat/hinduism/29480/0/collapsed/9/o/5

[Kulapavana]

what is the source of the original post?

[Guest guest]

http://www.dharmakshetra.com/articles/Mahaprabhu's%20divine%20conception%20was%20polluted.html

[Guest guest]

but who is the author?

[Guest guest]

It's better to be an honest sudra, than a dishonest brahman.

The problem still remains, how to exemplify the braminical standards without appearing like a holier than thou fanatic.

For whoever upholds real spiritual principles will undoubtedly come under extreme opposition from those that standard represents a threat to.

Srila Bhaktisiddanta Prabhupad was a prime example of that as he along with his father revealed the three dollar bills

for what they really were, in their totalitarian war against Maya or misconception.

Even upon dismantling their exploitation they still continued to proliforate right up to this day.

It's the slick western lifestyle gurus that get up my nose worst though. They really suck all the disenchanted housewives in to become independantly empowered, just buy these instructional videos and you too can become a Goddess.

It's a concern.

 

[krsna]

In one famous morning walk Srila Prabhupada explains about the tendency to talk about Lord Krsna's pastimes to those who are not qualified. This philosophy expounded by a class of men known as the prakrta sahajiyas, many of which reside at Radha Kunda in Vrindavan in the dress of babajis. Such philosophies are unauthorized and simply created disturbance in the execution of devotional service of sincere devotees.

 

Below are excerpts from a morning walk conversation with Srila Prabhupada on June 7, 1976 in Los Angeles.

 

Ramesvara: The dangerous thing is that they are using your book for authority.

 

Prabhupada: That's all right. Authority, where? What is that? That I've already explained. Why these rascals do not take the lessons of Caitanya Mahaprabhu that we are all rascals, fools? No. That they will not take. They'll take the Radharani's bhava. What Caitanya Mahaprabhu is teaching by His practical life, that we have to take.

 

Tamala Krsna: There's a statement somewhere in one of your books that when one attains the highest platform...

 

Prabhupada: Then where is that highest platform?

 

Tamala Krsna: Yes, there's no question of it.

 

Ramesvara: One must go through stages.

 

Prabhupada: Yes.

 

Ramesvara: You gave the example of trying to get an M.A. degree.

 

Prabhupada: Yes. One has to come to that highest stage. It is not forbidden. That may be ideal, but not for the neophytes. You must.... One who does not know ABCD, what he will know about M.A. degrees? That they do not know. They think that they have already passed M.A. degree. That is their fault.

 

Tamala Krsna: There's another statement, I saw them, where it says, it's a quote, that you can treat Krsna as your lover and Krsna will reciprocate.

 

Hari-sauri: And they underlined the two words "you can" treat Krsna as your lover. In this way they're taking your quotes out of context.

 

Ramesvara: This is one of their main, the main ideas in their philosophy is that the living entity can desire to have any relationship he wants with Krsna.

 

Prabhupada: That's all right, he can desire. I already explained: first deserve, then desire.

 

Tamala Krsna and Ramesvara: Deserve then desire, oh.

 

Prabhupada: You are rascal, how you can desire? You have no qualification, you desire to high court judge. What is this nonsense?

 

Ramesvara: But then they have an answer.

 

Prabhupada: What is that answer?

 

Ramesvara: That "Let me just try it anyway, to keep my mind thinking..."

 

Prabhupada: How you can try it? First of all, be qualified, a big lawyer. Then you become high court judge. Where is that qualification? You are after illicit sex and bidi and you want to be associated with the gopis.

 

Ramesvara: They say that "In ISKCON, we do not..."

 

Prabhupada: Let them say all nonsense. They are disqualified. Sahajiya babajis, that's all.

 

Prabhupada: And they'll do that. (japa) That sahajiya tendency is very easy to take up.

 

Prabhupada: Thinking of Radha-Krsna lila, that is in liberated stage, not in the conditioned stage.

 

Prabhupada: Yes, first of all be rich man, then do all things, how you shall kick your wife. This is going on. Caitanya Mahaprabhu said that "My Guru Maharaja found Me rascal number one; therefore he ordered, `You cannot study Vedanta. You chant Hare Krsna.' " They will not read this portion. That Caitanya Mahaprabhu, He posed Himself as a rascal.

 

Tamala Krsna: But they prefer to read about all the ecstatic symptoms on Caitanya Mahaprabhu's body

 

Prabhupada: That's all right. That.... Be, first of all bona fide. That is good ambition. But how this good ambition can fulfill when you are a potter, poor man? Actually be rich, and then kick your wife. And without being rich, if you think all this nonsense, you're spoiling time. (japa) Ramesvara: Srila Prabhupada, some devotees, sometimes they feel that in ISKCON we're talking so much about the business of how to spread Krsna consciousness, but we're not talking enough about Krsna's pastimes, krsna-katha, they say. So that's another reason why they want to read all these pastimes.

 

Prabhupada: Then let them read. What kind of krsna-katha? The krsna-katha test is as soon as he'll get the taste, he'll lose this taste. That is the.... What is this nonsense?

 

Ramesvara: Won't it purify them? That's what they say, "It will purify me."

 

Prabhupada: What you are purified? You have become a, what is called, putrefied, not purified.

 

Prabhupada: The books are there for reading. By reading, you become purified. (break) In 1935, our Guru Maharaja, Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati Thakura, he went to Radha-kunda for karttika-vrata. So at that time he was reading Upanisads. So first of all, these babajis they were coming. Bhaktisiddhanta Sarasvati had come at Radha-kunda. He's giving some class. So they used to come. But as soon as they saw that he was reading Upanisads, they stopped coming. They saw: "They are jnanis, they are not bhaktas."

 

Tamala Krsna: What did they want to hear? Dasama-skandha?

 

Prabhupada: Like that. So Prabhupada condemned them that "They are not living in Radha-kunda. They're living in Naraka-kunda." I heard it, "They're living in Naraka-kunda." Prabhupada: Mostly. They have no knowledge. Material. Prakrta-sahajiya. Their real name is prakrta. Their thoughts are on this material platform. Just as they are preferring this conjugal love because here the sex is prominent. They are thinking that is the highest stage. What is the lowest stage here, they're taking that as the highest stage. In the.... Of course, in the spiritual world there is such thing, but as Krsna has many other lilas, why they are not attracted to other lilas?

 

Ramesvara: They don't want to be limited. They think that Krsna is the krsnas tu bhagavan svayam. So why...

 

Prabhupada: That is good. That is always true, but Krsna says, manusyanam sahasresu kascid yatati siddhaye yatatam api siddhanam kascin mam vetti tattvatah How you have understood Krsna? Krsna says, "Out of many millions of people, one becomes siddha, and out of many millions of siddhas, hardly one can understand Me." So how you have understood Krsna so easily, within two years? What you have understood Krsna, that is materially understood. You do not know what is Krsna. That is prakrta-sahajiya. "Oh, we have understood. Krsna was a playboy, dancing with His girls. Bas, we have understood. Now we shall..."

 

Ramesvara: "If I follow the regulative principles and go on hearing about rasa-lila, then I'll be purified."

 

Prabhupada: You say that. In the sastra does not say. Sastra says that after you have studied all the nine cantos of Bhagavatam, then enter into the tenth. Sahajiya means they take very easily. "I am.... Everything is all right. Now I am perfect." That is sahajiya. Krsna says, "To understand Me, it will take millions of years." And they understand Krsna immediately. That is their.... That is called prakrta-sahajiya. Ramesvara: Krsna's incarnation is to attract the living entities to Krsna. So let me read about rasa-lila, because I'm feeling some attraction.

 

Prabhupada: Then why not Kuruksetra-lila? What...? Kuruksetra-lila... Krsna's lila is the same, absolute. You are attracted to rasa-lila means you have got sex desire. That's all.

 

Ramesvara: I may still have sex desire, but this will purify me.

 

Prabhupada: No, no, no. This will purify. You are not purified.

 

Tamala Krsna: Putrefied.

 

Prabhupada: That is.... The, this rasa-lila is for the person who is completely purified. What...? When one is impure, he should not think of. That is stated in the Bhagavatam.

[krsna]

Apasampradayas (deviants)

 

The Apasampradaya files are a booklet written by Suhotra Swami in 1991. An overview of the philosophies and practices of 13 unauthorized sects that claim to represent the teachings of Sri Caitanya Mahaprabhu, it draws extensively from Srila Prabhupada's commentaries. The information presented in the Apasampradaya files will be helpful to devotees of Krsna who are uneasy about the tendency of certain enthusiasts to blindly follow leaders who are supposedly in "transcendental ecstacy". Do you see trends that disturb you - moral and spiritual laxity, syncretism, nonscriptural and nonlogical "magical thinking" (e.g. New Age ideology, Tantrism), Dionysian emotionalism - and do you wonder where these trends have come from and where they are leading? Read the Apasampradaya files.

 

[Kulapavana]

yes, there are deviants out there, but there are also idiots and aparadhis, who see deviation in everything unfamiliar or different.

 

why do some feel the urge to pass their judgement on other Vaishnavas? what makes them think they are qualified to do so? especially in cases where the supposed "deviation" is not obvious?

 

because they are both proud and ignorant?

[Kulapavana]

"The Apasampradaya files are a booklet written by Suhotra Swami in 1991."

 

well... he himself turned out to be somewhat of a "deviant", didn't he? at least in the sense of deviating from principles of the sannyasa asrama.

[Guest guest]

Bauls

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

 

The Bauls (the word comes from Sanskrit batul, meaning divinely inspired insanity) are a group of Hindu mystic minstrels from the Bengal region, and are a part of the culture of rural Bengal. They are thought to have been influenced greatly by the Hindu tantric sect of the Kartabhajas. Bauls travel in search of the internal ideal, Maner Manush (Man of the Heart).

 

 

Baul singers at Shantiniketan, during the colour festival Holi, Mar 2004The music of the Bauls, bAul saMgeet refers to a particular type of folk song of sung by Bauls. It carries influences of Hindu bhakti movements as well as the shuphi, a form of Sufi song mediated by many thousand miles of cultural intermixing, exemplified by the songs of Kabir, for instance.

 

Baul music celebrates celestial love, but does this in very earthy terms, as in declarations of love by the bAul for his boshTomi or lifemate. With such a liberal interpretation of love, it is only natural that Baul devotional music transcends religion, and some of the most famous baul composers, such as Lalon Fakir have been of muslim birth. Here is a particularly well known Baul song:

 

AmAr prANer mAnuSh Achhe prANe

tAi heri tAye sakal-khAne

Achhe se nayan-tArAy, Alok dhArAy

tAre nA hArAye

ogo tAi heri tAye JethAye sethAye tAkA-i Ami Jedik pAne

 

 

The man after my heart lives inside me,

That is why I see him everywhere.

In the gaze of my eye, in the sparkle of light

Oh I can never lose him --

Here, there, everywhere,

Wherever I look, he is right there for me.

 

 

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Tagore on Bauls

The songs of the Bauls and their lifestyle influenced a large swath of Bengali culture, but nowhere did it leave its imprint more powerfully than in the work of Rabindranath Tagore, who talked of Bauls in a number of speeches in Europe in the 1940s, and an essay based on these was compiled into his English book Religion of Man:

 

The Bauls are an ancient group of wandering minstrels from Bengal, who believe in simplicity in life and love. They are similar to the Buddhists in their belief in a fulfilment which is reached by love's emancipating us from the dominance of self. . . .

 

Where shall I meet him, the Man of my Heart?

He is lost to me and I seek him wandering from land to land.

 

 

I am listless for that moonrise of beauty,

 

which is to light my life,

 

which I long to see in the fulness of vision

 

in gladness of heart. [p.524]

 

The above is a translation of the famous Baul song: Ami kothAy pAbo tAre, AmAr maner mAnush Je re. The following extract is a translation of another song:

 

My longing is to meet you in play of love, my Lover;

But this longing is not only mine, but also yours.

For your lips can have their smile, and your flute

 

 

its music, only in your delight in my love;

 

and therefore you importunate, even as I am.

 

The poet proudly says: 'Your flute could not have its music of beauty if your delight were not in my love. Your power is great -- and there I am not equal to you -- but it lies even in me to make you smile, and if you and I never meet, then this play of love remains incomplete.'

 

The great distinguished people of the world do not know that these beggars -- deprived of education, honour, and wealth -- can, in the pride of their souls, look down upon them as the unfortunate ones, who are left on the shore for their worldly uses, but whose life ever misses the touch of the Lover's arms. . . This feeling that man is not a mere casual visitor at the palace-gate of the world, but the invited guest whose presence is needed to give the royal banquet its sole meaning, is not confined to any particular sect in India.

 

A large tradition in medieval devotional poetry from Rajasthan and other parts of India, also bear the same message of unity in celestial and romantic love, and that divine love can be fulfilled only through its human beloved.

 

Tagore's own compositions were powerfully influenced by Baul ideology. His music also bears the stamp of many Baul tunes. Other Bengali poets, such as Kazi Nazrul Islam, have also been influenced by Baul music and its message of non-sectarian devotion through love.

 

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Bauls today

Bauls are to be found in the Indian state of West Bengal and the country of Bangladesh. The Baul movement was at its peak in the 19th and early 20th centuries, but even today one comes across the occasional bAul with his ektArA (one-stringed musical instrument) and begging bowl, singing across the farflung villages of rural Bengal. Travelling in local trains and attending village fairs are a good way to encounter Bauls.

 

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