Socio-spiritual fact of the East

Arup Saikia 

(arupsaikia07@gmail.com)

To know about the socio-spiritual scenario of any place, we have to go through the socio-political history of the said area. We discuss here the socio-spiritual scenario of Kamarupa, or Assam.

The kings are converted as Kshatriya across India. The Brahmins related the dynasties to any Hindu gods and goddesses. This is like the seal and recognition of Hinduism.

The Varman dynasty of Assam was a devotee of Lord Shiva. The influence of Lord Krishna or Rama was almost nil. Although the Ramayana was written earlier, its acceptance was very late in northeastern India. So, it was a very, very tough challenge for Sankardeva to introduce Lord Krishna in a completely Shaivite society. The non-influence of Lord Krishna or Rama is apparently right, but in reality it’s not correct either. We forward an example for it. Dr Hiren Gohain wrote in “Asomiya Jatiya Jibonot Mahapurushia Parampara” that Dharma Pal of the Pal dynasty in the twelfth century donated land to a Brahmin. The inscription on the copper plate explains that the worship of Lord Vishnu superseded the hereditary gods also.

Lord Krishna is prevalent in Aryan language and culture. The cultures of neighbouring countries are naturally inseparable. We summarily can say that the composite culture of Southeast Asia flourished with Indian culture and vice versa. The history of regimes only showers praiseworthy comments on the people of royal blood. But their regimes are based on common people, so naturally they exchange customs. So the tribes of Assam, even before the Varman dynasty, are unknowingly acquainted with the Aryan Hindu culture. But it gradually became widespread and paramount. But the shoot is of old trees.

Dr Nagen Saikia wrote in “Asomiya Manuhor Itihas”, page 85: ”The stories, events, characters mentioned in the Ramayana, Mahabharata and Puranas, the names of gods and goddesses and the references to “Yagya” and even the names of those who received land on donation for temples provide essential evidence in this regard. The fact that the names and qualities of Lakshmi, Narayana, Vishnu, Krishna and Rukmini were prevalent in the society even before the writing of the Bhagavad Purana. It indicates that the Vaishnava path was equal to that of the Shaivas.”

So it’s natural for a deep-rooted Hinduised society to know about streams and the worshipping of Hinduism in the name of various deities. Lord Shiva is said to be more popular among the “Mleccha”, or the tribes. Shiva also represents the fertility cult of male-dominated society. The Mleccha word actually denotes non-Vedic people or foreigners. But in many of our religious books, the two words “Mleccha” and “Tribes” became synonymous. It applies to degenerated or savage people. So the developed Bhakti preacher utilised an elegant and charming Krishna. Although the Ramayana was written earlier, the reach of its chief deity, Rama, remained limited. So maybe the Bhakti movement isn’t Rama-centric.

An excerpt from “The Origins And Development Of Classical Hinduism”, page 80, by A.L.Basham—”The history of the divinization of Rama is far from clear. The main story must have existed in a form much like its present one around the beginning of the common era. By the time of the Gupta dynasty (the fourth to sixth centuries CE), Rama was evidently considered as an incarnation of Vishnu, theoretically on a par with Krsna, but there is no evidence that at this time he was widely recognised. In fact, the Rama cult as an important feature of Indian religion appears to be quite late.”

The character of Rama totally disappeared in this regard. Our above writings clearly show the conversion of Assamese tribes to Hinduism through the Shakta sect and its origin. The Brahmins are the main machinery to orchestrate this.

Religious co-existence existed in ancient Kamarupa. There’s a convincing record in the Kalika Purana that the gods Shiva and Vishnu are equally adorable. Dr Mukunda Sarmah authenticates this in “Inscriptions of Ancient Assam”. 

Another part of the religious history of Assam is Tantra, or Tantrism. The age-old faiths and folktales of the Tibetan, Dravidian and Aryan are transformed to myths, magical beliefs and practices through Tantra and Puja. It’s actually an esoteric yogic tradition.  Generally the deities such as Shakti, Shiva and Kali are invoked. It originated in the sixth century. Its rituals are carried out in Kamakhya and Kesai Khati, etc., in Assam. The human or animal sacrifice with meat and wine is in their religious order. Tantrism also once took a revolutionary stand within its conservative periphery. The Vedic ritual is fundamentally not different from Tantrism. Medical science and astrology were practised also.

Dr Ramcharan Gupta wrote in “Indian Society: Historical Probings”, page 180—”Tantricism, therefore, was the ultimate product of the Brahmanical colonization of the tribal areas through the process of land grants. The confrontation between the Brahmana beneficiaries and the tribal people created social and economic problems which were partly solved through Tantricism.” On the one hand the new religion welcomed in its ranks women, Shudras and the incoming aborigines; on the other hand it recognised the existing social and feudal hierarchy. Therefore it was acceptable to all sections of people.” Tantrism bridged the religion of tribes with that of mainstream Hinduism. Unlike progressive Neo-Vaishnavism, Tantrism is regressive and fundamentalist. Tantrists also somehow advocated monotheism in the name of a Tantric goddess or god. Neo-Vaishnavism resided on the lap of Lord Krishna. Dr Bani Kanto Kakoti said that our culture or life is Krishna-centric.

Vishnu is holy air to breathe and the best atonement for fault or sin. Litterateur Lakshmi Nath BezBaruah has written about “Krishna Tattva” as follows: “He first gives the terminological meaning of the word Krishna. Accordingly, the two combined “Kris” and “Hna”—form ‘Krishna’  .The word “Kris” means the earth essence of existence. The meaning of “Hna” is bliss. Therefore, the meaning of Krishna is the union of bliss with existence or being. In other words, that which has nothing but the existence of consciousness and bliss is Krishna.  Krishna is truthful, mindful and blissful.” 

Again, BezBaruah sees honesty. The essence of Brahma is the essence of the world. The world exists because He exists. The being of the world is perishable and evolving, but Brahma is inexhaustible and immortal. He who does not always commit adultery is true. Brahma is the truth; therefore, He has no decay, no origin, and no destruction. On the other hand, this Brahma is said to be the form of the mind. 

Lord Krishna has another significance for His capability of omnipresence. The activities of Krishna are inclusive, which is the prime feature of Hinduism. A diehard monotheist also deviates from the path and prays for others internally. This kind of incident happens during the personal stress or agony of the said person. Krishna is only a panacea for all confusion. In the language of A.L. Basham,

 “Krsna doesn’t reject the reality of other Gods, but they are all submitted in him and emanate from him. Thus, those who worship and sacrifice to other Gods with devotion and faith are in fact worshipping Krsna, though they don’t know him as he really is. This is typical of the general inclusive attitude of later Hinduism, where every minor God everywhere has some validity as an aspect of the one divinity filling all space and time.”

Excerpted from The Origins and Development of Classical Hinduism, page–93).

The Bhakti movement is like a class struggle of communism. While the Bhakti movement started to emancipate the oppressed, the opposite camp was alerted to oppose their survivability. The rulers and privileged Brahmins couldn’t think about a democratic society in any way. The feudalism is to be mingled with religious parochialism. That is the best means to sustain social stagnation. Therefore, the kings want to establish their divine origin through religious Brahmin brokers.

( Author Arup Saikia is a noted cultural enthusiast, writer, Bhaona artiste and alumnus of the University of Delhi.)