Hinduism Final
Hindutva
"Hinduness", a term popularized by V. D. Savarkar, and the predominant form of Hindu nationalism in India. Intended to create a collective "Hindu" identity as an "imagined nation". Was adopted by the BJP/VHP/RSS as its official ideology. Tva = -ness, as in Hindu-ness, the essence of being Hindu, wants to designate it as a Sanskrit word, as an alternate to Hinduism, tried to establish a sense of tradition and Indic-origin Savarkar (author): trained as a lawyer in English, spent 1906-1910 in Britain, arrested in 1911 for sedition, wrote in his cell, released in 1924; also produced a Sanskrit sloka Sloka: From the Sindh river (Indus) to all the Sindh (oceans), that person who has that as his country is going to be remembered as Hindu ON two important qualifications: 1) someone whose earth is that of the father (pitr) 2) someone who regards that earth as conferring merit (punya). Not only their father land but also their sacred land. According to this definition all of the people who live in the Indian subcontinent are Hindus because their ancestors are related to the land = pitr bhu Do you seek this land for merit or do you seek this land elsewhere? = Punya bhu Wants to beat back outsiders for what makes Hindus and their religion distinct. Creates a new origin story of the nation based on the historical figure of Rama. The identity of Hindus comes be virtue of its exposure to the outside. Savarkar does not want an opposition to Islam to be a defining feature of who we are as Hindus. Hindutva has to do more with internal connections than with the subjugation of the people as a whole to the gaze of outsiders, worried about notions of Sindh as being produced through interactions with outsiders especially those that come to invade India, wants to develop an internal narrative, does not want to connect the religiousness of that part of the world with religions in other parts of the world. the idea of Hinduism as a national religion, seeing Hinduism specifically from the eyes of a Hindu (or more generally, a non-Muslim) in India, not in the diaspora; Hindutva has been appropriated as a kind of Hindu nationalism by parties like the BJP and the RSS, and by local organizations and leaders as well as national ones (like Narendra Modi, India's PM of the BJP)
Nataraja
"Lord of the Dance"; an incarnation of Shiva who will appear at the end of the present age to destroy ignorance through dancing, in circle of flames, one foot is tramped on a dwarf and another is raised Shiva typecast as the destroyer in the trimurti because he is unknown and fearful. Coincidence of opposites. Traditional emblems of Shiva are damaru - sound of creation agni - fire of destruction antelope - animal fertility trident and battle axe - militance Upwards hand = no fear mudra Downwards hand = gesture of occlusion/hiding Raised foot = grace of the lord Shiva, we are miniscule in the face of the divine Dancing on top of forgetfulness and the absence of memory Adorned with snakes, goes beyond earthly adornment Could be interpreted as a form of lila (play and performance) that Shiva engages in
Devi Mahatmya
A Gupta-era text (5-7 CE) explaining the role of the Goddess. Translated to "Glory of the Goddess." Part of a larger work called the Markandeya Purana, which contains even more stories. ex. Goddess approached by demons who ask for her hand in marriage. "Even the gods cannot stand in batter with the other demons, O Goddess. How much less can you a single woman?" Goddess challenges them, becomes angry and kills both the demons. The text is cohesive, incorporates older ideas, and puts Durga (the Goddess) above Shiva and Vishnu as the supreme power and creator of the universe. Devi manifests as goddess Durga, the defeater of the green buffalo demon Mahishasura Particularly popular in Eastern states of India, as evidences by the Durga puja in Calcutta, Bengal: sarvajanika puja - public worship of Devi in the form of Sakti, neighborhood committees, maps, temporary tirthas, pandals - pandals are temporary structures erected made out of bamboo and terracotta, 88 feet tall Durga temple - pilgrims coming in and the entire urban landscape is changing - lasts 12-13 days and then murtis immersed in water and pandals taken down - map put out by the traffic police showing areas in which pandals are erected Five conceptual clusters: 1. Dangerous/ambivalent/benevolent 2. Mothers/wives/consorts/independent 3. Hot/cold 4. Universal/local 5. Female/woman/goddess
sanatana dharma
Answers the question "What does it mean to be Hindu?" First found in Dhammapada: Buddhist text, 3 BCE, esha dhamo sanatana = this is the sanatana dharma) Articulated in the 19 CE during reform movements, = eternal dharma, perennial religion. "Eternal Law" - emphasizes the importance of seemingly eternal existence, underscoring the fact of an organic net of customs, obligations, traditions, and ideals, not just a system of beliefs- a way of life. But there are multiple ways of thinking about dharma within Hinduism: 1) ideas, rites and customs (practices) 2) ethical teachings Hinduism, in India, is referred to as Santana Dharma - it incorporates the world's diverse religions and thus can be equated with eternal religion itself.
Dasaratha Jataka
Buddhist version of the Ramayana written in Pali. A jataka is a set of stories that describe other births of the Buddha. It might be the oldest version of the Ramayana to be told, even before Valmiki. Buddhist message on the impermanence of all things. Key Differences: 1. Rama comes from Benaras. 2. Sita is Ram and Lakshman's sister in this telling of the story. 3. King promises Kaikeyi with a boon that Bharata will be able to rule. 4. The king himself sends Laksmana and Rama into the forest to protect them from Kaikeyi. 5. Rāma lived the ascetic life in exile while Lakkhana and Sītā provided him with food. 6. The king dies after 9 years, after which Rama then gives Bharata his shoes as a symbol of leadership while he remains in exile for 3 more years. 7. After three years Rāma returned and reigned from his palace of Sucandaka for sixteen thousand years, with Sītā as queen consort.
Ravana
Demon king of Lanka in the Ramayana who abducted Sita and wanted to win her love His defeat is celebrated during Dusshera His sister Surpanakha tried to seduce Rama during exile Ramayana was an important influence on later Sanskrit poetry and Hindu life and culture. It presents the teachings of ancient Hindu sages in narrative allegory, interspersing philosophical and ethical elements. is the name of the ten-headed demon who abducts Sita when she is banished to the forest with Rama and Lakshmana. This evil demon is the chief villain in the Ramayana, kidnapped Sita and brought her to an island on the southern most tip of the subcontinent, ego and lust cost him his life, was born a Brahmin and devoted his life to Siva.
soka and sloka
Grief and verse. Most verse essentially comes from a place of grief, a place of either missing god, missing family, pining for him etc., and so this connection of words appears. Soka = sadness, sorrow Sloka = divine hymn, sanskrit couplet verse The sloka metre was created as a product of Valmiki's sorrow, which stemmed from his witnessing the death of a kraunca bird in the midst of making love. It is the meter of grief. Suggests a special relationship between suffering and what it produces, poetry, as a form of deep inner outcry to the natural order. It is the meter form that can best convey not only great truths, but great stories which contain such truths such as that of Rama which transcend generations.
Dalit religion
Meanings of a dalit: 1. Untouchable = polluted/dirty 2. Panchamas (5th caste) 3. Harijan (Gandhi) = people of God How did they become Hindus? British introduced reforms where representation depended on demography i.e. if Dalits were Hindus they would have a majority. Idea that Dalits are Hindus and if you want to keep them that way then you have to keep them happy. Ambedkar: 1. Attacks a Hindu society 2. Cannot get rid of caste until you get rid of its support in the Vedas Dalits in the Ravidassia community Shukdeo said dalit religion is a song system, intertwined with the bhakti movement, a protest against Hindu fundamentalism The religion of many dalits is expressed in the bhakti movement Major fight in dalit religion is for temple entry rights. Modern day evidence of dalit student brought into the temple by the priest.
Srinivas Tilak and interlogue
India's colonization "has had a shattering and traumatic effect upon Indic scholarship and academic output". Contributing to this, the modern/western education prevents many Hindu scholars from writing or speaking from a "real" and authentic Hindu or Indic position and perspective. Those who do dare to speak from a traditional Hindu perspective are criticized for not making sense. Research using western paradigms assumes that western ideas about the most fundamental things are the only ideas possible to hold, certainly the only rational ideas, and the only ideas that can make sense of the world, of reality, of social life, and of human beings. This line of thinking has been carried over into Hindus studies and conveys a sense of innate superiority and a desire to overwhelm research in Hinduism spiritually, intellectually, socially and politically. The challenge for many Hindu intellectuals and scholars is how to position themselves strategically as intellectuals and scholars is how to position themselves strategically as intellectuals within the academy, within India and within the western world, where many of them actually work. Rewriting the history of Hinduism, reclaiming Hindu studies, and giving testimony to the distortion of India's past will have to be the basic strategies of decolonizing Hindu studies. Interlogue: implies an interaction that is far more meaningful than a mere verbal exchange. A new way to translate Samvada which means colloquy or dialogue. In all of its complexity in the Sanskrit tradition, Samvada conveys the idea of a transformation through conversation. Not just a dialogue between two essentialized identities of "hindu" and "non-hindu" but an interloping between people in various, multiple, complex and changing historical circumstances. Moreover, the exchange itself is an actual ex(ternal)-change or "change outwards" to a new form of relationship.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)
Indian People's Party ruling party in India today one of two major political parties along with the Indian National Congress pro-Hindu political party of post-independence India it is the current ruling party of India, and the party of the PM, Narendra Modi. The BJP has been known as a major supporter of the Hindutva cause, catering to Hindu Indians during elections, and politicising Hinduism by making holy pilgrimage sites major centers of Indian politics and campaigning. its ideological fountainhead is the RSS (Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh) a right-wing, Hindu nationalist volunteer organization of women/men/boys/girls, one of its members murdered Gandhi the BJP is also associated with the VHP (Vishva Hindu Parishad) under the RSS, led to the mounting of certain platforms like reclaiming the Babri mosque, also inaugurated in 1964 and had the Dalai Lama there According to the VHP, the Babri Mosque was built by demolishing the temple at the birthplace of Rama (Ram Janmabhoomi) by the Mughal Emperor Babur in the 16th century. Courts and archaeologists arguing the case on both sides. It has been shown that a number of the pillars came from a Jain temple. Responsible for organizing kar sevaks (religious servants) BJP leader Swamy still petitioning as of 2016 for the construction of a Ram Temple, has kept alive the controversy. Also tied to Hindutva, said to mean cultural nationalism and Indian nationhood, but means something different based on what VD Savarkar says
Kali
Literally translates to "dark," one of the goddesses of Hinduism, often seen in a black and angry form In the Orissa style: most famous legend written in the Devi Mahatmya, seen swallowing/licking blood and fluids, very long tongue encompassing the demon Raktabija (blood seed), tongue out is defiant, angry, playful, saliva and bodily fluids In other sources: standing on top of a lying down Shiva, there are two phallic symbols: the penis and the tongue, looking to the side In newer images: show control/modesty meant for calendar art, now we see long and lustrous hair, Shiva is covered and looks dead as opposed to previous images where he looks awake and blissful, now Kali is looking straight at us instead of to the side, Shiva becomes a slab on which she is standing - less so of a bodily connection One of the ten Mahavidya goddesses: Process of domestication: to calm Kali down Shiva lies down, when Kali steps on Shiva she stops killing and sticks her tongue out as a kind of "oops" for transgressing by stepping onto her male consort, Kali in the Caribbean: possession and healing in the Goddess as a mother the goddess who was born of the forehead of Durga to kill demons; she is depicted as having wild hair, wearing a garland of human heads around her neck and arms around her waist, as well as holding an axe and a human heads in her left hand and symbols of boons and safety on her right. Sometimes, she also stands with one foot on the chest of her husband, the lord Shiva. She is known as embodying dualities, especially dualities of womanhood, for example she is fearsome but maternal, and frightening but beautiful.
Kabir
Muslim mystic during 15th century, weaver, nirguna bhakti poet as per Ram Chandra Shukla, played down the importance of ritual differences between Hinduism and Islam, challenges pilgrimage because humans came up with this, suggests we challenge ourselves to think beyond this Say he was discovered by a Muslim couple floating down the river, but is born of Brahmin parents, always explain away his untouchable status Poems focus on name of Ram, illusion of body and materiality, throw away the book, internal over the external, body as dust and air, distant, emotionally aloof of the Sant tradition developed out of modern Maharashtra but prominent in Punjab and UP and devoted to nirguna devotion to Krishna and Vishnu; Kabir was a weaver of a low caste, born (late in the 14th century or early 15th) in Benares to a family that had converted to Islam. He was known as part of the Vaisnavite tradition. He was a bhakti poet and did not believe in caste and thought it was irrelevant to the path to liberation. Poetry reflected nirguna and sectarian prejudices. He is a disciple of Ramanand.
Sita
Rama's (7th avatar of Vishnu) wife (sister in the earliest version of the Ramayana), literally means "furrow in a field" (daughter of the earth goddess Bhumi?) Dharmically ideal wife (chastity and fidelity) - performs self immolation to prove this Accompanies Rama into exile, abducted by Ravana, King Janaka's daughter, regarded as manifestation of Laksmi Valmiki: cries out to her mother, mother earth, to make a vow, "I have never taken another man", the earth comes and takes her away. There are these canons of proper living that men make up - what do they do to women? Surdas: Sita as a devotee of Ram Narayana Rao: Letters from Sita to her mother back home Forces us to ask what women are to take from the Ramayana? Sita is the ideal of a Hindu woman. appears in the Ramayana. In the version we read by Narayan, she appears as the wife of Rama, after the two see each other in passing and fall in love. Rama is the only man to ever succeed in breaking the bow of Shiva, which is her father's challenge for any man hoping to marry her. She exemplifies the best qualities of high-caste women, who are idealized as "demure, modest, beautiful, and dedicated to her Lord Rama" but still "strong in herself, endures great hardship, and displays great devotion to her husband".
Laksmana
Rama's younger brother and loyal companion in the Ramayana who goes with him and Sita into exile and serves Rama and Sita reverently.' father: Dasaratha stepmother: Kaikeyi ex. Lakshmana also builds a hut for Rama and Sita to live in ex. Lakshmana cuts off Ravana's sister Surpanakha's nose in anger when she tries to seduce Rama Virtues: the quality of being a good servant, dasya (service), Hanuman to Rama and Lakshman to Rama is the brother of Rama who is banished to the forest with Rama and Sita. He is also an avatar of the lord Vishnu.Thought to be hot tempered brother, left comforts of palace and his older brother and wife. In the grand metaphor of the Ramayana, he represents saguna bhakti: while his brother Bharata has Rama constantly in his thoughts during the 12 year exile while ruling in Ayodhya, Laksmana performs every action asked of him by Rama with complete devotion to Rama (Vishnu)
Tulsidas
Saguna Bhakta who wrote the Hindi version of the Ramayana - author of the most widely recited version of the Ramayana. Tulsidas Ramayana engraved on the Eastern wall of Tagore's Hindi Bhavan in West Bengal. Show that the bhakti movement is a people's movement. You see Ramanuja teaching Ramanand, he is going to pass the story northward to his disciple Ravidas, as we move from the center of the wall to the right we see Kabir on the southern wall wearing a cap and surrounded by musicians. Close relationship between Ram and nam in Sanskrit and Hindi, he speaks of the importance of saying the name Ram When the child learns the name of something, it can speak of it. There's power in a name. Tulsidas Kavitavali (on last class' handout) "Hai Ram" vs "Haram" Mira writes to Tulsidas for advice Tulsi was a theological bridge builder, someone interested in spanning the gaps between several of the important religious communities of his day. Both a nirguna and saguna poet. Preached an image of an ideal society - the rule of Ram- that legitimates a program of Hindu self-reliance, but for doing so in a reformist spirit.
sakti
Sakti is a name for the Goddess Devi denoting the female power or energy of the universe. Has all the powers of the all-male pantheon. The Goddess is a contradictory and ambivalent figure in that she is both a benevolent mother with a visceral connection to her child and a terrible malevolent force. In Banaras the Ganges turns back and looks at her origins, cyclical nature of the world. Devi often seen holding water jug containing water of the Ganga, which has its own powers. Sarasvati (goddess of learning, seen with a sitar) Laxmi (goddess of wealth, lotus flower) Parvati (rides a tiger) Durga (slayer of buffalo demon, 10 arms with weapons) Kali (terrible and violent, several heads and arms, dances on corpse of her husband Siva) Sakti (consort of energies of the gods), groups of ferocious female deities, local or regional deities, aniconic forms and stylized female genitals.
Ramanand Sagar's Ramayan
Serialized television Ramayana based on Tulsidas version produce by Ramanand Sagar on Doordarshan - India's government-owned television network in 1987-89. 78 episodes - became one of the most popular televised event in all of India. Derided by English language critics. Hawley indicates that this show has kept Rama alive in Ayodhya regardless of the temple being there -- "the image of Rama's eternal palace in an ideal Ayodhya is shared in a way it has never quite before" (164). Nation being created through the TV at the same time as the liberation campaign by the BJP/VHP/RSS.
linga and yoni
The aniconic representation of Shiva. "The linga represents a phallus within a vulva (yoni), symbolic of the union of Siva with his dynamic energy or sakti (Parvati)" (Flood page 151). Multi-gendered representation of the deity, usually surrounded by Parvati and other deities. Uniter of opposites. Nataraja. Part of trimurti.
nirguna and saguna
The idea of nirguna and saguna is embedded in the poetry of the bhakti movement. The idea is used a rubric to separate the different bhaktas. Saguna cannot live without an experience of the lord as he/she manifests in sensory terms (ex. Mirabai, Tulsidas) Nirguna the religious task is getting beyond the senses to recognize the presence of the lord beyond any sensory realm (ex. Ravidas challenges caste, Kabir challenges pilgrimage b/c humans came up with this, suggests we challenge ourselves to think beyond this) Both are also different approaches to jnana (knowledge) in the Upanishads. Brahman has both saguna and nirguna aspects (Mandukya Upanishad). Nirguna means without quality and is signified with the negative. It is an act of mental negation that opens the doorway to sense a deeper meaning. Saguna means with quality. It affirms the world as it is to look beneath appearances and sense a deeper meaning. Theological distinction between saguna (sense apparatus) and nirguna (we don't have access but want it, so we try to learn by subtractions, remove sense faculties to try to see through them). Ram Chandra Shukla a writer mainly concerned with North India, explored the broad Hindi-speaking tradition, takes saints of 16th century and tries to categorize them as saguna (Mirabai, Tulsidas) and nirguna (Kabir, Ravidas, Nanak), used to describe broadly spoken language of Hindi tradition.
Ayodhya
The setting for the Ramayana, said to be the birthplace of Rama, a city in Uttar Pradesh Tulsidas: Ayodhya is a state of mind, it is wherever you think of Ram. The place where Ram resides (Ram resides everywhere). 1527: Emperor Babar's lieutenant built the mosque in Ayodhya. VHP said the mosque was built on top of a preexisting temple. 1949: Ram manifested himself in the mosque i.e. people broke in to place the idols 1992: Mosque destroyed 6 BCE: earliest urban settlement in Ayodhya 5 CE: Gupta period, moved the capital to Ayodhya, king was not exclusively Vaishnava or Rama-ite, patronized Buddhist sites and others 11 CE: King Chandradeva goes to pilgrimage to Ayodhya and establishes it as a site of patronage, developing the idea of Ayodha as an important sire of patronage, established royally funded Vaishnava temples 13 CE: becomes a Muslim site, Jain temple built, era of Akbar and son Jahangir established Maniparvat (jewel hill) Sahmat wanted to create the complex history of Ayodhya (birth of the Buddha himself, Buddhist remembrances of Rama), multi-lingual and multiple identities in Ayodhya. Stands in opposition to Vrindavan, which is considered a lila site.
ras lila
Traditional story of Krishna as described in the Bhagavata Purana and Gita Govinda lila = play Translates to "dance of the divine love," when Krishna dances with Radha his principle devotee and the other gopis (cowherd girls) as well, includes stories like "The Great Circle Dance" and "The Theft of the Flute" Children and adults involved Accessible language Happen everywhere, but a popular form of folk theatre in Vrindavan Crowns placed on heads of performers who are the deities themselves ex. children photographed as Krishna, Krishna is inside each one of us so it makes sense to recognize these little kids as Krishna Bhagavada Purana: Krishna is outside the field of karma and does not create children. King gets mad that the lord of the universe behaved like that. King is told that he should not behave in this manner as it is not his dharma i.e. "don't do this at home" Gita Govinda: Nanda foster father of Krishna commissions Radha to take care of Krishna, occurs in the dark monsoon season, go off together and come back as lovers Krishna: fives passages in the Bhagavata Purana 10:29-33 taken to be the real center of the narrative, as this is where the ras lila takes place; very play like - hide and go seek, intoxication built into the religious process. What does that say about the life of religious expression ... it is an imitation of something that was there and has been lost. To enter into this realm of performance is to move into our role on the earth as being played with by the gods. Lila translates as "play". My understanding of the term i that the implication is physical; it is a physical performance of bhakti, as in Ram Lila, for example, in which the reenactment of the life of Rama by the devotee is a performance of bhakti.
Valmiki and Kamban
Valmiki - 5 BCE, Sanskrit poet famous for founding traditional sloka meter. Wrote Sanskrit version of Ramayana (thought the Pali version might be older). Rama met Valmiki during his period of exile and interacted with him. Valmiki gave shelter to Sita in his hermitage when Rama banished her because the people of Ayodhya were suspicious of her. Kusha and Lava were born to Sita in this hermitage. Sita she cries out to her mother, mother earth and makes a vow, "I have never taken another man", the earth comes and takes her away. Kamban - 12 CE, not contemporary with the characters of the Ramayana like Valmiki, basis of the Ramayana written by R. K. Narayanan, does not include the story of Sita's second exile, written in Tamil Valmiki vs Kamban Ramayana - validation of separation or validation of virtue? These canons of proper living that men make up - what do they do to women?
Andal
Very early south Indian bhakti poet, two major poetic works in Tamil, "Where is he? He is in Vrindavan," comes to be construed as a saint who is performing herself into the world of Vrindavan, takes a pilgrimage to Vrindavan in her mind, pastoral representation of Vrindavan, bridge between South and North, themes shared broadly across regions wears the garlands meant for Vishnu, rules over the heart of Vishnu Ex. poem: Andal has gathered all her female friends, her beloved is in the house, wondering who is guarding him, thinking of Krishna the cowherd in Vrindavan on the banks of the Yamuna, calls Krishna a "deceitful wretch," references to conch and creation of lotus from the navel, vision of Krishna as Vishnu at the beginning of time, at the end Andal speaks of the poem that has just been uttered (this is seen in the Gita also)
benevolent/dangerous/ambivalent
conceptual cluster in goddess studies 1. Durga as Mahishasuramardini 2. Kali and Raktabija 3. Chinnamasta: giving her own blood, decapitates herself to feed others 4. Dhumavati: if you pray to a widow goddess, do you become a widow? 5. Lakshmi: benevolent - but the same consort as Kali and Durga
mother/wife/consort/independent
conceptual cluster in goddess studies 1. Mamta Banerjee election, participation in Durga puja (Ma flyover, Mati Manush slogan) 2. Domestication of Kali through Krishna, bodily fluids important for birth? penis envy? modesty? 3. Chinnamasta: independent but surrounded by a couple making love, Chhinnamasta decapitates herself to feed others. Renders all of us her children and we have protected status. 4. Dhumavati: old woman and widow, associated with inauspiciousness, "that who is like smoke," Madhya Pradesh has the largest Dhumavati temple, High Court order that women cannot go into the temple to worship so as not to encourage solitude among women 5. Rani Sati: "the good wife," normal woman who performed sati and then became the goddess of marital bliss DOMESTICATION OF THE GODDESS
Radha
consort of Krishna, one of the cow herds, already married, worshipped together always in Vrindavan Radha does not appear among the gopis in the Bhagavata Purana Radha comes from 7th century poet Hala Name means "the worshiped one" In the Gita Govinda: Nanda foster father of Krishna commissions Radha to take care of Krishna, occurs in the dark monsoon season, go off together and come back as lovers, long lovers quarrel that ends with them getting back together at the end, seen as putting Krishna in the role of servant (Radha on top?!), conquers Krishna with her devotion
Mirabai
from modern-day Udaipur, a devotee of the lord Krishna who took him as her husband, she was a famous composer and performer of bhakti poetry, this female saint is believed to be a princess, married to a prince but her devotion was a source of strife for her in laws, her poetry represented saguna views. saguna bhakti to Krishna. Since she was a little girl she knew she wanted to marry Krishna (the mountain lifter form) but she was set up to be married, but she was not an especially devout wife and caused shame to her in laws family, at one point causing them to try to poison her (she survived by the grace of Krishna). Eventually, she travelled to Brindavan and was drawn into Krishna's image. Had an encounter with Jiva Goswami - Krishna is the only man in Brindavan. M.S. Subbulakshmi singing the songs of Mirabai in 1947 Hindi film (originally a Tamil film); Mira is a favorite subject of filmmakers, American director, shot in areas Mirabai lived, scene where Mira dream of dancing with Krishna, "presents Subbulakshmi of the South the people of the North" Mira, Tulsidas, and Ravidas: also in the Amar Chitra Katha, connection between the poet saints, Mira writes to Tulsidas for advice, motif of saints in contact with each other poem themes: love, water/rain/storm, nature, colors, sense imagery Shyam = dark or Krishna; Hari = green (sounds like Krishna); Kala = black (dark clouds); Peela = yellow (flashes of lightning) if you mix the two you get green The whole Earth turns green. Feeling what nature is doing, where is her lover Krishna? She is addressing the poem to Krishna who is gone, but she nonetheless finds herself surrounded my him.
Sri
goddess of bestower of prosperity and wealth, consort of Vishnu, (image - represented by lotuses, elephants, gold sprouting), another name for Lakshmi, shri = auspiciousness, festival of Diwali in her honor Talk about the 5 conceptual clusters: 1. Dangerous/ambivalent/benevolent 2. Mothers/wives/consorts/independent 3. Hot/cold 4. Universal/local 5. Female/woman/goddess
Vrindavan
in Braj region of Uttar Pradesh, part of Krishna's triangle, on the Yamuna which meets the Ganga in Banaras, name comes from Tulsi groves, just upwards from the great city of Mathura (place of Krishna's birth), leaves to Vrindavan to escape the evil king father the land of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu where Krishna lifted Mt. Govardhan to protect the people of Vrindavan from the wrath of India Has also shown up in many bhakti poems ex. Andal (Where is he? He is in Vrindavan), takes a pilgrimage to Vrindavan in her mind ex. Mirabai leaves Rajasthan to go to Vrindavan and has a talk with Goswami and eventually merged with the idol of Krishna Considered a site of lila (nithyalila) Particularly significant place for Hindu rituals, many people making a pilgrimage there Contains a very splendid temple for Govinda Deva (Krishna) built by Raja Man Singh a general for Mughal emperor Akbar, the largest single body structure in India at the time, Chaitanya stood at the temple director, example of Vaishnava worship honored by the Mughal state 3 day pilgrimage consists of: 1. make contact with the place itself, physical circumambulation of the temple 2. go to the great temples and learn the stories 3. go when ras lila is being actively performed (stories of Krishna, Radha and gopis) 3 types of ritual personnel: 1. Panda or a local guide for walk around Vrindavan 2. Gosvamis came to Vrindavan in the wake of Chaitanya, presiders of temples 3. Rasdhari or leaders of dramatic troupes Modern day: entire Braj path is paved, Vaishno Devi statue, ashram turned hotel, decorative display of Krishna lifting up Mount Govardhan, Prem Mandir light show at night, Hare Krishna Heights, converted to a cosmopolitan place
Ravidas
lived in Banaras, 15th century, leather worker, untouchable caste, categorized as a nirguna bhakti poet (go beyond the sense faculties to achieve a greater understanding) by Ram Chandra Shukla, writes in Hindi sings songs that marvel at the fact that Brahmins come to hear him sing, talks of the regrettable attitudes toward social based differences that are overcome in the realm of bhakti Story: in the middle of the feast multiple Ravidas' appear sitting next to each Brahmin, Brahmins go and beg to Ravidas after witnessing this miracle, claims he was Brahmin in his last birth, rips open his chest and inside is a sacred thread, says he was saved practicing bhakti, caste and kinship have no authority Tagore's Ravidas: called a Harijan, Ramananda (a Brahmin) was understood to be Ravidas' teacher, poor hide tanner, considers himself not worthy to go into the temple, stands to the side as the Brahmin walks down the road, Master Ramananda embraces Ravidas and brings about a storm of songs, breaking the physical barrier between the castes Shukdeo Singh's Ravidas: nirguna emerged as a protest against Hindu fundamentalism, believes it is a protest movement, song is an important part of nirguna, Dalit religion has always been the song system Poems: situated in his actual occupation as a tanner, people are always tying themselves in knots, but he is not tying any knots and breaks free of society's knots, speaks Ram's name instead of tying knots, critical of the world and decides to separate himself from that caste, occupation, societal commentary, concentration on the name of Ram, food and drink, physical, grounded in reality, lila founder of the Ravidassia religion, a group previously associated w/ Sikhism A low caste Saint born to leather workers. Gained fame, despite his low caste statues, from all castes in India, who still recite his poetry today. Wrote nirguna bhakti poetry in which all are equal but below god, for everyone is impure or tainted compared to him. Thus, wrote against the caste system in Hinduism, but did not call for its reform.
Babri masjid
located in Ayodha 1857 - first war of rebellion against the British 1949 - appearance of Ram in the mosque, associated with political independence of the country (people later confessed to breaking into the mosque) 1984 - mounting of chariot in the direction of Ayodhya, liberation campaign, start of yatra, Ramayana on TV 1990 - 6 young men killed in the first confrontation over the mosque 1992 - destruction of the mosque itself, Muslims felt outraged and frightened and endangered, riots i.e. killing of Muslims in Mumbai 2002 - in Godhra, Gujarat a primarily Muslim town a group of kar sevaks (servants of the good world of VHP and BJP) returning from Ayodhya by train, supposed that Muslims started a fire on the train, in Ahmedabad police knew addresses of Muslims and their houses were attacked (Modi was chief minister in Gujarat at that time, hangs over his tenure as PM of India) 2003 - in Benaras a fair amount of rhetoric around Ayodhya, trying to get young men to go to Ayodhya around the time of the election 2010 - adjudication of the matter, rights to the mosque went to both the Muslim, Hindu and monastic communities 2016 - Swamy from BJP keeps the matter alive by moving a fresh petition for construction of the Ram Temple, especially vivid in the minds of people in North India Spearheaded by the BJP/VHP/RSS
Ganga
manifestation of Sakti, star of the milky way, power is guarded by Siva in the locks of his hair, many take pilgrimages to her, liquid power of river Ganges, in Benares the Ganges turns back and looks at her origins, cyclical nature of the world, often seen holding water jug containing water of the Ganga, water is a major part of many Hindu rituals river goddess (refers to Ganges River in India), bathing in the river causes remission of sins and liberates the individual from the cycle of life and death (moksha). Goddess that literally flows through our reality and ties us to all things, liquid sakti. (Even Thoreau mentions this) Milky Way galaxy is a continuation of Ganga. In death, Hindus will immerse the ashes of their dead in the water, bringing their souls closer to moksha. The Ganga turns back on itself at Banaras, which is why the place is considered so holy. It imitates the cycle of life, sense of being part of the liquid movement of time mapped in ritual terms, water deeply embedded in the whole ritual, women carry pots filled with Ganges water, emphasis of shaving and bathing before the ritual, you can do this in Banaras for the whole family not just the recently dead The liquid power which relates periodically to the cycle of time, aligning of human/family/cosmic time, the distribution of the near departed into the generations of those who have gone before, honoring the dead and solidifying their place, also makes them into deities so they can offer blessing to us while we are alive.
ram lila
story of the Ramayana in theatrical form, Linda Hess tells of it happening for an entire month in Ramnagar What is a lila? Literally translates to "melt/dissolve." Instead of fitting into the structures of dharma around work and marriage, the lila values the joy and spontaneity of the deity above all else. Since acting involves impersonating these deities, lilas are often taken as an invitation for the divine to descend and play, both with the actors and through them. For the viewers, the process of watching a lila can leave them with the sense that they too are part of some divine game. The young boys playing Rama and Sita are dressed and worshiped much like the deities. Juxtapose with the ras lila. The festival consists of a reenactment of the life of Rama and Sita ("from his birth, through the major events of his life--his marriage, banishment, war against Ravana--to his triumphant return and the establishing of Rama's kingdom"). Generic name for the annual dramatic representations of the ancient Ramayana story performed in hundreds of places throughout North India, usually in September or October. Generally based on on the Hindu version of the epic composed by Tulsidas - go on for multiple days-- from three to more than a month. We read about the ramlila of Ramnagar across the Ganga from Varanasi - the largest in scale, the most famous pp. 115 in Life of Hinduism.
Durga
the warrior goddess and central deity in Shaktism, where she is equated w/ Brahman (ultimate reality), avatar of Parvati and Kali, consort of Shiva Durga as Mahishasuramardini, depicted as the defeater of the green buffalo demon, story of the glory of goddesses in the Devi Mahatmya Durga puja in Calcutta, Bengal: sarvajanika puja - public worship of Devi in the form of Sakti, neighborhood committees, temporary tirthas, pandals Nine days of state holiday, pandals are temporary structure erected made out of bamboo and terracotta, 88 feet tall Durga temple, pilgrims coming in and the entire urban landscape is changing, anticipate the arrival of Durga every year and start working on massive productions, organized by neighborhood committees that are in competition with one another, lasts 12-13 days and then murtis immersed in water and pandals taken down, residential areas, map put out by the traffic police showing areas in which pandals are erected Possession by Durga: interested in how Durga plays in ritual settings, women performers who are well known in Punjab for their abilities to channel Durga, jagrata = night long ceremony where it is expected Durga will present herself, image fascination, flame (goddess-like quality), song, why are women possessed more frequently than men and why is is goddesses that possess more frequently than gods?
