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5AHAJIYA CULT OF BENGAL

and

PANCHA SAKHA CULT

OF ORISSA

SRI PARITOSH DAS, M.A.

A D H Y A PA K , BANARAS H IN D U U N IV ERSITY .
Dept, o f Bengali, Faculty o f Arts.
B anaras H indu University.
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1988

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PREFACE
The present work is written with a view to delineate the reli
gious movement, growth and development of the Vaisnava
Sahajiya Cult along with the comprehensive presentation o f its
faith, ideas and ideals and practices. A modest attem pt has
been made in the present work to give, for the first time, a
direct account of the much neglected religious system o f the
Vaispava Sahajiyas. As the piesentation o f religious ideas
involves the necessity of interpretation, so the best effort has
been made for giving a direct survey of all its im portant works
in the spheres of Rasa-Sgstra, theology and philosophy, ritual
ism and literature. Innumerable valuable manuscripts are
available on the doctrines and practices of the Sahajiya Cult.
These texts possess much intrinsic merit. The lyrics o f the
Sahajiyas reality reached a high pitch of poetry and philosophy,
and these songs assigned a sublime value to hum an love.
I have also made an attem pt in the present work to give a
comparative valuation of the different faiths of the Sahajiyan
Buddhists, G audiya Vaisijavas and the Vaisoava Sahajiyas.
It should be clearly understood, therefore, that the subject has
been approached, not from the standpoint of a n adherent of
the faith, but with the spirit of sympathetic understanding and
in the spirit of historical and critical research which aims at
truthijnding.
Before the publication of the present work, another book
of mine written in Bengali entitled Sahajiya G audiya
Vaigoava D harm a has been published. The present work
should not be treated as the translation of my previous Bengali
book. Though the subject-matter dealt with in both the
books, is of the same nature, yet there is wide difference between
the two books. The present work is written completely from

a new angle of view and more elaborately from the standpoint

o f the origin and development of the new religious movement
o f the Vaisqava Sahajiya Cult. This is why the present work
may claim to be the first o f its kind, as no serious attem pt has
so far been made to throw light on the growth and develop
m ent of Vaioava Sahajiya culture of Bengal.
I record my deep sense of gratitude to my grand-father-in-law
Dr. Radhagovinda Basak M.A., Ph.D., D.Litt., Vidyavacaspati
for kindling in me the true spirit of research. He remains a true
patron of my learning and research work.
In my elder brother Sri Ganesh C handra Das, I have found
a never-failing source of inspiration in undertaking the research
work.
I also express my gratitude to V ikram aditya M ahapatra,
Sri Harekrishna Meher, Sri Bijoy K um ar Satapathy and Sri
B harat C handra N ath for thier valuable instructions and sugges
tions on Panca Sakha Cult. They were all the Post G raduate
Students of the Benaras H indu University coming from the
different parts of Orissa. I acknowledge my debt to them, parti
cularly to Sri Vikramaditya M ahapatra who has substantially
helped me in the study of the doctrines o f the Panca Sakha,
Cult. I deem it a priviledge to have their names associated
with my book.
I offer my thanks to Shri A m arnath Chatterjee for preparing
the Index.

Paritosh Das-

Dedicated with great reverence to my &ka G uro

MahSmahopadhaya Gopinath Kaviraj
M.A., D.Litt., Padma-Bibhu 5ai)a
A uthor

Contents

SAHAJIYA

cult

H istorical Background : Origin of Sahajiya Cult

]
Buddhism and its gradual transform ation
3
The four Philosophical Schools
8
Pala dynasty of Bengal
14
Growth and spread of Sangharam (M onasteries)
15
Buddhist art and iconography
20
The Development of Vajrayana from M ahayana
Buddhism
21
Introduction of Tantrika Culture into M ohayana Buddhism 24
Guhyasamaja tantra
24
The Vajrayana
26
The Sahajayana
29
The K alacakrayana
30
The M antraygna
30
Vajrayana Buddhism in Bengal
31
Decline of Buddhism
40
New H indu Religious Movements in
Sixteenth-Seventeenth Century A.D.
42
D harm a C ult
45
Growth of VaiSQava Sahajiya C ult
48
Development o f Bhakti in Buddhism
48
Worship of Buddha
55
Caitanyadev and the Bengal Vaisnava Com munity
61
Development of Sahajiya C u lt: C ontributions of
Masters of this School
69
Aspects of Sahajiya D octrine
82
Conclusion
163
P A N C H A S A K H A CULT
Pancha Sakha Cult
Index

175
205

SA H A JIY A C ULT

H ISTO R IC A L B A C K G R O U N D : O R IG IN O F SA H A JIY A C U L T

The VaiQava Sahajiya is an obscure religious cult of Bengal

and is little known to the literate people of the modern age.
It is because the educated community scarcely keeps contact
with that class of people who live in the lower strata of the
society. The religion of the Sahajiyas was prevalent and still
continues among the class of people who are looked down
upon and neglected by the upper and educated classes o f the
society. As a result, the philosophy, culture and mode o f
practice (Sadhan-padhati) of this religion are hitherto unknown
to the literate class of the society. O n account of negligence
and w ant of support from the public, the Sahajiya culture is
on the verge of extinction.
The cult o f the Vaii)ava Sahajiyas once exerted a great
influence on the religious life of the general people o f Bengal
and Orissa. But no serious attem pt has so far been made to
present a fairly systematic account of this religious sect and to
give a definite shape to its philosophy. As a result, it does not
find a proper place in Indian philosophy, though this religious
culture was once held in high esteem as embodying the secret
wisdom of the Sahajiya-Sadhakas. It has been degraded to
one of the obscure religious Cults o f Bengal.
The reason why no serious attem pt was made, is said to
have been th at it was deemed im proper to drag down for
rational examination the truths inaccessible to the experience
of the common people. So it was confined only to a particular
community who had deep faith and belief in this religion.

Sahajiya Cult

This is why it did not attract the attention of the m odern

elite persons. As a result there has not been any attem pt to
systematise the ideas and truths contained in the numerous
manuscripts written by various Sadhakas o f this cult in different
times. O f course, Dr. M anindra M ohan Basu of the present
age m ade the first attem pt to write a book on Sahajiya cult
entitled Post Chaitanya Sahajiya Cult . In his work the
author has tried to throw light on this religion. He has supp
lied us with valuable inform ation regarding the literature of
the Sahajiya Cult and some of the doctrines an d practices
preached therein. Though an erudite scholar he has failed
to depict the true aspects of this particular religion. However,
credit should go to him for his first attem pt to reveal this
obscure religion to the literate society. N ext attem pt has been
m ade by Dr. S. Dasgupta in his work Obscure Religious Cults .
In Chapter V of his book he has dealt with the fundamental
tenets of the Sahajiyas and its relation with the Tantricism of
the Hindus and the Bouddhas. He has also provided us
with the inform ation o f the process o f evolution of devotional
1 ove from the ideology and methodology of Tantric and
Yogic sects. But his analysis on the process of love-sadhang
o f the Sahajiyas does not seem to me true to the spirit of this
religion. N o doubt his work on the Sahajiya Cult is most
praiseworthy.
The VaiSQava Sahajiya Cult is the outcome of the am al
gam ation of two m ain religious cultures of Bengal. These two
religions a r e : (1) B ouddha Sahaja-Jana and (2) Goudiya
VaiSQavism. I have first collected the materials furnished by
the Sahajiya Sadhakas in their innumerable manuscripts. These
m anuscripts were written by them with a view to reveal the
esoteric culture of their religion to their disciples in order to keep
the continuity of their religious secrets amongst their followers.
The Sahajiyas have their own theory as to the m anner in which
Supreme Knowledge descends on earth-conscious mind. The
principle that they hold, was so long kept secretly guarded

Buddhism and its Gradual Transformation

within their own religious community. M any of the manuscripts

have been lost, a few of them have been collected and are kept
n the libraries o f Calcutta University, Vishva-Bharati, Sahityaparisad, Asiatic Society etc. I have collected the data, assessed
their m eaning and inner significance and have expressed them
in this book as convincingly as possible. Before going to discuss
their religious creeds and doctrines in detail, let me first trace
out the sources o f its origin. F or this purpose I propose to
make here a brief study o f Buddhism. Because the Vaii)ava
Sahajiya Cult is the last phase of the gradual transformations
o f Buddhism.
Buddhism and its gradual transformation
Far away in N orthern India stood the old capital of Kapilavastu. A nd there, on a day more than twenty-five centuries
ago, the young prince G autam a was born. The astrologers
prophesied th at the child would either be the greatest m onarch
on earth, or, stung by the woes o f men would abandon the
world and become a great religious teacher. K ing Suddhodhana,
the father of Gautam a, was determined to save his son from
the fate o f a religious teacher. But none can tu rn back the
page of destiny. A nd so it happened. One day Gautam a
ordered his chariot and bade the driver, C hhandaka, take him
through the city that lay beyond the walls of the palace. There
he met three woes of m enweariness, disease and death. A t
these sights Gautam a was silent, overwhelmed with horror and
with pity. His heart became, as it were, a great throbbing
ocean of compassion for m ankind. Thus the three woes of
men stung him as the astrologers had foretold at his birth. He
left the house to find out the way of salvation which should
be open to all the world.
F or seven long years in the forest G autam a pursued his
search. Then at last, meditating in the night, beneath a Bo-tree,
he discovered the G reat Secret an d found all knowledge.

SahajiytX Cult

In th at moment o f supreme illum ination, he learnt that the

thirst for life was the cause o f all wretchedness. By ridding
themselves of desire men could attain N irvana.
Asvaghoa in his B uddha-C arita has said that B uddha
after his great renunciation went to two wellknown scholars
of the time for instructions, one A rada K alam a and the other
U d d ak a. Both of them taught him the Samkhya system of
K apila. They taught him o f the advance o f the hum an soul
from the lowest sentient beings through K am adhgtu, and Rupadhatu to A rupa-dhatu, i.e., through the world o f desires and
world of forms to the world of no form, i. e., of light. Arada
K alam a further taught him that in the formless heaven there are
two stages : A kasantyayatana i.e., the formless hum an soul as
infinite as the sky, and A kincanyantyayatana or the formless
hum an soul as infinite as consciousness. U ddaka taught him
th at there was another and a higher stage where the formless
hum an soul is as infinite as Naiva-samjfia na-sam jnanantayata n a i. e., no holder of a name and no name in infinity. A t
the final stage the hum an soul so advancing becomes Kevali
o r absolute, without any relations, i. e., beyond the world of
relativity.
Buddha was not satisfied. He said : if the hum an soul
exists, it must exist in relation to something, it cannot be
absolute, an d so he left his Gurus. He found that the whole
o f the Samkhya is based on Satkarya-vada, or the theory that
the effects exist in a nascent form in the cause, i. e., the cause
an d effect are both perm anent and abiding. So B uddha dis
carded this theory of perm anent effects and established what
is known as Kai)ika-vada, i. e., all things exist only for a
m om ent and they are not permanent. The soul also was
m om entary and so the highest position is that there is no
sariijna an d no Samjni no name and nothing to which a name
may be attached. Thus Buddha exclaimed Sarvarii K saqikam
Kat}ikamiti/Sarvam Duhkham D uhkham iti/Sarvarii Svalakanam
Svalakai)amiti/Sarvarii ^unyarii ^unyamiti. This is in fact

Buddhism and its Gradual Transformation

the nucleus of all schools of Buddhism. So Buddhism had its

origin from the Sankhya which was the only system of philo
sophy in India before Buddha. Sankhya gave birth to
primitive Buddhism. They looked so wonderfully different,
but the fundam ental difference is only in one id e a : per
manence or momentariness.
Buddha declared : there is no such thing as Atma. W hen
a m an dies, the elements return to their proper places and the
vitality is gone. So B uddha taught that m an is simply an
aggregate of five Skandhas or bunches : (1) Rupa (matter),
(2) Vedana (feeling), (3) Sariijna (conception), (4) Samskara
( activity ) and (5) Vijnana ( consciousness). They come
together by force of their previous Karm a and form a hum an
being. A t death the five separate and go to their own way
as directed by their K arm a. So there is no Atma or soul.
The five Skandhas enjoy or suffer according to their K arm a.
This is directly opposed to Brahm anical ideas. As I have
said before, B uddhas difference with his Saihkhya teachers
turned mainly on the point of A tm a. They said : it exists,
it thinks, it enjoys ; Prakrti is simply a dancing girl who
dances according to her own sweet will. As soon as A tm a, the
seer of the dance, becomes conscious of itself, there is an end
of the connection between the Purusa or the hum an soul and
the Prakrti, the internal world, and the Purusa becomes
Absolute. B uddha says that this cannot be ; the Purua is still
subject to the condition of birth as it has the character of seed.
The seed may rem ain dorm ant for want of requisite conditions
but when these conditions are favourable it will again germi
nate, and so he said that the soul or PuruSa is nothing but
the aggregate of five Skandhas. All that was perm anent in
Saihkhya, B uddha made momentary.
The fiirst council of Buddhists which met at Rajagrha
immediately after the M ahanirvana of Buddha (cir, 487 B.C.)
collected the teachings of the M aster which formed the nucleus
of the primitive Buddhism i. e., Hinayana.

Sahajiyd Cult

In the third century . C. K ing Afioka was the great figure

in India. In the seventeenth year of ASokas reign the Buddhist
m onks assembled in the second council at Pataliputra, prepared
a book entitled the Katha-vastu, in which they discussed the
points of controversy with different sects of Buddhism. But
in th at book there is no mention of M aha-yana. This
is the primitive K atha or the mode of controversy.
Then comes the great Em peror Kanigka. His conversion to
Buddhism is a great event in the first century A. D. He
held a third council o f Buddhist monks at Taxila or Jalandhar.
A small body called Maha-yanists were present in th at council.
They did not however succeed in m aking much impression ;
but ASva-ghoa some time after the council took up their cause
and wrote many works on their system. One of his works is
the M ahayana-Sroddhotpsda-SQ tra and the other work is
S utralankara. The first one has not been found either in
Sanskrit or in translation. The ^raddhotpada-sutra though
n o t found in Sanskrit has been found in Chinese translation
an d has been translated into English. It gives within a small
compass all the points in which the M ahayana excelled its
predecessors. All the primitive Buddhists in Asokas time were
indiscriminately delegated to a lower position and called H inayana. ASva-ghosa wrote four other small works in Buddhist
Sutra form : (1) on A natm a-vada ; (2) a sutra on ten
Akusala K arm a ; (3) on the relation between the Guru and
&ya and (4) on sadgati or the six stages of existence in the
world of desire.
All these works have their Chinese
translations.
A5va-ghosa distinctly calls his works as M aha-yana. M aha
yana with him is not a sect, not a school of thought, but a
theory which later on crystallized into a school and a sect. All
the great M ahayana ideas are to be found in his works, but not
in the developed form which was given to it by his successor
N agarjuna. ASvaghosa also gives some idea o f the three
K a y a s : Dharma-kaya, Sambhoga-kaya and Nirm aga-kaya.

Buddhism and its Gradual Transformation

Dharm a-kaya is the totality o f the Universe to which nothing

can be added and nothing can be subtracted, which is full of
Prajna, or all com prehending knowledge and K aruqa all
comprehending love. Then comes Sambhoga-kaya in which
aspect the Dharm a-kaya is said to enjoy the bliss of the
Universe. This is a mysterious form which reveals itself only
to the enlightened Bodhi-sattvas. The third aspect is N irm aoakaya or the body o f transform ation. Sakya-siinha is a
Nirm aqa-kaya em anating from the Universal Dharm a-kaya.
The idea of Tri-kaya was not in the M oha-vastu. O f the
Tri-kayas, the Dharm a-kaya is absolute, others are mere
em anations from it and are ultimately absorbed in it.
The difference between the M ahayana and H inayana may
be described here. M ahayana is active, H inayana is passive.
M ahayana takes a n extended view of the Universe whereas the
H inayana is extremely narrow-m inded. The M ahayana acts
according to the spirit of B uddhas teaching, while the
H inayana adheres to the letters of his sermons. The N irvana
of the M ahayana is complete absorption in the Dharm a-kaya.
It is called Nirvania without an abode, while that of the H in a
yana is an escape from birth, death and old age. It is simply
^an ta or K aiballya o f Saqikhya. A comparison of these
two sects, of their aims and objects is fully given in the first
chapter of M ahayana siitralariikara of Asafiga which has been
edited with a translation in French by Prof. Sylvin Levi.
Asangas work, the editor says, is based on the SQtralankgra of
Asva-ghoa. After ASva-ghoa came Bodhi-sattva Nagarjuna,
the great propagater of M ahayana. N agarjunas M adhyam akakarika is the great controversial work which made N agarjunas
name famous. The work examines from the point o f view
o f the idealistic philosophy. It says that there are two aspects
of truth, Param artha Satya and Samvrta Satya, and the M aha
yana school shows by gradual steps that the Samvrta Satya
merges into Param artha Satya.
In Vedantic language this
would be the merging of the Vyavaharika Satya into the

Sahajiyd Cult

Supreme Brahma. The best means of studying the nature of

these two truths is to be found in the ninth chapter of the
Bodhicaryavatara by Isanti Deva. This chapter is called
Prajna-param ita or Knowledge p ar excellence. But what is
this Prajfia ? Examine it under the four heads ; it is a thing
which has neither existence, nor non-existence, nor a combina
tion, nor a negation of the two. A nd this is what is called
Siinya. Some people think that Sunya is negation of existence,
but no, it is the Absolute which transcends hum an faculties and
embraces the whole Universe. It is neither created nor can it
be destroyed, it is the totality of our knowledge, this is Prajfia,
it is $Qnyata.
The four philosophical Schools
Buddhist philosophy has four different schools : (1)
Vaibhafika, (2) Sautrgntika, (3) Yogacgras and (4) M adhyamika. From the record of the Chinese pilgrim, Fa Hian, we
come to know that while he stayed in India during the begin
ning o f the fifth century A. D., these four philosophical schools
had already reached their full development. The former two
belonged to the Hinaygna Buddhism ; the latter two supported
the M ahayana Buddhism. The Vaibhaikas believed in the
existence of both the external and internal worlds, though as a
Buddhist school both the worlds are Ksanika or mom entary
and . The Vaibhagikas regarded Sakyamuni as a common
hum an being who after attaining Bodhi and final N irvaqa by
his death, passed into or nothingness. The Sautrantikas
did not believe in the external world but thought that it is
simply a projection of the internal world which we wrongly
think to be external. The Sautrantikas ascribed to Lord
B uddha a Dharm akaya and a Sombhogakaya.
The Yogacaras and the M adhyamikas, the supporters of
M ahayanism, were purely idealists. The Yogacaras denied even
the existence o f the internal world. This school thinks there is

The Four Philosophical Schools

a chain o f ideas. The ideas may be momentary but the chain

is not. This chain is called the Alaya-Vijnana and to the
idealist this serves all the purposes of an ego or A tm a. As the
Yogacaras only believed in Vijnana or consciousness, they were
therefore designated as Vijnanavadins.
Last o f all came the M adhyamikas who did not belive even
in the Alaya-Vijnana. They were Sunya-Vadins, pure an d
simple. But Sunya, as I have already said, is neither void nor
a negation of existence, but the Absolute One. They called it
, because the hum an language has no word to express the
idea of the Absolute which is beyond the comprehension of
man and language concerns itself with those things which m an
can and does comprehend.
The M adhyam ikas had used the terms Prajna and Upaya.
These Prajna an d U paya may be compared with Parama-Purua
and Param a-Prakriti of Tantra. The whole process of Sadhana
o f the M adhyamikas were concentrated on uniting Prajna and
Upaya, by means of which Buddhist Sadhakas might attain the
perfect enlightenment.
These four philosophical schools have four other names :
(1) Sarvasti-vada, those who believed both in the external and
internal world ; (2) Bahyartha-bhanga, those who did not
believe in the external world ; (3) Vijnana-vada, those who
believed in consciousness a lo n e ; and (4) ^Qnyavada, those
who believed in nothing beyond , the Absolute.
The Buddhists charged $ankaracharyya with stealing the
idea, Sunya, from them and giving it a new name, Brahman.
Following them the Brahmins of th at period began to criticise
^ankaracharyya and designated him as a crypto Buddhist.
N agarjuna was the reputed founder and expounder of the
M adhyam ika philosophy. He belonged to the second century
A. D . His disciple, Aryadeva was the author of the Chatuhsatak a, which is the most authoritative work on the M adhyam ika
system. The same period also saw the birth o f the Yogacara
school founded by M aitreyanath in the third century A. D.

10

Sahajiya Cult

M aitreyangth wrote ^a very short but a very pregnant work in

eight short chapters entitled, A bhisam ayalankara-kgrika and
the PrajBaparam ita. This was the Prajng-pgramita which the
Yogacaras took up as their standard work, and Asanga and
Vasubandhu derived their inspiration from this historical
M aitreyanath. D uring the fourth century A. D. Asanga and
his younger brother Vasubandhu expounded the philosophy of
Yogacgra school and placed it on a souud footing. Asanga
converted his H inayanist younger brother Vasubandhu who
later on systematised the philosophical views of the Yogacara
school and designated as Vijnaptimatra (mere ideation) ; attri
buting the existence of all the outer world to inner ideation
in short, holding that nothing but ideation exists. Thus he
established Vijnanavada in Yogacara philosophy. In India
Yogacara idealism found place after the death of Vasubandhu.
Dignaga was the first to follow this line. He was the disciple of
Vasuvandhu and was probably living about the beginning of
the fifth century A. D.
Acgrya D harm apala, who came from KanchideSa, was a
disciple of Dignaga. H e was invited to the University of
N alan d a near Rajgrha where he adorned the seat of the
chief abbot for a pretty long time. His commentary on th e
V ijnaptim atrata Siddhi is a monum ental work on the
V ijnanavada.
Acarya D harm apala had two very famous pupils : C handrakirtti and ^ilabhadra. C handraklrtti became a great M adhyamika philosopher. According to Lam a Targnath, C handraklrtti
was born at Sam anta in South India. He was chosen to be the
high priest of the N alanda University where he composed his
great work, the M adhyam ikavatara which reveals his profound
philosophical insight. But by far the greatest contribution of
C handraklrtti was his commentary on the Chatu&Sataka of
Aryadev, which as a masterpiece of lucid discussions on the
subtle doctrines of M adhyam ika ^unyavgda, had greatly influ
enced the Buddhistic thoughts in C hina, Japan and K orea.

The Four Philosophical Schools

The other great disciple o f A carya D harm apala was the

famous Yogacara philosopher Silabhadra who was a member of
Brahm anical royal family of Sam atata in Bengal during the
period of the pre-Pala age. By that time the University of
N alanda was recognised as the centre of transmission of Yoga
cara philosophy. In A. D. 637 the Chinese pilgrim Hiuen
Tsang visited N alanda where he found Silabhadra who was
then 106 years old, as the head o f the University. Hiuen
Tsang himself studied there the Yogacara philosophy under the
guidance of Silabhadra. B uddhabhadra, the nephew and
disciple of Silabhadra, was also a great scholar in Yogacara
philosophy.
A new doctrine was afterwards introduced into the concep
tion of Yogacara. This new introduction was known as the
M ahasukhavada. The form of Buddhism which was based on
this M ahasukhavada, was known as Vajrayana. In Vajrayana
NirvaOa had three elements : Sunya, Vijfiana (Bodhicitta)
and M ahasukha. This triple com bination of Sunya was termed
by them as Vajra : because, as they said, it is firm and sound,
unchangeable, unpierceable, impenetrable, incombustible and
indestructible. They formulated that Sunya is a goddess in
whose eternal embrace the Bodhicitta (Vijnana) is locked and
there it remains in eternal bliss and happiness.
From this brief survey we come to know that B uddha
rebelled against Hinduism and established a new religion called
B ouddha D harm a though the tenets an d doctrines of his
religion did not differ much from those of'Hinduism . This is
why Swami Vevekananda called him a rebel child o f Hinduism .
However, it may be remarked that Buddhadev was a dynamic
personality. He was universal love, kindness and perfect wisdom
personified. He was a great rationalist in philosophical thoughts
and conceptions, a great master of m oral force, a great renouncer and a supreme physician for healing hum an diseases of
passions and torments. He found th at the people suffer all
kinds o f miseries an d privations. They are subject to birth,

12

SahajiyU. Cult

decay, disease, decrepitude, death and rebirth in consequence o f

the deeds, good or bad, done by them in this life or in the
previous ones. He also showed the path how people can, by
their own efforts in the form o f acquiring Jnana (Knowledge),
doing Sat-karma (pious work) and practising Yoga (the practice
o f contem plation and meditation) and Bhakti (devotion), hope
for release from worldly bondage. So we see that B ouddhadharm a as preached by Buddhadev, is a curious mixture o f
Karma-yoga-jnana-bhakti. These doctrines of Buddhism were
developed by the different schools of M ahayana in later period.
I shall try to show how the doctrines of karma-yoga-jnanabhakti of Buddhism were transm itted to the Sahajiyas of Bengal
when Buddhism became extinct from Bengal.
We know that after the M ahanirvana of Buddhadev his
disciples and followers were divided gradually into two distinct
different sch o o ls: one was H lnayana and the other was
M ahayana. The aim of the Hinayanists was the salvation
(Nirvana) of individual self. The nature of Nirvana of the
Hinayanists was like that of Kaivalya of the Samkhya
yogis.
The H lnayana Buddhism cared for the escape of its votaries
from the miseries of birth and death. It thought of nothing
else, it was intensely selfish and narrow-minded. It cared for
its own self and not for others. Buddha himself could and
did save lots o f people but his H lnayana disciples could not
save anybody but themselves.
The M ahayanists emphasise universal salvation.
The
philosophy propounded by M ahayanists like Nagarjuna,
Aryadeva, Asanga, Vasubandhu, D innaga and D harm apala,
and the creed preached by them, appealed to the m ind o f the
ordinary people more than the philosophy of the Hinayanists.
According to them Nirvana is not the tranquillization of
hum an aspirations, but the fulfilment of human life, one can live
in the whirlpool of life and death and yet be above it, as the
Bodhisattvas do. The M ahavastu which is a pre-eminently

The Four Philosophical Schools

religious treatise at the initial stage o f M ahayana Buddhism,
has referred ten Bhumies. These BhQmies are the various
stages of development o f the qualities o f a Bodhisattva towards
which he progressively advances. He gradually ascends from
one to the next, upto the last or the tenth stage. The M ahavastu A vadana gives a very.detailed description o f these which
cannot be recounted here. The Bodhisattvas, in final stage,
conceive the idea of attainm ent of perfect enlightenment (Vodhi)
by accumulation of merits. According to the H inayanistic view
A rhat is the perfect state of enlightenm ent, but according to
the M ahayanistic view an A rhat is thought to be only partially
enlightened. The purpose of the M ahayana is that one should
by passing through the ten Bhiimies o f Bodhisattva, attain
Buddhahood i. e., the final state of ParinirvaQa (highest
nirvaQa) which is spaceless and timeless, birthless and deathless,
changeless and waveless. W hen this ideal Parinirvaqa is
realised, it will be nothing but the infinite light (Amitabha) and
infinite life (Amitayus). Amitabha and Amitayus (infinite light
and life) is B uddha idealised from the historical B uddha
(Shakya-muni), whose is the L and of Bliss (Sukhavati).
Am itabhas attainm ent o f B uddhahood o f Infinite Light and
life, and his establishment of the L and of Bliss are all fully
described in the Sukhavati Vyuha text . 1
The M ahayanists also hold this view that every B uddha of
perfect enlightenm ent possesses Threefold Body (Trikaya) i. e.,
Dharm a-kaya (cosmical body), Sambhoga-kaya (enjoymentbody) and N irm aq-kaya (transformation-body). Thus a Buddha
is viewed as the ideal enlightenment itself, enjoyer of it
being thus enlightened and giver of it to others as an enlight
ener. The enjoyment-body is obtained by the B uddha as a
reward for long effort, while the transform ation-body is freely
assumed by him in order to meet the needs iof others and
the world.
1.

The Essentials o f B uddhist PhilosophyJunjiro T akakusu

14

SahajiyH Cult

B uddha flourished and preached in the sixth century . C.

I n the fourth century . C. there was the split and the ideas of
the splitters are embodied in the M ahgvastu. The M ahavastu,
therefore, must have been written in that century
next.

or

the

Pala dynasty of Bengal

The reign of the Pala dynasty whose sway over Gauda and
the adjacent regions, lasted from the eighth century A. D. to
twelfth century A. D. The kings o f the Pala dynasty were the
staunch advocates o f Buddhism. During the time of the Pglas
the T antrik Buddhism in Bengal flourished to its fullest extent.
This period of the development of T antrik culture am ong the
Buddhists is represented by a set of most powerful writers an d
popular Gurus, such as D lpankar Srljnana, Advayavajra,
AvadhQtipa, his disciple Lalitavajra, Tailopa o f Catigaon
(Chittagong), R atngkarasanti, Prajfiakaram ati and N aropa
the disciple of Tailopa. All o f them were contemporaries of
K ing M ahipala I who flourished between A. D. 980 and 1030.
Chen Chub, the King o f Tibet, despatched a mission under
Nag-Tso to India in order to bring the Bengalee Pandit
D ipankara Srijfiana, the head-abbot of the VikramaSIls V ihara
which was then the famous centre of Buddhist learning.
D ipankara Srljnana was equally famous for his learning in the
T antras and in M ahayana philosophy. He arrived in Tibet in
the second half of the eleventh century A. D. and undertook a
reform ation o f Tibetan Buddhism. He was installed at the
head of the ecclesiastical organisation. He spent thirteen years
in the country and died in N ethan in A. D. 1054. His
Tibetan name is Atisha. He was worshipped by the Tibetans
as an incarnation of god ManjusrI, the Buddhist god of
learning.
A m anuscript nam ed Prajna-Param ita containing eight
thousand slokas was composed at N alanda University during

Growth and Spread o f SaAghHrilm

15

the reign of M ohipala I, a copy o f which is kept in the library

of Asiatic Society of Calcutta ( No. G 4713 ).
M oham ahopadhya H araprasad Shastri collected twenty two
short works of Advayavajrapada who flourished in the eleventh
or early twelfth century A. D. and bore the titles of Paqdita
and Avadhuta. This period of Advayavajrapada has been
fixed by Dr. Benoytosh Bhattacharyya in his introduction to
the Sadhanam ala. These twenty two short works were collec
ted by . . H. P. Shastri from Manuscripts lying in the
Durbar Library of Nepal. Those M anuscripts are the records of
collection of twenty two works by Advayavajrapada. These
twenty two works seemed to be very im portant for the history
<>! the development o f Vajrayana Buddhism, because they threw
light on the period o f Buddhism between the rise and fall of the
Pala dynasty.
Growth and spread of Sangharam (Monasteries)
The T riratna creed of Buddhism places the Sangha on a
par with Buddha and D harm a the three concepts completing
the cycle of the faith. At every seat of Buddhism, therefore,
the existence of a SaOgharam was indispensable. The Sangha
life functioned and flourished there and each monastery became
a centre of religious studies and discussions.
From the writings of Griinwedel, Fergusson and Hiuen
Tsang we learn that between the beginning of the Christian
era and the middle of sixth century A. D there was a very rich
development of Buddhism in the form of monasteries and
Stupas. In good old age the caves were used as headquarters.
During the rainy season all the Buddhist monks were assembled
in some fixed dwelling places. It might have happened th at a
band of B uddhist m onks came to A janta and took up their
abode in its natural caverns, perhaps a couple of centuries
before Aaoke. Those were the days when kings, rich citizens
and great landowners could scarcely perform a work of greater

16

SahajiyH Cult

merit than hewing out caves for the residence o f B uddhist

monks. In course o f time these natural recesses in the rock
were transformed into monasteries. There are more than
twenty monasteries, m any unfinished, at Ajanta. Chaityas were
built within the monasteries by the Buddhist m onks for united
worship ; strictly comparable to Christian churches. A Stupa
occupied the place of the alter. The Stupas were first erected
over the relics of B uddha and afterwards it became the common
practice to erect stupas over the ashes or relics of a great
Buddhist teacher. A janta has four chaityas. There are stupas
within all the four Chaityas at A janta.
There was a cave named Satapanni at Rajgir. There can
be a few places in the world so old as Rajgir Satapanni Cave
was the earliest Chaitya of old Rajgir. Outside this Satapanni
Cave the first Buddhist Council was convened in the year
following the M ahanirvaQa of Buddha. Buddha entered the
city, Rajgir during the reign of Bimbisara of the sixth century
. C. K ing Bimbisara erected a stupa over the nail-relic of
Buddha in the m iddle of the city. This must also be the earliest
stupa. Fa-H ian who visited India during the fifth century
A.D., saw this stupa still intact.
In the days of ASoka, Sangha was a well-organised body.
The whole organisation of the Sangha an d a good deal of the
rules for monks and nuns were then introduced. Persons
desiring to renounce the world and embrace the life o f a m onk
or nun, were adm itted without any distinction of rank or caste.
The act o f admission was termed Pravrajya, in Pali-language
Pabbajja denoting the renouncement of the world and adoption
o f the ascetic life.
M ost probably Bengal was outside the empire of Asoka and
Buddhism could have no access to this province during his
reign in the third century . C. However Buddhism as a
religious faith spread in Bengal during the time of the Gupta
emperors. Am ongst Indian historical documents, there is none
more fascinating than the books of travels written by the earl)

Growth and spread o f SavgharSm

17

Chinese pilgrims. O f these, the three now best known to us,

are those of Fa-H ian, Hiuen Tsang and I-Tsfdg. Fa-Hian
might have been the very first of the travellers who came t a
India on the task of Buddhistic research. Fa-Hian visited
India about the fifth century A.D. during the reign of C handragupta II. This Chinese pilgrim noticed the existence of twenty
four Safigharamas in Tam ralipti (m odern Tam luk in M idnapore), which were all residential seats for the Buddhist monks.
After Fa-H ian, the renowned Chinese pilgrim Hiuen Tsang
came two India about the seventh century A.D. during the reign
o f king Harsha. He came to Tam ralipti or Tam luk where he
spent two years copying manuscripts and painting images. H e
found ten Buddhist Sangharamas with more than thousand monks
residing in them in Tam ralipti, twenty Sangharam as with some
three thousand monks belonging to both H Inayana and
M ahayana schools in Pundravardhana, thirty Sangharamas with
about two thousand m onks in Samatata and ten Sangharamas
with about two thousand m onks in KarQasuvar^a. He also
spoke of two most notable universities of his time, one at
Purtdravardhana and the other at Karijasuvarija, both renow
ned as great seats of learning for the Eastern Buddhist scho
lars. Another Chinese pilgrim I-Tsing who visited India at the
fag end of the seventh century A.D., spoke of the University o f
B harahs in Tam ralipti. He referred to the great reverence
of people of Bengal in general for the Buddhist faith and for
the monastic life of the Bhikus (monks).
Coming to the times of Pala Kings who were staunch
advocates of Buddhism, we find m any Buddhist monasteries
established in different parts of Bengal m ainly through the
patronage of the Pala dynasty. From the History of Buddhism
written by Lam a T aranatha in the beginning of the seven
teenth centuary A.D., we come to know that G opala I founded
the O dantapurl M ahavihara. D harm apala, the son of G opala
I, founded the monastery of Vikramsila. The monastery was
situated in M agadha on the northern bank of the Ganges. A n
2

18

SakajiyS Cult

inscribed clay-seaj discovered in P aharpura bears testimony to

the fact that the M ahavihara o f Somapura in N orth Bengal
was also erected by Dharm apala. A nother monastery which
was already in existence in Bengal during the time of D harm a
pala, was the Traikutaka Vihara where A carya H aribhadra
wrote his famous commentary on the Astasahasrika-PrajBaP aram ita . There was another monastery in Devikot in N orth
Bengal where Advayavajra, the great T antrik Buddhist scholar,
lived. Pagsam-Jon-Zang 1 m entions the Papdita Vihara o f
C hittagong which was a great centre of Tantrik learning
and culture. Siddhacarya Tailapa is said to have been asso
ciated with this Vihara. Tailapa had a disciple of the name
o f N ad ap a who was also a renowned Bengali Tantrik pre
ceptor. He went to Tibet and preached Tantrik Buddhism
there for full fourteen years. N adapa was also the author o f
the comentary on the Vajrapada-Sara-Saxngraha which is said
to have been composed by $akyabhiku Y asobhadra o f
Kasmira.
Kampala, the great king of Pala dynasty, who reigned for
m ore than fifty years during the eleventh-twelfth century A.D.,
founded the grand monastery of Jagaddal at the confluence of
th e Ganges and K aratoa by the vicinity of old Bhasu Vihara
which was erected at V arendra .2 The Jagaddal Vihara speaks
o f the highest glory of Tantrik Buddhism in East Bengal. King
K am pala installed in this Vihara images of AvalokiteSvara and
M aha Tara.
A carya M okgakara Gupta, Vibhuti C handra, Danaila and
Subhakara G upta are said to be the four great luminaries of
Jagaddala Vihara. M okgakara G upta was the author of
Tarkabhaa, a famous work on Buddhist Logic, and he is also

1.

H istory o f Buddhism : Its Rise, Decline and Downfall by Sum pa

K hanpo Yese Pal Jor, com pleted in 1747 A .D . edited by S arat
C handra D as (C alcutta, 1908)

2.

Bagger JStio Itihas, R ajanyakanda, p. 206.

Growth and Spread o f SaAghnrllm

1*

regarded as the com m entator o f Dohakoa in A pabhransa.

VibhQti C handra was both a prolific writer and a translator,
and as many as twenty three Tantrik works are ascribed to him
in the Tanhgyur1. A palmleaf manuscript, preserved in the
library o f Bihar and Orissa Research Society, reveals that
Vibhuti C handra visited N epal and Tibet with his preceptor
SakyaSribhadra, the last hierarch o f VikramaSila Vihara, when
th at University was destroyed by the M uham m adans2. D anaiila is also know n as prolific translator an d there are about
sixty T antrik translations in Tibetan language to his cridit3.
The great tantrik teacher Subhakara G upta lived in this
Vihara for some time and wrote a commentary on the Tantrik
text Siddhaikavira-tantra.
A nother Buddhist Tantrik scholar o f Jagaddala Vihara
nam ed Jngna M itra who hailed from Tripura o f East Bengal,
wasproficient in Guhyasamaja T antra and also in various
M ahayanic scriptures. He learnt profoundly the collections on
Y am antaka, Sariibara and Heruka. the GGhya C handra tilaka,
M ahSpani tilaka an d K alacakra*.
From Pag Sam Jon Zang and from the history o f
TArnnftth we come to know that Acarya A bhayakara G upta
was famous Tantrik Siddha who was born at Jharkhagda. He
was educated in N alanda where subsquently he became
an abbot and he was also for sometime the chief abbot at
VikramasilS Vihara. This Acarya is know n to be the preceptor
o f K ing Kampala.
From the existence o f the above m entioned monasteries it
may be concluded that during the reign o f Pala Kings the
culture and learning o f Tantrik Buddhism had a wide circula
tion throughout the length and breadth o f Bengal. The
1.

N . N . D asgupta, Indian C ult, Vol V, pp. 215-17

2.

J. B. O. R. S., M arch 1937, p, II ff.

3.

R . C. M ajum der, H istory o f Bengal I, p. 336

4.

B hupendranath D u tta , M ystic Tales o f L am a T aran ath p . 37

20

S ahajiyi Cult

Buddhist Siddhacaryas would reside in those monasteries.

Innum erable lay-Buddhist house-holders o f Bengal would take
lessons from those Siddhacaryas. There is no doubt, therefore,
that the people of Bengal in general cherished the great reve
rence for the Bhddhist faith and culture and for the
Siddhacaryas.
Buddhist art and iconography
The Universities of Takshashila near the m odern Peshawar,
N alan d a in Bihar and Sridhanya K atak (Amaravati) on the
bank of the Krishna, comprised schools of religious painting
and sculpture.
The early Buddhist records contain many allusions to
pictures halls which were no doubt the halls o f monasteries.
The great Chaitya-halls, used for general councils, worship
and University purposes, gave rise to the magnificent schools
of Indian painting, whose remains we still find in the caves o f
A janta. The period covered by the religious paintings of
A janta , says M r. E. B. Havell in his book, Indian sculpture
and Painting, extends from about the second or first cen
turies before Christ to about the seventh century of our era.
There can be no doubt that it was the monks themselves who
spent their talent and energy in sculpturing or painting the
ancient monasteries.
One of the principal deities worshipped by the Buddhists
of the M ahayana school is Avalokitesvara or Padm apgni. The
Chinese travellers Fa-H ian an d Hiuen Tsang saw images o f
Avolokitesvara at all the Buddhist places o f pilgrimage in
India. Fa-H ian recorded that in the fifth century A.D. every
Buddhist of M ahayana school in M athura and the Central
Provinces used to worship Avalokitesvara, Prajngpgramitg and
ManjuSri.
Hiuen Tsang saw numerous images of Avaloki
tesvara both in northern and southern India. The most rem ark
able of these was the silver one, ten feet high, situated on the

Buddhist art and iconography

21

western side of the Bodhi tree at G ay a.l This Chinese traveller

observed in many places the image o f T ara on the left side of
AvalokiteSvara and in several other places images of Avalokite
svara and T ara on the right an d left sides respectively of
B u ddha1.
The Bengal school of art became distinguished by the high
class o f art it produced. Its flourishing period ranged from the
ninth century A. D. or earlier to the conquest of Bengal by the
M uham m adans i.e., it covered the whole period o f Pala dynasty.
D uring the reign of D harm apala and Devapala of the ninth
century A. D. two famous artists of Bengal named D him an and
his son Vitpal left a land-m ark in the field o f art and archi
tecture. Jabhanese art was greatly influenced by the Bengal
school of art. As Vajrayana was mainly a product o f Bengal, it
is possible that the Bengalee colonists carried their art and
religion to Jabha by the sea-route probably from Tamralipti.
The statue o f Prajngparam ita seated on a lotus-flower in the
pose of a yogini was made during the period of the Pala
dynasty. The Vajrayanists regarded Prajnaparam ita as the
consort of the A di Buddha. She was also regarded by them
as the mother of the universe. M any o f such specimens of the
Bengal school o f art are preserved in the museums at Calcutta
Dacca and Rajshahi. In these museums many interesting
images of gods belonging to the Tantrik Buddhism are to be
met with.
The Development of Vajrayana from Mahayana Buddhism
So far we have reviewed the history of Buddhism, we
have come to know that M ahayana Buddhism both in its
philosophical and religious aspects, was afoot in the first
ci-ntury A. D.
The great philosopher, poet and dram atist Asvahosa, a

I.

licul's Si-yu-K i, Vol II p . 103.

22

Sahajiyil Cult

contemporary of K ing K aniska in first-second century A. D.,

was one of the founders and leaders of the M ahayana. During
the Vakataka and G upta periods in between the third and
sixth centuries A. D. of Indian history, both the H lnayana and
the M ahayana schools o f Buddhism flourished simultaneously.
But there is no doubt that the M ahayana school was steadily
growing stronger. The two schools of M ahayana philosophy,
the M adhyam ika and the Yogacgra, developed highly during
the G upta periods. Vasubandhu of the fourth century A. D.
was a prom inent member of the Yogacara school o f M ahayana.
Vasubandhu wrote a book nam ed Abhidharma-koa which
enjoyed great popularity in India. His book was taught
widely and several annotations of the book were made in
N alanda University. It was translated into Tibetan language
by Jinam itra and into Chinese language first by Param artha
o f Valabhl during the sixth century A. D. and later by Hiuen
Tsang who studied at N alanda University during the seventh
century A. D.
A n organisation of Buddhists something like a M antrayana
seems to have existed at N alanda at the time o f I-Tsing in the
seventh century A. D., for he has mentioned the existence o f a
bulk of M antra literature there and he himself is said to have
been trained in the esoteric doctrine. The centre of learning
o f mysticism, however, seems, to have moved to the Vikramaslla
University farther dow n the Ganges and Vikramaslla
Vihara became famous for T antrika learning. All the inhabiitants of th at University belonged to M antrayanas. Tibetan
Buddhism had special connections with that University.
From the evidence of the Chinese pilgrims we cannot, how
ever, ascertain the nature of Buddhism that was prevalent in
Bengal. We find mention of M ahayana Buddhism as well as
o f H inayana. It seems, however, that in the historical evolution
o f Buddhism, M ahayana with its more lofty ideal, captured the
m ind of the people of Bengal. But the Buddhism which
-prevailed in the Pala period in Bengal, is of the new ideology

The Development o f Vajrayana from MahBydna Buddhism 23

o f B uddha and Bodhisattvas in the most developed M ahayana
form. P. C. Bagchi in his book The History of Bengal, has
written that in the Pala period the M ahayana has developed
forms of mysticism which are know n as Vajrayana and Tantrayana, and these, by their very nature, delt with certain
deeper metaphysical problems which had greater attraction for
the religious m an (page 419). Still later, this mystic Buddhism
assumed three forms in addition to the Vajrayana. These three
added forms to Vajrayana are the M antrayana, the K alacakrayana and the Sahajayana in which m antra, m udra, m aqdala
and Yoga practices played im portant parts. M ahasukha or
perfect bliss was the goal of these new systems. Very little
trace o f the once powerful Yogacara and M adhyamika
Buddhism o f M ahayana can be observed in these new forms of
Buddhism, which attached great importance to ceremonials
against which B uddha himself had raised his voice of protest.
Thus the religion o f Buddhism introduced by the great master
Buddha underwent another great change from M ahayana to
Vajrayana during the time of the Palas completing the three
cycles of Buddhism i.e., from H inayana to M ahayana and from
Mohayiina to Vajrayana. Therefore Buddhism is not essen
tially one but three religions, one deffering widely from the
other in religious beliefs, practices and doctrines. The earliest
phase is H inayana which was more ethical than philosophical.
The second and the most widely spread is M ahayana which
was lofty in ideal and highly philosophical. A nd the third is
T antrayana, otherwise known as Vajrayana, Kalacakrayana
an d Sahajayana, which evolved a deep esoteric system of
Sadhana m aintaining at the same time the subtle philosophical
ideals of M ahayana. Out of the three phases of Buddhism,
Bengal made valuable contributions to the last. Lastly the
Buddhist mysticism can be marked in some of the later H indu
religious movements of Bengal, viz., those of the N athas,
Dharmas, Avadhutas, Vaiggava Sahajiyas, Bauls and others.

24

Sahajiya Cult
IN T R O D U C T IO N O F T A N T R IK A C U L T U R E IN TO
M O H A Y A N A B U D D H ISM

The history of Tantricism is highly interesting. I shall

here make an attem pt to trace this history, with special refe
rence to M ohayana Buddhism from early times and shall show
how it was passed on the Vaiqava Sahajiyas of Bengal at a
very later period.
Professor C hintaharan Chakravarti, in an admirable article
in Indian Historical Q uarterly1 has traced the references to
T an trik practices in their earlier stages amongst the Hindus,
Buddhists and Jains. These references in ancient literature
show that some o f the rudim entary T antrika practices are as old
as the time o f the Rg-Veda ; and the Atharva-Veda is full of
them . In Buddhism such practices were found in abundance.
F rom references in early Buddhist literature it can be seen
th at many varieties of T antrik practices were then in vogue.
So it appears very probable that Tantricism received a great
impetus from Buddhism.
Guhyasamaja Tantra2
The secret conclaves that grew after the M ahanirvaija of
B uddha, developed in course of time into big organizations
known as Guhyasamajas. They practised their rituals in secret
(guhya). The Guhyasamaja T antra was composed in the Safigiti
(verse) form, an d in it reasons were given why the teachings of
this book should be kept secret. This book deals with details
the theories and practices, dogmas and rituals of Tantra.
Before we give an account of the innovations introduced by
Guhyasam aja T antra, it is necessary to give some idea of the
age in which it was written.
1.
2.

A ntiquity o f T antrikism , VI pp. 114

G aekw ad's O riental series. The earliest and the m ost authorititive
w ork o f the T a n tra school o f the B u d d h ists: edited by D r.
B. B hattacharya, Ph. D ., D irector, O riental Institute, B aroda.

Introduction o f TUntrika Culture

25

The Tantras an d Tgntrika ideas of a secret nature were as

old as the time o f the great Buddhist teacher Nagarjuna who,
as already said, flourished in the second century A. D. The
school called M antrayana originated, according to Tibetan
traditions, with Nagarjuna, who is alleged to have received it
from the celestial B uddha Vairocana, through the divine Boddhisattva Vajrasattva, at the iron tower in Southern India. The
M antrayana, strictly speaking, concerns itself with m antras and
yantras. The M anjusii-m ulakalpa is a M antrayana work
which gives descriptions of deities, m udras (poses), and maydalas
(diagrams), and o f the processes by which the worshipper
should proceed to offer prayers and perform the rituals. The
M ulakalpa is the source on which the Guhyasamaja T antra is
based. The doctrines of the Guhyasamaja T antra are subs
tantially the same as those found in the S adhana (practice) of
the PrajBaparam ita composed by Asanga, the elder brother o f
Vasubandhu, who flourished in the fourth century A. D. So it
appears that the Guhyasamaja T antra is the product of the
fourth century A. D. or earlier. Now I shall proceed to state
w hat it introduced into Buddhism and how it may be consi
dered a landm ark in the system of Buddhist thought as well as
in the history of the evolution of the Tantrika culture.
The most im portant element which the book, Guhyasamaja
T antra introduced into Buddhism is that of Sakti (woman,
considered as a manifestation of divine energy) for obtaining
em ancipation. In the very opening chapter of the G uhya
samaja Tantra, the Lord transforms Himself in the form of five
Dhyani B uddhas 1 (Buddhas in meditative pose) and associates
each of them with a Sakti. M oreover, in the eighteenth chapter,
while describing the different ceremonies in connection with
initiation, m ention is made of prajBabhigeka or the initiation
of the disciple with prajfia or a 6 akti. In this connection, it
I.

Five D hyani Buddhas, viz., V airocana, R atnasam bhava, A m itab h a,

A m oghasiddhi and Akgobhya.

26

Sahajiya Cult

should be remembered that the Buddhist Tantras were divided

into four classes for four different types of disciples, namely,
(1) the Carya T antra, (2) the K riya T antra, (3) the Yoga
T antra, and (4) the A nuttarayoga Tantra. O ut of these four,
the first two are preparatory and are not given which is
prescribed for the last two classes, regarded as higher in the
scale of perfection1. This introduction of 6 akti in Tantrika
worship, made for the first time in the Guhyasamaja Tantra, is
one of the most im portant events in the history o f Tantricism.
The Vaiyava Sahajiyas of Bengal inherited this Tantrik tradi
tion of accepting $akti in their mystic culture o f yoga and
practised it secretly even when they were am algamated with
Goudio Vaisyavism. The practice prevalent among the Saha
jiyas is th at each disciple belonging to this school is allowed to
accept Saktia wom an who is equally adept in the practice of
Yoga. In which state and under what condition, Sahajiya
yogis are allowed to accept Saktis or Sadhana-Samginls for
practicing yoga, will be discussed elaborately when we shall
deal with the rituals, doctrines and tenets as. ordained by this
particular religious sect and mentioned in their various.
manuscripts.
The Vajrayana
Introduction of the D hyani Buddhas may be considered to
be a landmark; in the evolution of the T antrika culture among
the Buddhists. W hen we investigate the origin of the Dhyani
Buddhas, according to the conceptions of the Guhyasamaja
school, we find in the Samgiti that a single power called Kayavak-citta-vajradhara, th at is, the holder of the vajra consisting
o f the three elements kaya (body), vac (speech), and citta
(mind)the embodiment of B uddha,manifests itself in the
form o f the five D hyani Buddhas, their Saktis and so on.
1.

Sadhanam ala ( G aekw ads O riental series, N o. 41 ) 11. Introduction

Introduction o f TSntrika Culture

27

T hat is to say, the five D hyanl Buddhas are nothing but th e

manifestations o f one single power. This power, at other places
in the same work, is described as the embodiment of or
vajra, from which the name of the school Vajrayana is derived.
It is also note worthy that the Guhyasam aja T antra not
only gave instructions for attaining salvation, but also satisfied
the popular needs by prescribing a number o f m antras (charms),
m udras (mystic signs), mapdalas (circles of deities), and so forth.
This book combined in one sweep all forms of mysticism in its
system, such as yoga and hathayoga, mystic poses, D hyanl
Buddhas, deities and a host of other rituals. This system thus
developed into a form of Tantricism, which was named Vajra
yana or the Vajra path to salvation. It was called Vajrayana,
because came to be designated by the term vajra on
account of its indestructibility. The siinya of the Vajrayana is
something different from the Sunya of the M adhyamikas
(nihilists) or the Vijnanavadins (idealists), because it includes
the three elements siinya (reality), vijnana (consciousness), and
mahgsukha (great bliss).
The Vajrayana made many contributions to Buddhism
and Buddhist culture in general and thus became very attrac
tive. This school introduced elements of yoga into ordinary
worship and also gave regular system of m antras, which <*o^ld
be used for all possible purposes even by a lay householder.
We have seen that the Tantras assumed importance; in the JPala
period, when even the universities like those of N alan d a and
VikramaSila had to introduce them into their curriculum, and
keep regular professors to hold classes for those who wanted
to have a higher education in the Tantras. The Hindus were
also impressed by its grandeur aud were induced to accept
some of the Tantric doctrines, deities, m antras, sadhanas etc.
The Vajrayana school introduced the worship o f DhyaniHuddha accompanied with the goddess Tara. The goddess
l ata is exclusively the deity o f the Tantrik Buddhists. The
Tftntrik H indus o f Bengal accepted the worship of the goddess.

28

SahajiyH Cult

T a ra whole heartedly. In mediaeval period Bengal was the

seat o f T antrik culture. Even to-day the Bengalees worship
the goddess Kali as the mother of the Universe. To worship
the Absolute power as goddess M other is the speciality o f the
Hindu-Tantras. The H indu-Tantra has founded the worship
o f DaSa M ohavidyaan embodim ent o f ten dieties such as
K ali, Tara, $odasi, Bhubanegvari, Chhinnam astg, Vagala,
K am ala, Dhumravati, M alati and Durga. So we find that the
Buddhist goddess T ara has been included as one of the deities
o f DaSa M ohavidya of the Hindus. The H indu Tantrik
Sadhakas of Bengal do not make any difference between the
goddess of K ali and Tara. They meditate both the goddesses
chanting the same m antra. Sadhaka Ramprosgd, the famous
poet of Bengal, worshipped the goddess K ali and addressed
her as T ara and composed m any poems in which he had men
tioned the name T ara in place of Kali. BamgkSyapa, the
renowned H indu T antrik Sadhakas o f m odern age, got spiri
tual illum ination observing the T antrik rituals in worship of
M other goddess T ara at T arapithaa place consecrated to the
worship of the goddess Tara. T arapitha is situated in the
district o f Birbhum o f West Bengal. It is said that long long
before BamakSyapa, another H indu T antriksadhaka named
VaSistha worshipped the goddess T ara here following the
T antrik rituals and became Tara-siddha i.e., got perfection
in Tantrik-sadhana. There is a proverb that this VaSigtha went
to M ahachina to study the Tantrik culture. There he was
acquainted with the mysteries o f Tantrik practice, became
m aster of it and came back to T arapitha. A t that time the
area covering Nepal, Bhutan and Tibbat at the foot of the
Himalayas, was called Mohgchina. Even to-day we, the H indu
Bengalees when afflicted with distress and miseries, cry out
with depression Tara-Tara-Tgrathus invoking the mercy of
goddess Tara.
It will not be an exaggeration to say that N athism derived
its inspiration from the Vajrayana ; or in other words, the

Introduction o f Tantrika Culture

29

progenitors of the N atha schools Hinduized the teachings of the

Buddhist Tantras. From the existing literature of the H indus,
no reference to Tantricism can be found which may be placed
before the third century when the Guhyasamaja T antra was
composed. The Natha-Siddhas are included in the list of the
eighty-four Siddhas of the Buddhists. The N athas and their
descendants are known in Bengal as the Yogis or Yugls. Re
garding their origin and their present low status in H indu
society, many stories are p re v alen t; but it appears th at they
were the first to follow the Tantrik practices amongst the
H indus, and were mainly the disciples of the Buddhists, who
were not looked upon with great favour by the Hindus. The
affinity of the N athas with the Tantrik Buddhists and their
practice of the Tantras were probably the reasons why
the Yogis were regarded, in subsequent times, as untouchables.
The Sahajayana
The Vajrayana gave rise to several later Yanas (paths), such
as the Sahajayana, K alacakrayana a n d M antrayana. All these
later yiinas, however, may be considered to be mere offshoots
of the Vajrayana school, without differing materially from the
original yana of the Guhyasamaja.
The Sahajayana is believed to start with LakSmlnkara Devi
(A.D. 729),1 the sister of the King IndrabhQti who styles himself
the king of Uddlyana. The newness of Lakgm inkara teachings
consists in her declaration that no suffering, fasting, rites,
bathing, purification or obedience to the rules o f society are
necessary for the purpose of obtaining emancipation. Accor
ding to her, it is not necessary to bow down before the images
o f gods which are m ade of wood, stone or mud ; but the
worshipper should, with concentration, offer worship only to
his own body where all gods reside. From her preachings a
I.

H hattacharyya-A n Introduction to Buddhist Esoterism , pp. 7 6 'f.

30

Sahajiya Cult

new doctrine, ones own body, in which the whole world is

manifest, was developed
amongst
the
Sahajayanas.
Lakgmidkara preached that when truth is known, there is no
restriction of any kind for the worshipper. Like her brother
Indrabhiiti, she did not believe in restrictions regarding food or
drink and advocated Sakti-worship. The Sahajayana thus
belonged to the Yoga T antra class.
The K alacakrayana
The K alacakrayana seems to be a later development o f the
V ajrayana. This concerns itself with the Yoga T antra and
A nuttarayoga T antra, and incorporates the doctrines o f the
Sahajayana also. According to this school, K alacakra is a deity
and an embodiment o f sunyata and karuija (compassion), is
em braced by the goddess Prajna, and represents the philosopical conception of advaya or non-duality. The deity Kalacakra,
like many other Vajrayana deities, is fierce in appearance and
is embraced by the Sakti, which shows that the Y ana is merely
a branch o f the V ajrayana in its higher forms o f Yoga and
A nuttarayoga Tantras. The mai}4ala (circle) of the deity, as
we understand from the K alacakra Tantra, consists of all the
planets and stars. The central deity, as the name Kalacakra
indicates, represents the circle of time an d is surrounded by
such m inor deities as would indicate time. As a school, it started
in the tenth centery A.D.
The M antrayana.
As I have already m entioned that the M antrayana chiefly
concerns itself with Bija-mantras and Yantras and inciden
tally, it includes such thing as DharaWs. Bijamantras (Seedsyllables) usually consists of syllables and represent the nume
rous deities. Different Bijmantras form the call-signs for the
different deities,, In other words, the Tantrikas discovered the

Introduction o f T dntrika Culture

31

suprem e truth that the Bijmantras are endowed with the same
vibrations as those of the deity and by employing the M antras
i.e., by constant meditation and repitition of the M antras the
corresponding deities can be attracted, visualised and realised.
The DharaQis are only unm eaning strings o f words which are
said to confer great merit when muttered repeatedly. It
believes that certain special mystic forces are generated by reci
ting words of a certain com bination, pronounced in a certain
manner, and that, with the help of these mystic forces, the
worshipper can obtain Siddhis and even em ancipation. The
yantras (magic circles) are included in the same system,
because the magic circles are not supposed to bestow any
power unless the letters o f the appropriate m antra are placed
in their appropriate places in the magic circle. In the Manjusrimiilakalpa . 1 which was probably composed in the first century
A.D., we find quite an astonishing number of M antras,
M udras, M aqdalas and Dharanis. Later on the Guhyasamaja 5
is considered as the first systematic Tantrik work of the
Buddhists, which was probably w ritten in the fourth century A.D.
Vajrayana Buddhism in Bengal
In the Guhyasamaja there were m any practices which could
not be m ade public until the ground was prepared to receve
them. Thus the Buddhist T antra went into private hands an d
was transm itted in the most secret m anner possible through a n
unbroken chain of Gurus and disciples, till it came to light
alter about three hundred years, mainly through the teachings
n ml mystic songs o f the eighty four Siddhacaryas mostly belong
ing to the seventh, eighth and nineth centuries A. D. At that
tunc Vajrayana Buddhism made a great headway in Bengal and
other parts of eastern India. These Siddhacaryas wrote the
I

Inlilislicd in three volumes in the T rivandrum Sanskrit series.

<i.ickwads O riental series.

32

Sahajiycl Cult

mystic songs in a language which has been designated by

M ohgm ahopadhya H araprosad Sastri as the Sandhyabhasa.
This language had always a hidden or a mystic meaning.
Very little is know n regarding the Buddhist Tantras before
they m ade an appearance in public in a well-developed form
during the period of Vajrayana school, which started in about
the beginning of the seventh century A. D. By that time th e
Bnddhist monks busied themselves with producing a variety of
literature on the Tantras and during that Tantrik age thousands
of works were written. The wide T antrik literature was mostly
written by the Siddhas who are called Siddhacaryas whose
num ber is reputed to be eighty-four. Their innum erable works
were readily transm itted through the H im alayan passes to Tibet
and M ongolia, and thence to C hina and Japan. It is not
strange, therefore, that many of these Tantrik works which
were originally written in sanskrit, are lost. Those T antrik
works are now preserved in translations in the pages of the
Tibetan Tangyur.
The reputed Chinese pilgrim I-Tsing found Tantric Buddhism
flourishing in Uddiyana, Punjab, and in a satisfactory condition
more eastward in the seventh century A.D. The latest great
champion of Buddhism was D harm akirti who, as stated by the
historians, was the contem porary of K um arilabhatta, Guru of
Sankaracaryya. The decline of Buddhism in India was hastened
by the A rab conquest of Sindh in A.D. 712.
L am a T arg n ath a 1 of Tibet informs us that Tantricism existed
and transm itted in an occult m anner in the period between
Asagga and D harm akirti, but after D harm aklrtis times the
A nuttara Yoga became more and more general and influential.
Let us now examine how the Tantrik Buddhism gradually
flourished in Bengal.
: In the history of the eighty four Siddhas,
U ddiyana is described as a place where the Tantrik Buddhism
1.

H istory of B uddhism by Lam a T aranath.

Introduction o f TUntrika Culture

33

first developed. In the Sadhanam ala we find mention of four

Pithas or sacred spots of the Vajrayanists, namely : Kamak?ya,
Sirihatta, Pilrnagiri and Uddiyana. Kam akhya and Sirihatta
are situated in the province of Assam. KamakSya is also known
as Kamariipa which is only a few miles distanj from Gauhati.
S rlhatta is the m odern Sylhet.
But the identification of the
two others has given rise to much speculation.
LuipH : Luipa who flourished in the later half of the'
seventh century A. D., is regarded as one of the earliest
Siddhacaryas. In the Tibetan Tangyur Catalogue he is
distinctly called a Bengali. According to Tibetan traditions
Luipa is identified- with M atsyendranath or M lnanath who is
regarded as the A di-guru among the N ath Siddhacaryas. This
tradition has also located the birth place of M ina-nath in
C andra-dw ipa, which is generally taken by the scholars to be
some coastal region o f East Bengal. M oham ahopadhyaya
H araprasad Sastri identifies this C andra-dwipa with the C andradwipa o f the district of B akergunj; whereas Dr. Bagchi is dis
posed to identify it with the Sundwip in the district of N oakhali
(See Introduction to KauIa-Jnana-nirQaya by Dr. Bagchi, pp.
29-32) Luipa composed a number of songs in Bengali language,
which have been discovered and published in the Bauddha
G an D oha published by the Vangiya Sahitya Parisad,
Calcutta,
under
the editorship of M aham ahopadhyaya
H araprasad Sastri, with a short account of Luipa and his songs
in the introduction.
In other Tibetan book, namely Pag Sam Jon Z an 1 he is
described to have sprung from the fisherman caste of U ddiyana.
The King of Uddiyana employed him as a clerk. He met
Sjilxiripa who initiated him into the mysteries of the Buddhist
I imiricism.

I.

I.ik Sam Jon Z an (H istory o f Buddhism : Its rise, decline and dow n
hill/ by Sumpa K hanpo Yese Pal Jo r, edited by S arat C h an d ra Das
i <\ila itta , 1908).

34

Sahajiya Cult

There is, therefore, an apparent discrepancy in the two

statements of the native place of Luipa. The testimony of the
Pag Sam Jon Z an would take it to Uddiyana ; while the
Tangyur catalogue will have it in Bengal. As the identification
of U ddiyana has not been settled, we may take it for granted
th at it was located in Bengal.
Sarahapdt : In the Sadhanam gla (pp. 80 and 83), Sarahapa
is also associated with Uddiyana. This Sarahapa was one of
the earliest Siddhacaryas. In the Bauddha G an D oha
are recorded a number of his songs composed in Bengali
language.
Sarahapa was one of the Siddhas to popularise the Buddhist
Tantra. The Tantra, which was practised in secret from the
time o f Asanga, first got publicity through the teachings of a
band of Siddhas with Sarahapa at their head.
NUgclrjuna : This N agarjuna who is regarded as one of the
foremost Siddacgryas. is different from Nagarjuna who is
regarded as the founder of the M adhyam ika school of Buddhist
philosophy. N agarjuna, the founder of M adhyam ika school,
was the disciple o f Asvaghosa and he flourished in the second
century A.D. The other N agarjuna was the disciple o f Sarahapa
an d flourished in the middle of the seventh century A.D. Thus
the two persons are seperated by five hundred years. This later
N agarjuna was a leading star in the Vajrayana horizon and
composed a large number of Tantrik works. Two Sadhanas of
his are recorded in the Sadhanamalg, one for the worship
o fV ajratara, while the other relates to the worship of Ekajata.
In Sadhanamala it is distinctly said that N agarjuna rescued
the worship of Ekajata from the country of Bhota which is
indentified with Tibet. N agarjuna was the resident of Bengal.
BabaripH : $abaripa is described in Tibetan work, Pag
Sam Jon Z an as belonging to the hill-tribe called the Sabaras
or the huntsmen in Bgngala Desh. He met Nggarjuna who
was then residing in that country. He along with his two
wives, Loki and GuQl, embraced Buddhist Tantricism after

Introduction o f Tantrika Culture

35

being initiated by Nagarjuna. He wrote a number of melo

dious songs in the vernacular o f his country which, according
to the Tibetan authorities, was Bangala or Bengali.
Jalandharipa : Jalandharipa, also know n as Hadipa, is
regarded as a very ancient Siddhacarya. In the N ath Litera
ture of Bengal he is described as a Nath-Siddha. According
to Tibetan works he is described as a contem porary of D harm a
kirti whose time is definitely know n to be the first-half o f the
seventh century A.D.
A very interesting story is recorded o f the life of H adipa
or Jalandharipa in a number of old Bengali books, such as the
Dharm am angala, Sunyapuraija, M anikcander G an, M ayanam atir G an, Gopicander Git, G opicander Sannyas etc. In all
these stories Hadipa is connected with several other im portant
personages, viz. the queen M ayanam ati, her husband M anikcand ra who was the King of C atigaon (Cattagram) of East-Bengal,
G opicandra, their only son, and Krgyacarya of K anhupa, one
of H adipas disciples. It is said th at when G opicandra was
born, the royal guru had predicated that he would not live for
more th an ninteen years. This fact was know n only to the
queen. W hen G opicandra was only a boy of twelve, his father
got him married to four princesses, namely P handana, C andana,
R odana and Poduna. Soon after this m arriage King M anikcandra died. M ayanam ati thereafter became very anxious on
account of the possibility of her sons meeting with a premature
death. In order to avert this calamity she persuaded her son
to take initiation from H adipa who was a great Siddha. But
unluckily G opicandra once became angry with H adipa and
buried him in a hole underground.
KfS'jacarya, popularly known as K anhupa was the worthy
Iwviple of H adipa. In the thirty-sixth song of the caryapadas
we liikl K rsggcarya mentioning Jalandharipa as his guru. For
ii Ii ' iih lime he did not find his guru. So he made a search for
lilni iimt became anxious at his sudden and mysterious disui'iwaiunco. Later on he came to know about the whereabouts

36

S a h a jiyi Cult

o f H adipa in- his meditation. He, then, went straight to

M ayanam ati and told her about the foolish actions of her son,
G opicandra. In order to protect G opicandra from the anger
of H adipa, both of them devised a plan o f placing a golden
image of G opicandra in front of the hole in which H adipa was
buried underground. They removed the earth and as soon as
the body of the guru was seen, all those present there prostrated
themselves on the earth ; but as the golden image of G opicandra
did not show any respect, H adipa became enraged and through
his anger the image melted and was turned into ashes.
M ayanam ati at this opportunity held some food and a bagful
of Indian hemp before the guru who had been by this time in
Samadhi for full five years. He broke his fast taking some food
and a quarter of hemp. The queen M ayanam ati then persuaded
H adipa to give initiation to G opicandra so that his premature
death might be averted. G opicandra at first was very obstinate,
but ultimately yielded. The queens of Gopicandra scented
danger and wanted to dispose of H adipa by means of poison,
but H adipa passed through the ordeal entirely unharmed.
Ultimately G opicandra took the initiation and H adipa put him
to a severe test for twelve long years, after which he obtained
perfection.
Anangavajra : Anangavajra was one of the eighty four
Siddhapurugas.
He is characterised in the history of the eighty
four Siddhacaryas as the son of King G opala of Eastern India.
Anangavajra composed a number of works, the translations o f
which are found in the Tibetan Tangyur. He also composed
several works on the Hevajratantra.
Indrabhuti Indrabhuti was the king of Uddiyana which
may conceivably be a part of Bengal.
Indrabhutis sister was
Lakgmlnkara. Indrabhuti has written a large number of works
and most of them are preserved in the pages of the Tibetan
Tangyur translations. One of his works, the Jfianasiddhi in
original sanskrit, has been published in the Gaekwads Oriental
series. The Jfianasiddhi is an extremely interesting work in

Introduction o f Tantrika Culture

37

twenty-two chapters, giving in a nutshell many leading doc

trines and rites of Vajrayana which throw immense light on this
religion.
^1} : In the Tibetan Tangyur several Krsnacaryas
are found and it is difficult to differentiate amongst them for
the absence of more definite materials. This whom
I have referred to here, seems to be a contemporary of Jalandharipa and G opicandra, both of whom in all probability
flourished in the first quarter of the eighth century. According
to the Pag Sam Jon Z an, this K rsyacarya was born of a
Brahm an family of Orissa, and was initiated into the mystic
cult by Jalandharipa. KrOacgrya wrote Dohas in his own
vernacular, Udiya which had a great affinity with the old
Bengali language. No less than twelve songs of his are availa
ble and are printed and published in the Bauddha G an
D oha.
Laksm inkara : In the history of Vajrayana the name of
Lakminkara is interesting not only because she was a woman,
but also because of the novel doctrine she preached. Born in
the royal family of U ddiyana, a sister and disciple of Indrabhuti, she showed remarkable boldness in preaching her own
peculiar theories in a short but interesting work, entitled the
AdvayasiHdhi. This work in the original sanskrit, was lost,
but was preserved in the Tibentan Tangyur in translation.
In the Advayasiddhi a most remarkable and bold innova
tion was introduced by the authoress. Hitherto the Vajrayanists
advocated the worship of the five Dhyani Buddhas ; but what
Lakminkara advocated was quite unusual and strange. She
declared, No suffering, no fasting, no rites, no bathing, no
purification nor other rules of society are necessary, nor does
my body need to bow down before the images of gods which are
m.hlv of wood, stone or mud ; but he should with concentration
nib worship to his own body, where all gods reside. She
lin ilia explained that when the Ultimate truth is know n
ilin e is no restriction for the worshipper. Towards women,

38

Sahajiya Cult

she declared, no hatred should be displayed ; because they

are the embodiments of the Prajfia.
One o f her most
im portant preachings is that N irvana can never be achieved
without the grace of Satguru. In the whole o f the movable and
immovable world there is nothing better than the Satguru,
through whose kindness a sadhak is certain to obtain perfec
tion. Since her time this new teaching gradually won m any
adherents who were styled the Buddhist Sahajayana. The
Vait}av Sahajiyas of Bengal imbibed almost all the characteris
tics of the doctrine preached by Lakgmlnkara, of which we
shall discuss later elaborately.
Lilavajra : Lilavajra was the direct disciple of Lakgminkara. He had also a great reputation as a Vajracarya and
wrote a large num ber of authoritative works. N o less than nine
works of his are m entioned in the Tibetan Tangyur Catalogue
and from their titles, it can be surmised that both Vajrayana
and Sahajayana were in a flourishing condition in his time.
Darikapdda : D arikapada was the disciple of Lilavajra.
His name is fairly well known through the publication of the
B auddha G an D oha. From this work it is evident that
D arikapada belonged to Bengal and wrote a number of songs
in his vernacular, some of which are recorded in the Bauddha
G an D oha. In one of his songs he offers his obeisance to
Luipa and this leads the editor, Mm. H araprosad ^astri to
think th at D arikapada was a direct disciple of Luipawhich is
a matter of controversy.
Sahajayogini : Sahajayogini was a female ascetic and a
disciple of D arikapada. She is known to us as the authoress
o f the Vyaktabhavanuga-tattvasiddhi. A translation of it in
Tibetan language also exists. She laid particular stress on
M ahasukha which could be obtained by the combination of
Prajfia and Upaya.
Dombl Heruka ' Dom bi H eruka was the disciple of
Sahajayogini. He, like D arikapada, is well known to many
through the publication of the B auddha G an Doha. In the

Introduction o f Tantrika Culture

39

Tibeten Tangyur he is designated as one of the eighty-four

Siddhacaryas. He wrote books on Sahajayana and Vajrayana,
and composed a book of songs in vernacular entitled the
Dombi-gitika*.
Several of his songs are recorded in the
B auddha G an D oha and very probably they are taken
from the Dombi-gitika composed by him. Besides these he
wrote a book intitled the Sahajasiddhi in Sanskrit, an original
copy of which is preserved in the Oriental Institute, Baroda.
This is a highly interesting work. In it there are certain
topics of absorbing interest and we take this opportunity of
recording some of the views expressed by the author.
Dombl Heruka formulates that the worship of kula is
the most im portant in the Tantric religion ; without it no
success can be achieved : but with it great success is possible
of attainm entKulasavat Bhavet Siddhi Sarvakam aproda
Siibha. While explaining the word Kula, he says that Kulas
are five in number and they originate from the five D hyani
BuddhasAksobhya, Vairocana, Amitabha, Ratnasam bhava
and Amoghasiddhi : and this is the reason why they are called
Kulesas i. e., the lords of the Kulas. Dom bl Heruka thus echoes
the doctrines inculcated in the Guhyasamaja, the earliest
Buddhist Tantric work.
Dombl H eruka has explained M ahasukha.
The bliss
obtainable from M ahasukha has been fully dealt with. The
bliss which can best be realised by the Siddhapurua, has,
according to him, four successive stages : A nanda, Param ananda, V iram ananda and Sahajananda. By the com bination
of the two elements Prajfia and Upaya, these four stages of
great happiness can be obtained. It can only be experienced
by ones own self and when it is realised, perfection is easily
attained.
All the Siddhacaryas enumerated above flourished between
the seventh and eighth centuries A.D. They all belonged to
either Vajrayana or Sahajayana school. Sahajayana developed
within the fold of Vajrayana and introduced some new ele

40

Sahajiya Cult

ments in it. Otherwise Sahajayana does not differ from Vaj

rayana. From the above descriptions we may come to this
conclusion that Vajrayana and Sahajayana Buddhism began to
exert a great iufluence on the eastern parts of India, especially
on Bengal and Orissa.
From the above investigation it is revealed that during the
reign of the Pala dynasty Buddhism in various Tantrik forms
gained much popularity in Bengal and many Tantrik texts and
commentaries in sanskrit were written in the different Buddhist
monasteries that were established in Bengal.
M any of the
authors of Dohgs and carya-padas, besides a good num ber of
writers of Buddhist Tantrik texts and commentaries, belong
to the province of Bengal and to the close neighbourhood of
Bengal. By furnising the evidences as far as possible, I think,
I have been able to establish the fact that those siddhacaryas
who composed the Dohas and carya-padas, flourished during
the reign of the Pala Kings of Bengal, which extended from
the eighth to the tewlfth century A.D. The art and iconography
of the same period also bear testimony to the fact that by this
time T antrik Buddhism rose to the highest penacle of glory in
Bengal. So we see that Tantrik Buddhism, developed through
a gradual process of centuries, had its fullest sway over the
whole of Bengal during the period between the eighth and
twelfth centuries A.D.
Decline of Buddhism
Historically it seems that the fall of the Pala dynasty of
Bengal marked also the decline of Buddhism in this province.
The Sena Kings who followed the Pala dynasty in the dom inion
over the Eastern India, belonged to Hinduism and were
hostile to Buddhism. The enormous rise of Buddhism in
Bengal during the reign of the Pala Kings overwhelmed H in
duism dominated by the community of Brahmins. But with
the rise of the Sena dynasty in Bengal Brahmanism survived.

Introduction o f TUntrika Culture

41

The Brahmins and the orthodox community being encouraged

by the H indu Kings of Sena dynasty, began to take revenge
upon the Buddhists. They regarded the Buddhists as enemy
to the Brahmanical Society. So the Brahmins backed by the
H indu Kings, drove the steam-roller of severe repression upon
the Buddhists. Suffering from innumerable totures and terrible
persecutions of the bigoted Brahmins and the no less bigoted
H indu Kings, the Buddhists of Bengal were relegated to the
lower strata of the H indu society and were regarded V ratyas
(outcast). M any references to these totures are found in Siinya
PuraOa of Ramai P andita and in several Dharmamangalas.
Thus Buddhism declined during the reign of Sena Kings and
more so after the invasion of the country by M oliam madans
in the beginning of the thirteenth century A. D. The monas
teries of O daotapura and VikramSila were destroyed. After the
destruction of Buddhism in India, the Buddhist monks and
priests of the celebrated monasteries of Bengal and M agadha,
who could save their heads from the hostile swords of M oliam
madans, fled to Nepal which is protected on all sides by
the natural ram parts of the Himalayas, and took refuge
in that country and thus kept the culture of Buddhism alive
there.
Dr. H. Kern has also written in his book M anual of
In d ian Buddhism to this effectAfter the invasion of the
country by the M oham m adans in A.D. 1200, the monasteries
of O daptapurg and Vikramsila were destroyed, and the monks
were killed or fled to other countries. The learned Sakyashri
went to Orissa and afterwards to Tibet. But Buddhism also
found a hiding place, as it were, in the Deccan, as we are told
by the same author M any emigrants from M agadha rejoined
their brethren in the South and founded colleges on a modest
scale, in Vijayanagara, Kalinga and Kankapa. (M anual of
Indian Buddhism, p. 134).
Dr. H. K ern is one of the best authorities on the history of
Buddhism. The above quotations from his M anual establish

42

SahajiyH Cult

it beyond doubt that after the Universities of N alanda and

VikramaSIla were destroyed, and the wave of M oham m adan
conquest had swept over Bengal and M agadha, the surviving
Buddhist monks and priests migrated to Orissa and there
built new monasteries. In Orissa the light of Boudha-Dharm a
blazed -new for a while about in the m iddle of the sixteenth
century A. D. under the H indu ruler M ukunda-Deva Harischandra until it was extinguished owing to the conquest of the
country by the M usulman governor of Bengal. We find men
tion of it in the writings of the M oham m adan historian Badaoni
who lived at a time later than th at of Caitanyadeva The
Bengal governor, Sulaiman K ararani, despatched a force under
his general K alap ah ar to Orissa across Mayurabhafija. Kalapahar ravaged Orissa, defeated the R ajas Deputy, and shortly
afterwards the R aja himself was killed and the M oham m adans
finally conquered Orissa in A. D. 1568 ( Badaoni, Vol,
II p. 174 ).
New Hindu Religious Movements in sixteenth-seventeenth
Century A. D. :

In surveying the religious history of Bengal in particular

relation to the history of Tantrik Buddhism, we can not deny
that Vajarayana and Sahajayana Buddhism exerted a great
influence on the religious life of the vast majority of the people
of Bengal. In previous chapters it has been described how the
Guhya-Samaja went into private hands after its inception, and
was handed down secretly through and unbroken chain o f
gurus and disciples for three hundred years ; and how it got
first publicity through the teachings and mystic songs of the
Buddhist Siddhacaryas in about the middle of the seventh cen
tury A.D. ; and how the Buddhist Tantras got wide publicity
in about the beginning of the eighth century A. D. and after
the eighth century A.D. how the principles of Vajrayana were
fully established and widely spread amongst the general people

Religious Movements in sixteenth-seventeenth Century

of Bengal.

43

Again I repeat that the most flourishing period

of various forms of T antrik Buddhism was during the reign of

the Pala kings of Bengal and lasted till the M oham m adan con
quest of Eastern India in the thirteenth century A.D.
Hiuen Tsang, the Chinese pilgrim, was in India between
A.D. 630 and 645. He has mentioned in his book of travel
th at there were ten thousand Bhiksus (Buddhist monks) in
Bengal at th at time. This Chinese pilgrim has further mentioned
th at more than three-fourths of the population of Bengal
were Buddhists. We know that Vajrayana and Sahajayana
Buddhism flourished to their fullest extent and were prevalent
in Bengal upto the end of the twelfth century A. D. So it can
be taken for granted that during the period from the seventh
century A. D. to the twelfth century A. D. the number of
Buddhist monks, priests and Siddhacaryas were greatly increa
sed. To support this vast m endicant population the number
of lay Buddhists house-holders also increased to a great extent
covering the major portion of the population of Bengal.
Now we may raise in the minds of thoughtful and inquisi
tive seekers after truth and knowledge, such question as, was
the Buddhist religion of this land, which for centuries together
held its supreme sway over the masses o f Bengal, wiped out
completely leaving no trace behind it Though the revival of
Hinduism with the rise of the Sena kings of Bengal and the
subsequent Muslim invasion dealt a death blow to all schools
o f T antrik Buddhism in Bengal and though many of the
monasteries which were im portant centres of Buddhism, were
destroyed, yet this question lingers in m ind that can any religi
ous movement of long-standing cultural influence be eradicated
all at once from a land by any other religious movement or
political causes ? If it is not so, such questions then arise in
mind, how could the Buddhist religion m aintain its existence
under the terrible persecutions of the bigoted Brahmins ? How
and where did these unknown and unrecognised bands o f
Buddhists m aintain their ground, suffering as they did, innume

44

Sahajiya Cult

rable tortures and.persecutions, and driven further and further

beyond the pale of civilisation and society ? These questions
must have presented themselves to every serious student of the
history.
History takes its own course changing its colour with
the evolution o f each epoch. The medieval period is a turning
point specially in the history of Bengal politically, religiously
and literally. One of the first and foremost tasks before us is
to rewrite the religious history of India in its true perspective.
The Buddhists of Bengal being suppressed and pushed aside
by the revival of Brahmanism during the period of Sena dynas
ty and being ruthlessly tortured by the Muslim invaders there
after, were gradually assimilated into the cognate religious sys
tems among the Hindus ; and the Vainava Sahajiya cult, Baul
Sect, D harm a cult, N ath cult and various others were the out
come of such a popular assimilation. In Orissa Pancha Sakha
D harm a and M ohim a D harm a are also the outcome of such
assimilation. All these forms of new 1 eligious outcomes are
included into Hinduism as the Sikhism, Santa cult, Brahm a
Samaj D harm a and A rya Samaj D harm a are included into
Hinduism. The term , Hinduism is very wide. Brahmanism,
Shaivism, Shaktaism, Vaiijavism and even Buddhism and Jainism
-all belong to Hinduism. B uddha himself is regarded as one
o f the incarnations of Vii)u. Dr. Btthler says, the oldest
work with a fixed date in which I have found Buddha repre
sented as an avatara of Vi?ru, is Kemendras DaSavataracarita which belongs to the eleventh century A. D. Buddhism
so greatly influenced Bengal that even Jayadeva who was a
court-poet of the king, LakShan Sen of Bengal in the twelfth
century A. D., in his hym n to the ten incarnations, has made
the same admission. Addressing the ninth incarnation, he has
said, Oh ! thou hast revived all the Vadas which enjoin the
sacrifice of animals at yajnas, thou kind-hearted ; KeSava,
thou hast assumed the form of Buddha ; H ari, lord of the
universe, glory be to thee ! This is why Swami Vivekananda
called Buddha, the rebel child of Hinduism. One of the mas

Religious Movements in sixteenth-seventeenth Century

45

ter-facts in Indian History, a fact is to be borne in our mind, is

that religious history of India is and always has been a synthe
sis. Hinduism is the whole and all forms of the religious move
ments are but the parts of the whole.
Dharma C u lt:
O f the Buddhists in Bengal those who were Mohayanists,
developed the religion of Dharm a mainly based on the idea of
the second of the Buddhist Trinity. Trinity of triple gems are :
I take refuge in Buddha (Buddhaih Parana in gachhami).
I take refuge in D harm a (Dharmarii-^ara^axh gachhami).
I take refuge in Sariigha (Samgham ^araijam gachhami). So
D harm a played an im portant part in the lives of the Buddhists.
Lord Buddhas own notion seems to have been that his religion
could find its fulfilment only in its acceptance by the general
people of the world, not the monk-community alone. The
famous passage in the Pali canon which conveys the Buddhas,
first exhortation to his monk-followers, is really meaningful :
O Bhikkhus (monks), proclaim the Dhamma which is
bcneficent at the beginning, beneficent in the m iddle and bene
ficent in the end. (Mahavagga II, 1)
The life of lay people was neither expected by Buddha to
be subject to monastic discipline nor directed to the ideals of
monastic life. The Dharma was not meant to be their all-absor
bing occupation in life, but only a regulative principle in the
conduct of life.
The D harm a cult of Bengal and of some parts o f Orissa is a
local cult having no element of esoterism in it. In religious
practice the D harm a cult has got itself amalgamated with Hindu
Esaivism. The m ain deity of this cult is the Lord D harm a, or,
as popularly known, the Dharm a-thakura. Credit must be given
to late M oham ahopadhyay Haraprosad Sastri who first brought
to the notice of the public the existence of such a religious cult
and the literature on it by writing a book, Discovery of Living
Buddhism in Bengal.

46

Sahajiya. Cult

Dharm a cult js a local cult of Western Bengal. The fact

th at the D harm a cult originated and spread only in some parts
o f Western Bengal is proved beyond doubt by the Dharm amangala-literatures. All the poets of the Dharm a-m angalaliterature belong to the districts of West Bengal.
It is also
clear from the references that are found in the texts that this
cult of Dharm a was prevalent among the low-class people of the
H indu society. Mr. N.N. Basu in his book M odern Buddhism
an d its followers in Orissa , has clearly proved by a com para
tive study of the thoughts, beliefs and practices of the crypto
B uddhist cults of Orissa (as he calls them) and the various forms
o f the D harm a cult of West Bengal, that the Dharm a cult
has emerged from the decaying Buddhistic ideas and practices.
The followers of D harm a suffered much for their religious
beliefs and practices from the castes Hindus. When the M oham m adans entered Bengal as a conquering power, the Dharmites
took shelter under them in order to save themselves from the
high-handedness of the caste Hindus. We find that some of the
poets of the Dharma-mangalas at first refused to comply with
the request of D harm a to compose any poem in his praise for
the fear of social persecution .1 Again in the story of the wrath
of Lord N iranjana (Niranjaner Rugma) found in the Sunyapu of Ram ai Pandit, we come to know the fact that the
Muslim conquest of Bengal and the persecution of the caste
H indus by the Muslims were acclaimed by the Dharmites to be
the grace of Lord himself to save them from the hands o f the
mercy less caste Hindus. It will not be exaggerated to mention
here th at unless the common people turned hostile to king
Lakma 9 Sen, a handful of Muslims could not have conquered
Bengal so easily. Jajpura, a village in the district of Hooghly,
is described in the Dharm a-m angala literature as very im portant
place of the Dharmites and there is also the tradition that
D harm a revealed himself as Muslim (javanavatara) in this place :
1.

See D harm a-m augala o f Maijik G anguly, p. 9

Religious Movements in sixteenth-seventeenth Century

47

Jajapurer dehgrg bandiva ekaman |

Jei khane avatar haila javan
(Dharm er B andana, C.U. Ms. No. 2470)
Dharm a cult owes many of its elements to that form of
M ohayan Buddhism. The term which is frequently used as a
synonym for Dharm a, is Niranjana. The use of the word
Niranjana for the ultimate reality or the formless Supreme
Being, is found com mon in ^unyavada of M ohayan Buddhism.
If we examine the descriptions of D harm a abound in the Dharm apuja-Vidhana of Rgmai Pandit, we shall find that some of
the descriptions are almost the same as are to be found in the
M ohayan Buddhistic scriptures in connection with the m edita
tion of the supreme deity. A nd also we find that in these
descriptions there is always the tendency of identifying D harm a
sometimes with diva and sometimes with ViQu.
Nath Cult : A nother popular religious cult, known as the
N ath cult, developed in Bengal out o f the admixture of some
relics of decaying Vajrayana Buddhism with 3aivism. O f the
Vajrayana Buddhists who became more prone to T antra and
esoteric practices th an other Buddhists, evolved the cult of Ngth
within the fold of ^aivism. The traditional belief o f the N aths
is that this cult first originated from A dinath. This A dinath
is none but diva of the Hindus, and Vajrasattva of the Buddhi
sts. As a m atter of fact we come across the epithets of A d in ath
and Bhflta-nath applied to Vajrasattva or Hevajra in the
Buddhist Tantras as well as applied to Siva in the 6aiva
Tantras.
The N aih cult is essentially a yogic cult and the firm belief
o f the N aths is that all secrets of yoga proceeded from Adinath,
and the yogis of Bengal even in the present day speak of them
selves as belonging to the Siva-gotra (Siva-lineage).
The Yogis of the N ath cult put much emphasis on the Kgygsadhana i. e., the culture of the body in quest of immortality.
Attainm ent of the immutability of the body and of m any kinds
of supernatural powers and of immortal spiritual life through

48

Sahajiy^ Cult

the perfection of body is regarded by these Nath yogis as the

highest achievement in religious life. All these are common
features found in Vajrayana Buddhism.
Growth of Vaisoava Sahajiya Cult :
I have m entioned earlier that the Vajrayana school of Bengal
introduced elements of yoga into ordinary worship and also
gave a regular system of m antras, which could be used for all
possible purposes even by all lay householders. These lay
T antrik Buddhists householders c f Bengal mingled devotion
(Bhakti) with esoteric practices. After the conquest of Bengal
when the Muslims began to destroy the monasteries and per
secute the Buddhist monks and priests, they fled to Nepal with
their scriptures leaving the millions o f lay Tantrik Buddhist
householders at the mercy of the caste Hindus. There is no doubt
about the fact that lots of helpless Buddhists were induced to
embrace Islam in order to save themselves from privation,
depreciation, disaster, decay and destruction. A vast num ber of
esoteric Buddhist householders who practised yoga mingled with
devotion and faith in Buddha and anyhow m aintained their
existence in disguise, later on took shelter in Gaudlo Vait)avism and thus formed a seperate sect nam ed VaiSpav Sahajiya
within the Gaudlo Vaisnavism. Specially the Buddhist Sahajayanists embraced G audlo Vaisyavism. The Buddhist Saha
jayana cult was essentially an esoteric yogic cult. When associa
ted with the Gaudio Vairiavism, the same esoteric practices is to
be held responsible for the growth of the VaiSpava Sahajiya cult.
Development of Bhakti in Buddhism :
In order to find out the rise of Bhakti in Buddhism let us
revert once again to the life and teachings of Lord Buddha.
Early Pali literature furnishes an interesting account of first
two disciples of Buddhadev.
It is said that after having attai-

Religions Movements in sixteenth-seventeenth Century

49

ned perfect enlightenm ent Buddhadev spent four weeks u n d er

the Bodhi tree. Then he went in the fifth week to a Banyan
tree. After spending there a week, Buddhadev went to Mucalinda. There he was shielded during a rainshower by the
coils and hoods of the N aga King. After a week he went
to the Rajayatana tree, where he rem ained another week.
O n the last day of the seventh week, while Buddhadev was
sitting at the foot of the R ajayatana tree, it so happened that
two m erchant brothers of U tkala (Orissa) named Tapussa and
Bhalluka were passing by that road with five hundred trading
carts enroute to M adhyadesh. N ear about the Rajayatana
tree a deitya spirit of the departed relative of the two
merchants, directed them to pay reverence to Lord B uddha,
which they readily obeyed and offered Buddhadev cakes o f
barley and lum p o f honey in a bowl. Buddhadev took th e
food and ate it.
W hen Buddhadev had finished his meal, the two marchants.
prostrating themselves m ade profession o f faith with the words ;
We take refuge in B uddha and in D harm a ; take us, L ord,
from hence forward life-long as lay devotees (upasaka). The
two marchants thus became the first lay devotees, by pronoun
cing only two articles of faith, since at th at time Sangha
(congregation) did not exist. After their profession of faith
they besought the blessed M aster to bestow upon them some
thing which in the sequel they might worship. A nd Buddhadev,
according to the A nguttara commentary, gave them a few hairs
o f his head. The m archants took them to their native city
nam ed Asitanjana of Orissa where they erected a magnificant
m onastery and deposited the hairs as relics in it.
Here it should be noted that Siddharta after getting the
B uddhahood first initiated two persons who were only two
lay men. These two lay men become his first devotees. A t
the sametime we should bear in mind that though an earnest
seeker of true knowledge (jngna), B uddha himself planted the
seed of Bhakti (devotion) by initiating these two lay men with
4

50

Sahajiya Cult

two cannons : *we take refuge in B uddha and in D harm a, and

also encouraged the form of worship by erecting shrines over
the relics of his own.
After initiating the two lay merchants of Orissa, Buddhadev
then pondered in his m ind to whom he should first reveal the
Dharm a. His thoughts turned to the five m endicant frairs who
had for a while faithfully attended him. Discovering in his
m editation that they were living in the D eerpark near Banaras,
he determined to go there and inaugurate there the dom inion of
D harm a and declare Nirvana (immortality) in this world which
is groping in darkness. He lingered a few days more under
the Bodhi tree and departed on the fulll m oon day of
A ?adha.
O n the evening Buddhadev arrived at the Deerpark and
persuaded the five m onks to hear him. Buddhadev then prea
ched his first sermon. During the exposition of D harm a by
Buddhadev, K oydanna ( Kauijdiijya) got insight and realised
the true significance of Dharm a. He received ordination and
thus acquired the fruit of the first stage on the path to Nirvana.
The next day V appa (Vagpa) was converted, and on the three
following days Bhaddiya (Bhadrika), M ahanam an and Assaji
(Asvajit) were converted successively.
In those days there was in Banaras a young m an named
YaSas, a wealthy bankers son. Once he being disgusted with
family life, fled from the house and went to the Deerpark.
There Buddhadev initiated him into Arhatship. Soon after
wards the father of YaSas became a convert as lay devotee. He
was the first upasak m aking profession of faith by taking refuge
in trinityB uddha, D harm a and Sangha. The m other o f
Yasas and his wife became likewise.
It appears from Scripture that after converting the five m en
dicant friars, Yasas and others, Buddhadev gathered around
him sixty disciples. Buddhadev then sent out the sixty disciples
in different directions with the words : G o forth, monks,
wandering and preaching. After a few months the disciples

Religious Movements in sixteenth-seventeenth Century

51

who were sent out to propagate D harm a, returned with a large

num ber of persons who wished to embrace Bauddha Dharm a.
A t that time there were huge num ber of Vratyas (out-caste) who
outnumbered the orthodox community, readily responded to the
appeal of those sixty disciples of Buddhadev. U nder such cir
cumstances Buddhadev considered that it would be better if
henceforth his sixty disciples were permitted to convert the
people. He accordingly gave that permission to his disciples
saying, Let the lay people utter the threefold formula : I take
refuge in Buddha, in D harm a and in Sangha. In this way
B auddha D harm a spread all over India and gradually outside
o f In d iain Singhal, Java, Sumatra, China, Japan etc. But the
real Buddhist monks were a few in number in comparison to
the large number o f lay Buddhists. The Buddhist monks
would reside in the monasteries and would engage themselves
in discussion of D harm a and in writing scriptures. The lay
Buddhists would lead the family life and would support the vast
Buddhist monks who would reside in the monasteries built by
the Buddhist kings or by the help of the Buddhist house
holders.
The Pre-Agokan Buddhism was mostly confined to the
recluses dwelling in secluded monasteies under stringency of
disciplinary rules. Buddhism, however, made a definite depar
ture from the monastic exclusiveness and stepped towards the
common level when the Buddhist canons were set in a frame at
the Palimokkha code an d declared the practices of the Brahm a
Viharas i.e., M etta (love), KaruQa (compassion), M udita (ecstasy)
and U pekkha (equanimity) as the ultim ate factors for the attain
m ent of Nirvgp. The Vatthupam a Sxxtta of the Majjhima
Nikaya asserted that Saddha (faith) in B uddha, Dharm a and
Sanghathe formulae of produces spiritual joy
which tranquilises both m ind and the body, and leads to deep
concentration. After that one is to practice the four Brahm a
ViliHras i.e., metta, karuQa, m udita and upekkha. By this
proccss one gets rid of the three asavas (impurities) i.e., K am a

Sahajiya Cult

52

(desire), bhava (birth) and avijja (ignorance) and subsequently

attains Nirvai).1 This new ideology had a remarkable appeal as
it opened the gate of NirvaO not only to the Buddhist monks,
but also to all the faithful householders who could cultivate
Sraddha in TrisaraQa. The lay Buddhist householders with
their Trisaraya and other rituals, remained outside the monas
teries, supplied material needs of monks and nuns, and listened
faithfully to the moral discourses delivered to them by the
monks on certain occasions.
The M ohayana Buddhist philosophers later on completely
erased the historical existence of the Sakya Sinha and gradually
unfolded the doctrine of Tri-kayathe Nirm aija, Sambhoga
an d Dharm a Kayas. The Avatariisaka Sutra extolling the trans
cendental virtues of the B uddha, states that the T athagata is all
pervading in the D harm adhatu (universe) and that Buddha
K ay a is visible everywhere in ten directions.2 Thus the
Buddhism in the Post-AShokan period under-went a profound
transform ation with the development of superhuman and theistic conception of B uddha, as well as, with the rapid unfolding
of the Bodhisattva and Bodhichitta ideas which m ade a popular
appeal through the doctrine of ten Paramitas. I have already
mentioned th at the philosophy propounded by the M ohayanists
like Nagarjuna, A ryadeva, Asanga, Vasubandhu and D innaga,
and the creed preached by them, appealed to the mind of the
ordinary people more than philosophy of the HInayanists of
older times. It is the Bhakti-yoga principles which influen
ced these philosophers in their views regarding the attainm ent
o f release from bondage and the ills of life. In this connection,
we may quote a significant passage from A New History of the
In d ian People :3
Atheism was replaced by the gospel of a divine helper of
1.

M ajjhim a N ikaya 1,36 ff.

2.

A vatam saka Sutra, T rien Bundle, Vol I, p.6a ff.

3.

E dited by R. C. M ajum dar and A. S. A ltekar VI, p. 384

Religious Movements in sixteenth-seventeenth Century

53

m en and the apprehensions created by the ctoctrine of anatma*

(non-existence o f soul) were practically all removed by the
doctrine of D harm akaya, through which an individual could
get eternal existence. Nirvaria was not the tranquillization of
human aspirations, but the fulfilment o f hum an life ; one can
live in the whirlpool of life and death and yet be above it, as
the Bodhisattvas do, as a matter of fact. The latter are always
ready and present to save the genuine devotees, and can also
transfer to them their good karm a to secure their salvation.
W hat mattered was not Juana so much as genuine bhakti ;
a single obeisance m ade to a stupa or B uddha image by a
pious devotee would secure his eventual salvation. N aturally,
a religion which offered this simple way to attain the spiritual
goal, became more popular than its rival, which maintained
that one must depend entirely on ones own exertions for gett
ing the N irvana .
We find support of this Bhakti cult in M ohayana Buddhism
from the observation o f Dr. K ern :
M ohayanism lays a great strees on devotion, in this respect
as in many others harmonising with the current of feeling in
India which led to the growing importance of Bhakti. It is by
the feeling of fervent devotion combined with the preaching of
active compassion that the creed has enlisted the sympathy of
numerous millions of people and has become a factor in the
history of m ankind, of mucli greater im portance than orthodox
Buddhism. 1
The M ohayana school indicates a conception of Brahm an
which is based on the lines of the Vedanta philosophy. Dr.
Kern has rightly observed : It would perhaps be more accu
rate to say that it is a pantheistic doctrine with a theistic
tinge ; Buddha takes the place of the personified masculine
Hrahman of the V edanta.2
1. D r. K erns M annual o f Buddhism , p. 124
2. Ib id , p . 124 n o te

54

Sahajiya Cult

It has been shown in the beginning of this treatise that the

primitive Buddhistic community came to be divided, in course
of time, into various sects. O f these the Yogachara school
belived in the existence-of the soul. It has further been noted
almost at the outset th at the sect of the M antrayana which
sprang into existence about the fourth Century A. D., believed
in the unification of the JIvatm an (individual soul) and the
Param atm an (the Universal soul). Thus M antrayanists tried to
assimilate the A tm avada, doctrine of soul, as expounded in
the Upaniad and the G ita. Thus we find that the M ohayana
Buddhism associated with esoteric tendency gradually came
closer to the Hinduism.
From the above brief survey of the rise o f Bhakti cult in
Buddhism it is revealed th a t the pledge of Buddhadev and the
M ohayanists was the redem ption of suffering hum anity as a
whole. With this end in view the Mohayanists had to make
their religion catholic enough to make it acceptable even to
the most ordinary people o f the society. This is why the
Mohayanists laid a great stress on devotion which led to the
growing im portance o f Bhakti in Buddhism. It was by that
feeling of fervent devotion, combined with the preaching of
active compassion that the M ohayana creed enlisted the sym
pathy of numerous millions of people and thus achieved a
great importance throughout India.
Gaudio Vaisoava religion is essentially based on the prin
ciples of Bhakti-yoga. Bhakti (fervent devotion) plays the
most prom inent part in the religious lives or G audlya
Vaiyavas. The idea of the unification of the individual soul
and the universal soul and the Bhakti cult infiltrated through
the M ohayana and the M antrayana into the Vajrayana and
the Sahajayana Buddhism along with the development o f
esoterism. Unflinching faith in Caitanyadev, refuge in Satguru,
love and compassion to all creatures and equanimity in joys
an d sorrows are the common features in G audio Vaigpavism.
O n finding the resemblance between the two religions, the

R eligious Movements in sixteenth-seventeenth Century

55

decaying Buddhist Sahajayanists and the lay Buddhist devotees

of Bengal readily took refuge in Gaudlo Vaigyavism in order
to save their existence from the cruel hand of complete destruc
tion. Having merged in Gaudlo Vaiggavism they retained the
Tantrik yoga practices secretly, thus forming the new religious
cults like the VaigQava Sahajiyas, Bauls, Kartabhajas etc. within
the fold of G audlo Vaigijavism.
Worship of Buddha :
Buddhism was developed in India, not as a sect, but as a
religious order, founded by one of the greatest of the W orldGurus. Its only function was to preach the Gospel and give
individual souls the message of Nirvana.
The Buddhist monks would live in an abbey. In culture
abbey would act as a university. In ideals it represented the
spiritual equality and fraternity of all men. Its inmates were
vowed to religious celibacy. M any foreign students like Fa
H ian, Hieun Tsang, came to these ancient monastic universities
to drink of the springs of In d ian learning. It was from
these abbeys, again, that the missions proceeded to foreign
countries.
A janta was the ancient abbey. A janta caves might probably
have been natural caverns occupied long before the time o f
Aaoka by a handful of Buddhist monks. These caves formed
the whole glory of Ajanta. W hen we enter cave nine for the
first time, we find ourselves as if in the company of a great host
of rap t and adoring worshippers. This silent throng of painted
worshippers suggests to the m inds eye the worship itself that
once filled the little cathedral chapel. It must have been the
cause th at led to the rapid organisation of a ritual. The ritual
then followed, was to make Pradak-Shina about the StQpashapcd alter, to carry lights, to wave the incense and to m ake
prostration.
A n j ne who studies the religious movement o f Buddhism, is

56

Sahajiya Cult

bound to notice tw o opposite influences which came into play

one after another. At first the movement was highly abstract.
T he system then introduced, was atheistic, nihilistic and philoso
phic in the highest and severest sense. Personal realisation of
Nirvana was the only goal for the individual soul. Even in the
reign of ASoka we see the erection of rails, pillars and stupas,
the glorification of holy places and the worship of the sacred
relics, but never see a trace of worship of the personality of
B uddha himself.
The religious symbolism o f Buddhistic
devotion seems to have been at this period the Bodhi tree, the
Stiipa and the footprint.
But the recognition of the Bodhisattvas which came in with
Kaniska, brought a great change in the religious movement o f
Buddhism. The doctrine of the Bodhisattvas might have been
born in M agadha and from there have been poured out upon
the Council of Kanika at Taxila. Thereafter the doctrine of the
Bodhisattvas flourished. From the doctrine of the Bodhisattvas
followed the doctrine of the divinity of Buddha. O f course the
M ahasanghakas of M agadha first made B uddha a super god,
an d then the idea of trikaya emanated. The doctrine of the
divinity of B uddha, in fact, gave rise to the emergence o f a
doctrine of the Incarnation. In later period Vai9 avism incor
porated Buddha in its own synthesis as the ninth incarnation of
Vishnu. However this new movement of Buddhism placed in
each Vihar o f A janta a Buddha shrine. Further more the
ancient abbeys, the abode of the Buddhist m onks and disci
ples, began to be transform ed into Universities. It was with
this emphasising of the function of the abbeys as the abode of
learning that the image of the great Guru became all im portant.
The image of B uddha in each abbey doubtless received a cer
tain ritualised attention m orning and evening, lamps were
lighted, incense was burnt before it, but its m ain purpose was to
keep the students in m ind of the great G uru, the divine teacher,
in whose invisible presence every act was to be performed. A t
first the StOpa was the shrine in which the holy relic was depo

Religious Movements )n sixteenth-seventeenth Century

57

sited. In later period the Stupa was identified with Lord

Buddha. The Stupas, in the middle ages, were erected in abun
dance all over India and they were worshipped with great pomp
and ceremony on festive occassions. With this new development
o f Buddhism, we find the growth in the belief of worshipping
the image of Buddha and also of visiting the places of pilgrim
age associated with life of Buddha. Thus Buddhism considederably stepped down to the stage of the common people from
its high pedestal of monastic idealism.
Taking Buddha as the founder, not of a sect, but of a m ona
stic order, it is easy to see that his disciples were those only on
whom his idea had shone. Yet he must have had many lovers
and admirers who could not become monastic. They were the
lay devotees of B uddha. Though they could not go out in the
life of the wanderer m onk, leaving the duties towards the mem
bers of their family, yet they could not fail to be influenced by
B uddha whom they loved so dearly in all their living and
thinking. So it naturally follows that the posterior heirs of
Buddha-Bhakti in Bengal might be on the one hand Vaiijavite
H indus or on the other ^aivite H indus. The Vainava move
m ent of Sri Chaitanya in the sixteenth century A. D. swept
over Bengal and Orissa. The movement seized high and low
alike. It penetrated into the hearts of the most ignorant and
untouchable. So it embraced and transformed all that was left
o f Buddhism. Because Sri Chaitanya had the Buddha-like
personality and compassion for all irrespective of caste, creed
and religion.
Fervent devotion and religious ecstasy of Sri C haitanya had
a magnetic influence which drew millions of adm iring followers
wherever he went. He was regarded by the G audlya Vaisnavas
as the double incarnation of both KriQa and R ad h a as B uddha
was considered by his devotees as a Super-god. The day o f the
full moon in Vaisakha is a sacred day o f the Buddhists.
Throughout the whole Buddhistic world, the day is observed
-with rituals like worshiping and prostrating before the image of

58

Sahajiya Cult

B uddha, offering flowers, burning incense, lighting lamps, clasp

ing hands and muttering prayers in connection with the birth,
the spiritual enlightenm ent and the M ahaparinirvaOa of Buddha.
The same practice is also found prevalent among the followers
o f Sri C haitanya M ahaprabhu on his birth day of Falguni Piir9im a. A very great enthusiasm amongst the Gaudiya V aisqavas
prevails on that occasion. O n finding the glaring similarities
between the two religions and the similar characteristics o f two
great Gurus, the decaying Buddhist devotees of Bengal did not
find any difficulty to accept and adapt the religion of G audiya
VaiSQavism.

It has already been mentioned that the most flourishing

period o f T antrika Buddhism was during the reign of the Pala
Kings of Bengal and lasted till the M aham m adan conquest of
Eastern India. The Vajrayana a n d Sahajayana Buddhism by
this time exerted a great influence on the eastern parts of India,
especially on Bengal and Orissa. Having given a survey of the
history of Buddhist Tantrik literature and the analysis of ideas,
doctrines and concepts in previous chapters, we shall hence
proceed to give a defination or rather a description of what is
ordinarily m eant by the word Tantra. M aham ahopadhyaya
H araprasad Sastri has given the definition and the origin of
T an tra as early as 1911, in his introduction to N. N. Vasus.
M odern Buddhism and its followers in Orissa. There he has
written, The world T antra is very loosely used. O rdinary
people understand by it any system other than the Vedas. But
it really means the worship o f $akti or female energy. The
female energy is worshipped in conjunction with male
energy. The union o f male and female is the essence
o f T antra .
This definition truely applies to the Buddhist Tantras. The
introduction o f the $akti worship for the first time found ex
pression in the Guhyasam ajatantra, where the theory of the
five D hyani Buddhas was for the first time systematised and each
was assigned a Sakti for the purposes of union.

R eligious M ovements in sixteenth-seventeenth Century

59

The Buddhist Sahajayanists o f Bengal were essentially

TSntriks. They resorted to esoterism in their religious life. The
supreme goal o f their esoteric practice is the attainm ent of
B uddhahood o f Infinite Light an d Life and the establishment in
the land of Sukhavati1 i.e., the land o f Bliss. To be established
in the Sukhavati land and to enjoy M ahasukha or suprime
bliss are ragarded the Pravritti M arga by the Tantric Buddhists.
The Vajrayanists described M ahasukha as a state when Bodhicitta merges in on the attainm ent of NirvaOa. To sym
bolize this they conceived the idea of yuganaddha deities
where the male and the female divinities are represented as em
bracing each other.
The pure and simple vada was supplemented by Vijngna-vada of M aitreyanath. But it struck to some minds that
there was little difference between the two. One says, I am
siinya, while the other says, I am conscious that I am
Sunya . The prospect of N irvana was not attractive in either.
So another idea was brought in ; and that was the idea of
M ahasukha.
With these three ideas Nirvana became very
attractive : I shall be Sunya, I shall be conscious that I am
Sunya and I shall enjoy supreme pleasure. There can be no
supreme knowledge without pleasure ; supreme knowledge is
said to be the same as pleasure. This is the positive aspect
o f Nirvapa as against its negative aspect. This positive aspect
o f Nirvaoa has been designated as pravritti M arga as against
the Nivritti M arga.
Before the eleventh century had come to its close, divisions
o f Pravritti M grga and Nivritti M arga were effected in the camp
o f the T antrik Buddhism. The Sahajayana Buddhists who were
the followers of Pravritti M arga aimed at the realisation of the
unity o f the A di-B uddha and A di-P rajua (Param P uruja and
P aram a Prakriti).
The Gau<Jiya VaiSpavas, the devotees of Sri C haitanya, also
1. See

T he E ssentials o f Buddhist P hilosophy o f Junjiro T akakusu.

60

Sahajiya Cult

follow the path of Iravritti. By cultivating the deep emotional

feelings of love towards Kri)a they aspire after entering into
the eternal land of Vriydaban where the love-sports of K rsna
and His H ladini Sakti Rad ha are being eternally enacted. By
witnessing and taking active part in helping the enactm ent of
love-sports between the two counter parts of One Supreme
Being, those fortunate devotees enjoy the supreme delight. W hen
Buddhism had practically vanished from Bengal, the esoteric
Sahajayana Buddhists merged with the religion of Gaudiya
Vaigavism finding the full scope of retaining their system of
Pravritti M arga.
While merged with the religion of Gaudiya Vaisijavism, the
Buddhist Sahajayanists of Bengal m aintained their identity within
the religion of G audiya Vaisoavism and identified themselves as
the Vaigpava Sahajiyas retaining their yogic practices under the
garb of the philosophy of R adha and Krtia. The newly form
ed Vainava Sahajiyas conceived and R adha in the
transformed forms o f Rasa and Rati within the hum an body.
Retainm ent of the same yogic practices and discipline of Tantric
Buddhism is highly responsible for the growth of the Vaisyava
Sahajiya movement of Bengal. A nd it developed widely during
the post-Chaitanya period. A close study of the literature of the
Vaispava Sahajiyas will leave no room for doubting the clear
fact that it retains the spirit and practices of the earlier Buddhist
Sahajayanas, of course in a distinctly transformed form. The
yogic processes, frequently referred to in the lyrical songs o f the
VaiSQava Sahajiyas as well as in the innum erable short and long
texts embodying the doctrines of this cult, are fundamentally
the same as are found in the Buddhist Tantras and in the songs
and Dohas of the Buddhist Siddhacaryas. Again, the same
spirit of G uruvada that characterises the Carya-padas, Dohas of
the Buddhist Sahajayanas, characterises also the songs and other
texts of the VaiSOava Sahajiyas.
It is very curious to note in this connection that some sali

R eligious Movements in sixteenth-seventeenth Century

61

ent features o f Saiva and Sakta T antras are found in the litera
ture of Vaistyava Sahajiyas. Some of the Bengali texts o f the
Vaisnava Sahajiyas, composed sometime between the seventeenth
and the nineteenth centuries, are introduced in the form o f a
dialogue between Siva and Sakti, who are depicted as discuss
ing the secrets of the Vaiyava Sahajiya S adhana1 and in the
A nanda-Bhairava2 it is hinted that H ara or diva himself prac
tised this Sahaja Sadhana in the com pany of the different
daktis in the country of the Kuchanis, women belonging to a
aboriginal tribe :
Ek ek gune K aila ek ek prakrtiti,
Hara-ke bhajaye sabhe bhav upapati.
dakti jane rasa-tattva ar jane dankare,
Sahaj vastu asvadila K uchani nagare .
(A nanda-B hairava, p. 93)
As the Buddhist Siddhacaryas employed an extremely enig
matic style in their songs in describing the secrets o f their
sadhana, so also it was the custom with the Vaisnava Sahajiyas
to veil the secrets o f their Sadhana under a similar enigmatic
style. M any of the songs ascribed to C handldas who is regar
ded as a Sahajiya Sadhak by the Vaii)ava Sahajiyas, are good
specimens of such an enigmatic style. Thus it is clear that in
spirit as well as in literary representation, the relation between
the Buddhist Sahajayans and the Vaispava Sahajiyas clearly
shows an easy gliding from the one to the other.
Caitanyadev and the Bengal Vaisnava Community.
Caitanyadev had a forceful religious personality. His name
before initiation into Sannyas was ViSvambhar. He was born
a t Navadvip on the day of PhalgunI Paurgam asl in February
1.
2.

See C haitanyottar P ratham C hariti

the author.
Ibid, p. 80

Sahajiya Punthi edited by

62

Sahajiya Cult

1486 A.D. His nickname was Nimai. His personal charm

and beauty earned the epithet o f G aur or G auranga. A t the
age o f about twenty two Vigvambhar undertook a pilgrimage
to Gaya for the purpose o f performing his fathers draddha at
the holy place. There Isvar Puri, the disciple of M adhavendra
Puri, gave him the Kri)a-M antra of ten syllables (da=akara)
and what exactly happened is not known, but it is true that
suddenly came a religious awakening in him. Before meeting
with Isv ar Purl at Gaya, Caitanya whose early name was
Visvambhar, was a proud and light-hearted young scholar
whose only hobby was to pick flaws in gram m ar with other
Sanskrit scholars only to humiliate them. But meeting with
Isv a r Puri at G aya is said to have formed a turniqg point in
C aitanyas life. He came back to Navadvlp as a complete
different person. W rapped in mystic and emotional experi
ence he incessantly shouted the name of Krgya and went into
mystic trances which from this time became a striking feature
o f his religious experience. Very soon he was joined by N itya
n an d a who is said to have been for many years an Avadhiita
ascetic. Coming in close contact with Caitanyadev at Nava
dvlp, N ityananda became oblivion his former A vadhiita career,
became exited with the religious ecstasy of Caitanyadev and
played an im portant part in the history of the Bengal Vais^ava
movement. He was born at a village named Ekacakra in the
district of Birbhum, which was a stronghold o f Saktaism. The
influence of Saktaism left a perm anent stamp on his early life
at Ekacakra. At the early age of eighteen (according to Jayananda), N ityananda left home and as a wandering Avadhiita
travelled extensively over N orthern and Southern India. H e
was older than C aitanya by eight years. ViSvambhar then
became the centre of the devout VaigQava group of Navadvlp
an d came to be regarded as the very incarnation of their spirit
o f devotion : Bangalir hiya amiya m othia Nemai dhorechhe
K aya. His extra-ordinary emotional feelings had the power
o f evokings similar em otion in others. The very nature o f his

Religious M ovements in sixteenth-seventeenth Century

63

deep religious ecstasy and the irresistible charm of his gifted

personality made him the natural leader of the group.
We also find that the most com m anding figure o f the
VaisQavas of the Navadvip group was Advaita Acarya who was
a disciple of M adhavendra Purl. His family name was Kamalakga Bhattacarya. He was an elderly scholar of Santipur, who
lived for the most part at Navadvip. His scholarly attain
ments, pious life and sincere devotion made him a natural
leader of this group before Caitanyadev took the reign. There
can be no doubt that Advitacarya recognised the power of
Caitanyadev and fell under the spell of his rapturous devotion.
The Prema-vilas (ch.l) o f N ityanandadasa Bengali Vaiqava
w orkinforms us th at after Caitanyadev had left Navadvip,
Advaitacarya took up the older doctrine of M ukti (Jnana) and
deviated from the emotional creed o f G audiya Vaipavas
Bhakti, which apparently indicates his leanings towards nondualistic Vedanta. This also is supported by the statement of
his conversation with N ityananda in Caitanya C aritam rita
(M adhya X II, 193f.) o f K rishnadas K aviraj. The Caitanya
Caritam rita refers unmistakably to A dvaita Acaryas leanings
towards Jnana-m arga (Adi X II, 40 ; X V II, 67).
A fter playing a vital role in his short life at Navadvip,
Caitanyadev induced KeSava Bharati to initiate him as a
sannyasi under the name of Srikrna C aitanya, usually abbre
viated to Sri Caitanya. The initiation took place at Katwa on
January, 1510 A.D. when Caitanyadev was barely twenty four
years old. After initiation he left for Puri. Although a close
connection was kept up between Caitanyadev and his Bengal
followers by their annual visits to Puri, yet his renunciation
and departure to Puri came as a terrible blow to the Vaipava
devotees of Navadvip. His personality was not only the stron
gest asset of the Bengal Vaig^ava Com munity, but also the only
powerful influence which kept the organisation into a unified
compact body. After his departure, the organisation of the
Bengal Vaisgava com m unity was left a t the hands o f Advaita-

64

Sahajiyd Cult

carya and N ityananda. But the dissension between the two

leaders grew up quickly. As a result the Bengal Vaigyava
community was split up into two m ain rival groups : one under
the leadership of Advaitacarya and the other under Nityananda.
Naturally Advaitacarya and N ityananda had their seperate
group of followers. We hear also o f a G adadhara Sam pradaya
(group in addition to the sampradayas (groups) of Advaita
carya and N ityananda from V rqdavandasas Caitanyabhagavat
(M adhya III, X, X III, A ntya IV).
O f the biographies of Caitanyadev In Bengali, the earliest
and by far the most im portant with respect to the early part
o f Caitanyas life, is the C aitanya-bhagavata composed by
V rodavandas at the com m and of N ityananda. It was written
within a few years after Caitanyas death and at a time when
N ityananda was still alive. V rodavandas was so faithful and
enthusiastic disciple o f N ityananda that a great deal o f his
attention was occupied in giving the detailed accounts o f
N ityanandas life while writing C aitanyas biography. Very
frequently in his work, Vrodavandas refers in a somewhat
im patient and immoderate abusive languages to those who
speak ill of N ityananda. His vigorous invective itself indicates
the existence of some am ount of ill-feeling in the Bengal
VaiSQavas against N ityananda. It appears from it that at the
time of his writing, which was probably ten to fifteen years after
Caitanyas death, the Bengal Vaigpavas were already split into
several sects paying homage to Advaitacarya, N ityananda and
G adadhara.
W hen Caitanyadev left Bengal
immediately after his
sannyas, we feel sure th at he commended his followers at
N avadvlp to the care o f the venerable Advaitacarya as well
as to N ityananda. Advaitacarya was then too old to devote
necessary energy for guiding the Vaigyava movement. It is
also said in the Prema-vilasa of N ityanandadas that for a time
Advaitacarya gave up the way of Bhakti (devotion) and rever
ted to the doctrine o f Jngna. As a result of that the leadership

Religious Movements in sixteenth-seventeenth Century

65

of Navadvlp and consequently o f the whole of Bengal Vaig9 ava community naturally fell upon N ityananda. But his
somewhat unconventional life, about which complaints were
m ade to Caitanyadev at Puri, made him unpopular against
which his disciple Vrpdgvandas took much pains to defend
him. N ityananda married Vasudha and Jahnavl, daughters
o f Siiryadgs Sgrkhel. Jaygnanda in his book Caitanya
m angal which was written at the instance of G adgdhar who
was a favourite Navadvlp com panion o f Caitanyadev, speaks
o f another daughter of Suryadas, named C andram ukhi,
as a beloved of N ityananda. This sort of renouncing his
ascetic life and vows was not liked by the ascetic Gosvgmls
o f Vrqdgvan and a group o f conservative Vaisoavas 0f
Navadvlp. Moreover, he took also the revolutionary step o f
adm itting
under
the banner of G audiya Vaisgavism all
classes o f m en without any discrim ination. As for ins
tance he converted the noted Tantrik o f C hhatrabhog nam ed
Taracharan Chakravartty who was the worshipper o f the
dakta-goddess T ripurasundarl. The initiation took place
at Saptagrgm in the district o f Hooghly. A t that time
Saptagram was famous for
its prosperity, being
the
centre-place o f m erchandise of Bengal.
After initiation
N ityananda named him Sri Caitanyadgs.1 M ost o f the
Vaii}avas of Navadvlp circle, under the leadership o f Advaitacarya, appear to have adopted the conservative a ttitu d e ;
and they either did not approve o f the step taken by N itya
n an d a or stood
aloof from it. Thus a vital division took
place early in the sect of Bengal Vaigavas, which
had
enduring consequences. It is also rem arkable that V rQdvan
Gosvamls seldom m ention Advaitacgrya and N ityananda.
Only in the introductory verses to the Vai$nava-toaijI (1578
A. D.) obeisance is m ade to Advaitacarya and N ityananda.
A large num ber o f the Navadvip followers o f Caitanyadev
I.

Sri Sri V rajadham G osvam lgan, III Vol., p. 91

66

Sahajiya Cult

came from ^rikhaqda. Srlkhaqda is adjacent to N avadvip.

Prior to the advent of Caitanyadev, 3rikhai)da was very
famous for a centre o f T antrik culture. There lived an
influential gentlem an nam ed N arayandas who was Vaidya
by caste. His youngest son nam ed N arahari Sarkar was
a n associate of Caitanyadev and was recognised as one of
his best disciples. U nder the capable organisation of N arahari
Sarkar, Srikhayda grew up a strong centre of Vaigijavism.
But the l&Lkta influence infiltrated into the VaiSQavism o f
^rikhajjda. This is why the Vaispavas of Srlkhapda deve
loped their own theology which was somewhat different
from that o f G au4iya Vaisoavism.
One o f the biographies o f Caitanyadev in Bengali is
Caitanya-m angal composed by Locandas at the instance
o f his G uru, N arahari Sarkar of ^. Locandas in
his work, has glorified his G uru, N arahari Sarkar into one
o f the five Tattvas of Caitanyaism. In G aura-ganoddesa
Kavikaryapiir developes the doctrine o f Panca-tattva which
regards Caitanya, N ityananda, A dvaita, G adadhar
and
Srivas as the five tattvas of the Bengal Vaiggava faith.
Kavikarpapiir attributes the origin o f the doctrine o f Pancatattva to Svariip D am odar. Locandas in his work, substi
tutes his own G uru, N arahari Sarkar for Grivas.
A metrical work in eight Patalas, called Bhakticandrika
(ed. R akhalananda 6astri of ^rikhaqda, Satyaratna Press
1920), ascribed to L okananda A carya, deals generally with
Caitanya-worship, but contains a great deal of ritualistic
matter. The profusion of Tantric rites and formulas is a
noteworthy feature of this book. The author tells us (iv.
21.24) that in the sixcorners of the Tantric lotus-circle
(M agdala), the various followers and associates o f Caitanyadev
are to be worshippedG adadhara Pandit in front, SvarSpa
D am odar and N arahari Sarkar on the right and left respec
tively and so forth. It is to be noticed that the author has
given N arahari Sarkar the foremost place of honour in the

Religious Movements in sixteenth-seventeenth Century

67

inner region o f the M a^dala whereas the notable associates

of Caitanyadev are allowed place on the outer circle.
In this connection it is necessary to refer to a group of
composers o f Bengali Padas bearing on some aspects o f the
Navadvip life o f Sri-Caitanya.
Sri-Caitanyas emotional
life o f devotion at Navadvip inspired all his followers o f
the N avadvip circle. These faithful devotees looked upon him
with loving eyes, which m atured in a spirit of worshiping
him as the highest object o f adoration. This, afterwards,
gave rise to the theological ideas which inculcated the worship
o f the Supreme G od, Krishna as imaged by Sri-Caitanyas
life of devotion.
O f the contem porary Padas on Sri-Caitanya, those ascri
bed to N arahari Sarkar o f ^rikhapda and Vasudeva Ghose
o f K ulai (both the places belong to the district of Burdwan) are
the most interesting. Some o f their Padas are undoubtedly
spurious. But there is no doubt about the fact that N arahari
Sarkar composed many Bengali songs in which he symbolised
his religious longings in the form o f womanly love towards
& i-C aitanya such as the Gopis in the Bhagavata felt towards
KfSoa. His disciple, Locanadas an d his other followers o f the
Navadvip circle accepted this view. These devotees conceived
themselves as Nagarls in love with Sri-Caitanya as a N agar.
A bout two hundred Padas to this effect are found in the
G aura-pada-taranginl compiled by Jagadbandhu Bhadra,
published by Vangiya Sahitya Parigad, Calcutta, 1902. This
N agarbhava o f N arahari Sarkar was not accepted, rather was
condem ned by other sects of Bengal Vaii)avas and by the
Vrijdavan Gosvamis.
The other Pada-writer, Vasudeva Ghose believed in the
R adha-bhava o f the Caitanya incarnationa doctrine which
is found in the R am gnanda Roy episode described by Kr^Oadas
Kaviraja in his work Caitanya-caritam rta.
It is also to be m entioned here th at K tn a n d a Agamavagls, the famous author of Tantra-sara and the great

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Sahajiya Cult

exponent o f Tantrik doctrines in Bengal, is said to have

been a contem porary o f dri-Caitanya : and there can b e
hardly any doubt as to the wide-spread influence of T antra
at th at time in Bengal.
Navadvip which witnessed the
birth, youth and early m anhood of dri-Caitanya, was at that
time the stronghold of Tantricism. The G audiya Vaigijavism
o f th at time could scarcely escape its influence. Recognition
o f $akti-tattva, classification of Sakti-tattvas of Lord Krya into
three groups, such as, Svariip-Sakti, Jiva-sakti and M aya-sakti,
and the idea o f Radha. as the Hladini-Sakti of Krgqa, and the
acceptance of K am agayatriall these indicate the Tantrik
influence on Gaudiya VaiSQavism. R upa Gosvami, the most
renowned Gosvami o f V rndavan and one of the best favourite
disciples of dri-Caitanya, has declared in his book Ujjvalanilam ani th at R adha is established in Gaudiya Vainavism as the
H lad in i M ohagakti of the Supreme Lord . The idea of
R ad h a as the H ladini dakti of Kri)a has been fully utilised by
the VaiSpava Sahajiyas in their own way of thinking and giving
it a practical shape to their mode of practising the religious
life with a view to arriving at the highest goal of spiritual life.
Virbhadra, the son of N ityananda, was a clever organizer.
He did not fail to notice the im portance o f incorporating the
Vajrayan and Sahajayan Buddhists of Bengal into the
Vaisgava community introduced by his father to make it strong
and popular from all points of view and attract more adherents
thereby. So he converted a large num ber of Tantric Buddhists
and brought them into his fold. It is said that the num ber of
conversion of such Buddhists was two thousand and five
hundred including both men and women. The conversion took
place at K hardah in the district o f Twenty-four Parganas o f
Bengal.
From the above investigation we may safely arrive to this
conclusion th at after the death of Caitanyadev the Bengal
Vaii}avas of N ityananda Sam pradaya (group), the decaying
T antrik Vajrayan and Sahajayan Buddhists o f Bengal an d

Contributions o f masters o f this school

69

the Tantrik m inded VaiSnavas of f3rlkhai}da were am algamated

into one group holding N ityananda to be their foremost G uru
and guiding inspiration. These three different groups shared a
common and similar view towards T antra. Therefore, the
theology of these three religious sects were easily assimilated ;
and thus emerged out of them a new religious movement named
Vaigqava Sahajiya under the banner o f G audiya Vaisnavism.

D EV ELO PM EN T O F SA H A JIY A C U L T

C O N TR IB U TIO N S O F

M A STERS O F T H IS SCHO OL

The most autheritative treatises of this school available to

day belong to Post Caitanya p erio d . This period ranging
from the sixteenth century A.D. to nineteenth century A.D.,
was the most creative period in the history of the Sahajiyas.
Most of the standard works and the treatises based on Sahajiya
culture and commentaries on them by subsequent writers, fall
in this period. This period was filled with numereus works of
the Sahajiyas, but most of which have disappeared, though some
have survived in a complete or m utilated form ; and some are
known through references and quotations.
The master contributors of this school are SwarQpa
D am odar, R ai R am ananda, R aghunath Das, Kri)adas
Kaviraja, M ukunda Deva Goswami, Prem a D as, Rasika Das
Goswami and A kinchana Das. The Sahajiyas trace the origin
of their doctrine to C aitanyadev whose teachings and mystic
love of last eighteen years o f his life at Puri, has come down to
them filtered through the writings of Svarupa, R am ananda,
R aghunath, K rspadas and others.
Svarupa Damodar : Svarupa D am odar was one o f the few
faithful followers o f Caitanyadev during his last eighteen years
stay at Puri. He possessed great influence upon Caitanyadev
an d knew his mind. Caitanyadev himself paid a tribute to his
scholarship and devotion when he laughingly confessed to

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Sahajiya Cult

young Raghunath that Svarupa knew m ore about the secrets

o f his mysterious religious life than he himself d id .1
KfSoadgs Kaviraja in his book Caitanya C aritam rta, has
referred to Svarupa D am odars K adaca which was composed
in Sanskrit, as his chief source for describing the last years of
C aitanyas life. K adaca of Svarupa D am odar has not yet
been found out. The well-known verse ^ri-radhayati prayayam ohima K idrisa Ba etc. quoted in Caitanya Caritam rta, is
attributed to Svarupa D am odar who composed it in his Kadaca.
It is said th at in this K adaca he elaborately established the
divinity of Caitanyadev. H e first revealed by the above m en
tioned verse th at Caitanya is both Krpa and R adha in one
personality.
Krna Himself assuming the Radha-bhava
(emotion) and K anti (complexion) has appeared as Caitanya
at Navadvlpa in order to relish the charm o f his own with the
em otional sentiments of R adha. So the Sahajiyas hold
Svarflpa D am odar as the first interpreter of the mystic love of
C aitanya.
We know that Caitanyadev sent his two famous disciples
R upa Gosvami and Sanatana Gosvami to Vriydgvana with
instructions to write religious books dealing with the mystic
love peculiar to Vraja. In accordance with his instructions the
Vrigdavana Gosvamls engaged themselves in enterpreting the
G odhead o f Krpa and His Vriqdavana-Llla as revealed in
Bhagavat Purarta and other scriptures. But they remained
almost entirely silent about Caitanya- and its place in the
devotional system o f Gaudiya Vaigpavism. The Sahajiyas o f
Bengal have accepted in their devotional system, the mystic
culture of love as was evident in the last life of Caitanyadev
and interpreted by Svarup D am odar. We shall later discuss
this point elaborately.
RUmUnanda R oy : -Caitanyas meeting with a scholarly
an d devout Vaigijava, named R am ananda Roy was also an
1. See C aitanya C aritam rta, M adhya X III, p. 122, 134-5.

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71

another im portant incident in his life o f Orissa. R am ananda Roy

is said to have held some high official position under the King,
Prataprudra of Orissa. The meeting between -Caitanya and
R am ananda Roy, took place at the bathing ghat on the river
bank of Godavari. R am anada recognised the intensity and
power of Sri-Caitanyas devotion and eagerly joined the circle of
his intimate and faithful followers. A warm atrachm ent sprang
up between them. Kri}adas Kaviiaj himself has stated in his
book Caitanya Caritam rita that he has based his account
of Ramananda-Sri-Caitanya-episode o n Svarupa D am odars
K adaca. KavikarQapura in his book C aitanya-Candrodaya, has
characterised R am ananda Roy as a Sahajiya VaiSQava. It is
said by Krisriadas Kaviraj that both SvarOpa D am odar and
R am ananda Roy would instigate and fan the Radha-bhava in
Caitanya. Both o f them accompanied by R aghunath Das,
are said to be the sole and lone witnesses, for the last eighteen
years, of the mysterious secret religious em otional rapture o f
Caitanyadev at Puri. F or the last eighteen years of his exclusive
madness of divine love (Dibyonmad) he was watched and
tended with loving solicitude by Svarupa D am odar and his
disciple R aghunath Das.
Raghunath Das ". R aghunath Das lived with Caitanyadev
for sixteen years at Puri. K rsqadas Kaviraj made a considera
ble use of the personal reminiscences of this venerable GosvamI
in his account of the last phase o f Caitanyas career. Raghu
nath Das renounced the world for the sake of spiritual life. H e
was born in a very rich Zam inder family o f Saptagram in the
district o f Hooghly. His fathers income was twelve lakhs o f
rupees per year. But Raghunath Das who was the only heir
to this immense fortune, evinced deep religious tendencies from
his boyhood. A t his very young age he escaped the vigilance
o f his father and left home. After a n arduous journey he
reached Caitanyadev at Puri where he was handed over for
spiritual training to Svarupa D am odar. After the death o f
Caitanyadev and Svarupa D am odar he left Puri for VriQdavan

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Sahajiya Cult

where he joined R upa and Sanatana, lived near R adha-kuqda

and led a life o f hard asceticism till his death.
H e wrote some verses in Sanskrit in the nature of fervent
lyrical hymns, stavas or stotras which have been collected
together and pu blished. under the title Stavavalj. In his
verses he has dealt with the mystic erotic aspects of R adhaK rqa worship. The erotic mysticism o f his verses consists o f
a deeply em otional spiritualisation of sensuous passions.
Raghunath Gosvamis another composition was his M uktaC aritra, a Sanskrit kavya of the Champii type, written in prose
an d occasional verse. In the last verse o f the M ukta-caritra
he speaks o f Kr^qadas Kaviraj in whose company at R adhakuqda he passed his last days in Vriqdavan. K risyadas Kaviraj
tells us (Caitanya Caritam rita, A ntya XIV. 7) that like SvarQp
D am odar, R aghunath Das Gosvami
also wrote
some
biographical account of dri-Caitanya in the K adaca from
which is also found missing like the K adaca o f SvarQp
D am odar.
KxsnadQs KavirZj : The author of the post-Caitanya period,
who is frequently referred to in the Sahajiya books, is Krqadas
Kaviraj. His C aitanya-Caritam rita is the most popular work
with the Sahajiyas o f Bengal. W hat is the cause o f the
Sahajiyas referring to K r Q a d a s Kaviraj and his work Caitanya
C aritam rita ? The reason is obvious. Krqadas Kavirajs
standard Bengali biography o f Caitanyadev gives a good
account of the ideology of the Vaisqava Sahajiyas religion. In
the Caitanya-Caritam rita, Krqa is represented to have made
the following observations :
W hen I look at my own image through a m irror I become
captivated by my own beauty. I long to enjoy it, but fail in
my purpose. W hen I think o f the means of tasting it, I find
th at I can do so by transform ing myself into R adha (c.c. A di
I, ch. 4). This, in fact, is the true spirit of the M arm a
Parakiya culture which has been adopted by the Sahajiyas as a
dogm a in their religion. Krgadas Kaviraj also m aintains that

Contributions o f masters o f this school

73

the real cause of incarnation of -Caitanya was to popularise

the devotional worship of Kri}a. In the last-stage of eighteen
years of his life, Caitanyadev had offered an illustration of the
Raganuga mode o f divine love, so that the people could learn
the emotional doctrine by im itating his own example (Caitanya
C aritam rita A d i I, Ch. 4). The Sahajiyas have based their
creed on the ideal of divine love as illustrated by Caitanyadev
in his last life. In fact, they have based the doctrine of Bhakti
exclusively on the emotional service o f love and devotion as a
means of spritual realisation of the nectar of G od as
Caitanyadev relished during the last eighteen years of his exclu
sive madness of divine love. K rsgadas Kaviraj in his CaitanyaC aritam rita (M adhya, ch. II) has clearly stated that this kind of
em otional love is Sahaja love. Here Sahaja love means the
natural affection of the Bhakta Sadhak used in the worship o f
God. This devotional love is inherent in m ans nature, but is
lying dorm ant on account of his ignorance and absorption in
earthly pleasures.
The G audiya Vaispavas have classified the divine love into
four categories : (1) Dasya (that of a servant), (2) Sakhya (that
o f a friend), (3) Vatsalya (that of parents) and (4) M adhurya
(th at of a husband and wife). O f these four kinds o f emotional
love, M adhurya is said to be the best of all. M adhurya or
M adhura-rati is again subdivided into Svaklya and Parakiya, o f
which the latter is the better of the two. This will be elaborately
dealt with in the C hapter o f Parakiya Doctrine. The masters of
'Gaudiya Vaii>avism profess : Serve God as a servant and love
Him as you love your friend, own child or husband. Then and
then only you can attain to the nearness of G od under the
influence of real love which subsists am ong persons o f equal
status only. It is m aintained by them that a devotee may
adopt any of the four kinds of devotional love in his attem pt to
realise G od. Thus the followers o f em otional service and love to
G od in the Gaudiya Vait}ava community are classified on the
basis o f the nature o f their love falling into these four classes.

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Sahajiya Cult

So the G audiya VaiSQavas have recognised all the four kinds

o f emotions, though they lay special stress on M adhura-rati. But
the Sahajiyas have adopted the M adhura-rati only discarding
the other three emotions, asserting th at the mystic doctrine o f
love rests on the foundation o f the M adhura-rati (emotion).
They hold fast to M adhurya, the divine sentim ent of love alone.
We thus find that in the sphere of em otional culture, the
Sahajiyas cannot think of any other em otion except that of
M adhura. The ideal of conjugal love being the only ideal has
been adopted by them in mystic culture accom panied with the
sentiment o f Parakiya. From this stand-point the Sahajiyas
differ from the O rthodox G audiya Vaigpavas. This is the signi
ficant sign of the Post-Caitanya Sahajiya doctrine of Bengal.
Caitanya-Tattva : K rqadas Kaviraj holds that the doctrine
that Caitanya is the incarnation of Krqa as well as of R adha,
was first preached by Svarupa D am odar in his K adaca and
then by R aghunath Das in his Stavavali. H e himself received
instructions and inspirations in writing Caitanya-Caritam rita
from R aghunath Das. The Prema-vilasa tells us th at
R aghunath Das was his DikSa guru who initiated him into
ascetic life.
In the Stavavali o f R aghunath Das who was the most
fortunate o f all the six Gosvamins of Vriqdavan in obtaining
longer and closer personal intimacy with Caitanyadev at Puri,
we have the first two stotras directly concerned with Caitanya
dev. The most remarkable statement occurs in the first verse
which refers chiefly to Caitanyas double incarnation by saying
th at K rsna desiring to taste His won sweetness as it was
tasted by R adha, was born in G auda in the one indivisible
body of fair complexion belonging to R adha.
The doctrine of double incarnation of Caitanya, we find, in
its full-fledged form in the Bengali theological biography o f
Caitanyadev written by Krgyadas Kaviraj, the direct disciple o f
R aghunath. In his work Krgadas took upon himself the task
o f analysing the Caitanya-tattva (concept). Kfgqa in order to

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75

relish the supreme taste of His own M adhurya as it was relished

by His most beloved R adha, assumed the feelings as well as the
beauty o f R adha, so that the two became one in Caitanya.
The records o f the last phase of his life show that Caitanyadev
being overwhelmed with M adana M ahabhava of R adha, longed
for his beloved Krgpa and pined for the seperation from
Him. In this em otional intense feeling of R adha-bhava,
Caitanyadev received support from R am ananda Roy. The
idea o f the R adha-incarnation of C aitanya is attributed by
KfStyadas Kaviraj to R am ananda Roy. Krgnadas in his
account emphasises that after Caitanyadev met R am ananda
Roy, the R adha-bhava in Caitanyadev became intensified, as if
R am ananda Roy revealed him to himself. R am ananda held
Caitanya an embodiment of R adha and characterised his R adhabhava as the highest emotion of the devotional state, namely,,
the M adana M ahabhava o f R adha. It is definite that the
association with R am ananda formed a turning point in
Caitanyas career o f Rclgtlnugd Prema-bhakti.
Kri}adas
Kaviraj has further told us that it is to R am ananda alone and
to no other, Caitanyadev revealed himself in the united
form of both Kr9a and R adha. R am ananda is called a
Sahajiya Vaigpava by KavikarqapQr as well as by the Sahajiyas.
Krgqadas Kaviraj also informs us that from the time o f
revealation o f R adha-bhava in him Caitanyadev began to appre
ciate deeply Joyadevs erotic mysticism and mystic verses of
Candidas, which he is said to have enjoyed in R gm anandascompany at Puri. This is why Joyadev and Candidas are
claimed by the Vaigqava Sahajiyas as their Adi-gurus in the
Pre-Caitanya period an d recognised them as Rasik-Sadhakas.
The Sahajiyas also depict Caitanyadev as a B hakta of passion
ate devotion.
From the above analysis we may derive th at in the
Caitanya-llla the
Supreme Being combines the roles of
KrSya and R adha, as the subject (Aaraya) and the object
(ViSaya) o f Divine Blissful Love, who have separate existence

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Sahajiya Cult

in eternal Vriijdavan in spite of essential identity in the

Supreme Being. In the incarnation o f Caitanyadev, the
Supreme Being again unites in Himself, for the purposes of
relishing his own divine bliss an d propagating the excellence
o f Prema-bhakti, the two forms of the Sakti and the Saktimat
in a kind o f identity in non-identity. His blissful divine
attribute (H ladini Sakti) found its full play in Caitanyadev.
This conception of the dual incarnation of Caitanyadev has
played the most vital part in the mystic esoteric Sadhana of
the Vaisgava Sahajiyas. Those Sahajiya Vaisoavas regard
Caitanyas devotional sentiments and rapture as a n example
o f the Ragatm ika Bhakti.
Mukuntfadev Gosvami : Vivarta-Vilasa is an im portant
Sahajiya work which is attributed to AkiBchan Das. The
author of this book has compared KfSnadas Kaviraj with
Vyasdev and C aitanya-Caritam rita with Bhagavat.
From
Vivarta-Vilasa we come to know that Krnadas Kaviraj had
m any disciples ; of them five were his chief disciples who
founded the five schools o f Vaisqava Sahajiya Doctrine. The
names of these five chief disciples are Gopal Ksatriya, Visqudas,
Radhakripa Chakravarty, Govinda Adhikary and M ukundadev. The school founded by MukuQdadev got prominence
an d wide popularity. M ukugdadev was the youngest and the
most favourite disciple of K r^ a d a s Kaviraj. It is said that
M ukutjdadev came o f a very rich Zam indar family. But from
very boyhood he was indifferent to all sorts o f earthly
pleasure and happiness. He became so keen to embrace the
life o f a sannyasi (monk) that one day he discarded the familylife an d took refuge to Kr^ijadas Kaviraj who was moved to
pity him and take him into the fold of his intimate disciples.
Having received grace from Krqadas Kaviraj, Mukufldadev wrote six books reflecting the mystic devotional ideas and
describing the secret esoteric practices in relation to the my
stic culture o f the Sahajiyas. The names o f these books are
-(1) Am rita-ratnavali, (2) Rag-ratnavali. (3) Amrita-rasavali.

Contributions o f masters o f this school

77

(4) Prem -ratnavali, (5) B hringa-ratnavall and (6) Lavangacharitravali. These six books together are known by the name
'M ukupda-m uktavali. All these books were written in
Sanskrit. Prem das, one o f the disciples of Mukundadev,
translated the fifth-book,
Bhringa-ratnavali into Bengali
verse and th at was also done by him at the bidding of
Kryadas Kaviraj.
The third book, Amritarasgvali of M ukuqdadev is found
in the form of Bengali verse. This book deals with the higher
aspect of the Sahajiya doctrine. It is written on the princi
ple of awakening spiritual consciousness by the culture o f
ones own self. It also m aintains that the success of
the devotional love depends upon a m ans adopting the
nature of a woman. All these have been treated in this book
in the form of interesting allegories. The significance o f the
allegories is th at the individual Soul is a spark of the Supreme
Soul. It is by nature free, but enters into bondage owing to
its connection with M aya. Being of divine origin it naturally
longs for nectar. But without culture o f ones own self,
one cannot get rid of M aya and is thereby deprived of
tasting nectar. The work, therefore, deals with principles
of regular culture. In the sphere o f mystic culture the senses
should be trained and kept under perfect control. Perfect
control of senses is a necessary condition for spiritual
advancement. This done, the sight of divine beauty (RQpaj
enchants the soul. Then by adopting the nature of a woman
if devotional sentiment towords G od is cultivated, the object
is attained and the final entry into the abode o f spiritual bliss
is accomplished. This is the nature o f Sahajiya culture as
taught by the Amrita-rasavall.
M oham ahopadhaya dri G opinath Kaviraj in his book
Srikrigqa Prasanga, has mentioned the name, M ukuaqdaram
Das, another disciple "of Mukuijdadev Gosvami, as the
translator o f Am rita-rasavali in Bengali. It has also been
mentioned in Srikrgpa Prasanga that Mukujgdaram Das

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Sahajiya Cult

also wrote anotHer Sahajiya book nam ed A dya Sarasvati

K arika in Bengali and thus helped in spreading the Suhajiya
doctrine among the mass.
M ukundaram Das has m entioned the following reason for
the composition o f A m ritarasavali in Bengali. The mystic love
o f Sri-Caitanya was first interpreted by Svarupa D am odar in
his K adaca. Svarupa D am odar im parted his teachings to
R aghunath Das Gosvaml. R aghunath, in turn, imparted his
knowledge to his disciple K jsoadas Kaviraj. K rgpadas Kaviraj
who was brought up in the atmosphere o f Vriijdavan under the
direct influence of the Gosvamins, could no t do the full justice
to the Sahaja-Doctrine in his master-piece production, Caitanya
Caritam rita. So he felt an urge within in writing a book
dealing with the practical side o f mystic culture, as the
C aitanya Caritam rita could not satisfy th at need. He then,
took to writing a book named Prem -ratnavali. But
Krgqadas K aviraj was already very old when he was writing
the Caitanya C aritam rita. He was completely overtaken by
the infirmities of old age at that time. U nder these circumstances
it was not easy to tax further his energies to write another
book when he had practically come to the end of his life. So
he fell in swoon and rem ained unconscious for days together.
But N ityananda who passed away towards the m iddle part of
the sixteenth century A.D., ordered Krgyadas Kaviraj in a
dream to write a book dealing with the practical side o f the
Vaiggava Sahajiya doctrine.
W hen K r^nadas Kaviraj
recovered from swoon, he handed over this arduous task to his
favourite disciple M ukugdadev Gosvaml. Being ordered by him
M ukugdadev wrote Am rita-rasavall in Sanskrit, who, in turn
bade his disciple M ukundaram Das translate it into Bengali.
Like the Amrita-rasavali, Amritaratnavali, the first book of
M uku 9 dadev is also found written in Bengali verses. A t the
en d o f this Bengali book we find m ention of the name o f the
author. The author is no other than M ukugda Das. The
book begins with a discussion about the nature of Rasa, Rati,

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79

Rfipa and Raga, an d shows how they are inter-related. These

subjects are purely based o n mystic devotional culture. It then
describes how a Sahajiya devotee should pass through the three
different stages of spiritual culture, namely, (1) Pravartak,
(2) Sadhak and (3) Siddhi. A t the first stage the devotee
should be initiated by a Dika Guru. After initiation he should
recite M antras and perform various pious acts under the
guidance o f the G uru. Then Asakti (attraction) towards
KfSQa will grow up in his m ind, which will gradually elevate
the devotee to the next two higher stages o f spiritualism. A t
the second stage of Sadhak, the devotee gets the sight of
K*a. The sight of the all pervading beauty of G od captures
the m ind o f Sadhak. The Sadhak then aproaches near to God
by following the deep devotional love (RagSnuga Bhakti). A t
the same time the author lays much emphasis on the practical
side o f yoga in order to spiritualising the body. The author
asserts that without the knowledge o f the secrets o f hum an body
the Sahajiya Sadhak cannot enter into the sphere of mystic
culture of devotional love. It is regarded by the author that
the culture of hum an body is an indispensable accessory for the
realisation of the Sahaja-nature as supreme love. This is why
the author has introduced the topics of various nerves (Nadi),
lotuses (Padm a) and ponds (Sarovar) within the hum an body.
Here we get the m ention of male and female elements in every
body and of Param atm a living in the Aksaya-sarovar (eternal
pond) over the head. Besides there are descriptions o f Sahajapur, Sadanandagram , C andrakantipuragram , of eight Nayikas
(damsels) and many other similar subjects. So we find that the
Am rita-ratnavali is the first Sahajiya Bengali book dealing
elaborately with the subject of the gradual development o f
em otional and sentimental devotional-love under the guidance
of the G uru, an d with the psychophysiological system of the
hum an body on Tantrik model. Thus the work deals with
various matters of spiritual significance which are the im portant
features of the post-Caitanya Sahajiya doctrine.

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SahajiyH Cult

Thus we find th a t M ukuqdadev Gosvami, one of the close

disciples of Krqadas Gosvami, was the most erudite Sahajiya
scholar who wrote six valuable works on Sahajiya culture in
Sanskrit. But those works are found to be lost except the three
books
namely,
A m ritaratnavali,
A m ritarasavali
and
B hringaratnavall that are available in Bengali verse translated
from the original Sanskrit works by the two disciples o f
Mukuqdadev.
M oham ohapgdhyay G opinath Kaviraj in his book Srikrpaprasanga has stated that M ukuijdadev had many disciples.
O f them four are worth-mentioning. The names of these four
disciples are ( 1) N risinhananda, (2) R adharam ap, (3) Gokul
Baul and (4) M athurgnath. These four disciples established
four branches of the
Sahajiya religion in the line of
M ukuijdadev.
From the above review we may derive that Mukuijdadev
was practically the vanguard o f the m odern Sahajiyg doctrine
o f Bengal. M ukuqdadev was the disciple of Krqadgs Kaviraj
who died sometime during the closing years of the sixteenth
century A. D. We can, therefore, conclude th at the m odern
Sahajiya doctrine first issued forth as an independent cult
from the fold of the post-Caitanya orthodox Vaisqava faith in
Bengal towards the beginning of the seventeenth century A.D.
Rasikdas Gosvami : Rasikdas Gosvami wrote two Sahajiyg
books nam ed Rativilas paddhati and Rasatattvasar . These
two books were written in Bengali an d published from the
B attala Press of Calcutta. The author has m entioned in his
book, Rasatattvasar that he was a disciple of M athura Das.
In the colophon of the same book we also find that Rasikadas
was a disciple of M athura Das who was, in turn, a disciple o f
Mukupdadev who, we know, was a favourite disciple of
KjSpadas Kaviraj, the author of the Caitanya-Caritgmrita.
We have found a Sahajiyg work named Siddha-Tikg
w ritten by one who calls himself Raghunath. This author
should not be m istaken for the celebrated Vaisgava Gosvgmi

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81

o f Vrigdavan who bears the same name, because the w riter

himself has paid a great tribute in this book to Raghunath
Gosvaml who was the Guru of K rsgadas Kaviraj. The author
has also referred to M ukugdadev and 6rinivas with due
reverence. Srinivas was a contem porary of M ukugdadev. It
may be th at this R aghunath was a pupil of the line of
M ukugdadev.
Das : Akinchan Das is regarded as one of the
best reputed Sahajiya author who wrote Vivarta-Vilas that
represents one o f the most valuable works on Sahajiya culture.
It is a unique work in five Vilas (chapters) devoted to an
elaborate exposition of mysticism or secret wisdom o f the
Sahajiya cult. This is why Vivarta-Vilas is held in high esteem
by the modern Sahajiyas next to Caitanya-Caritam rita. VivartaVilas has been published by the Ba^tala Press of Calcutta.
In many places of his book Akinchan Das has paid great
respect and devotion to Rasik and Vihari. Thus, we find that
Rasik and Vihari were two Gurus of Akinchan. AkiBchan has
also m entioned in Vivarta-Vilas, two kinds of Guru : One is
Diksa (initiation) G uru and the other is Siksa (training) Guru.
He has also elaborately discussed the necessity o f having two
Gurus for the spiritual advancement of a Sahajiya Sadhak. This
is for the first time we are introduced with two kinds of G urus,
each having a distinct function to play in the spiritual life o f a
Sahajiya devotee. This is one o f the characteristics o f the
m odern Sahajiya religion. From this we may suggest that
o f the two Gurus of Akinchan, one was his Dika G uru and
the other his Sikga Guru.
The account that Akinchan Das has given us about the
composition of the Vivarta-Vilas, shows that one R aghunath
was the G uru of his Guru from whom he received inspiration.
We are aqcuainted with the fact furnished by A kinchan Das
th at this R aghunath would live in a village adjacent to the
village Ambika V akhnapada in the district of Burdwan. H e
was fortunate enough to come in contact with Raghunath a n d

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Sahajiya Cult

to learn the secrets of the Sahajiya doctrine from him.

Akinchan lived with R aghunath in his village and served him
faithfully in his old age. Six months after his death Akinchan
came back to his own village, and on the third night
R aghunath appeared to him in a dream and instructed him
to write the Vivarta-Vilas. He narrated the incident to
his G uru who also gave him permission to write the book.
Akinchan Das has mentioned R aghunath as Guru of his
G uru. From the Rasatattvasar noted before, we come to know
th at M ukundadev was the G uru of M athura Das who had
Rasik Das as his disciple. And this Rasik Das was the G uru
o f Akinchan Das. This creates the impression that Rasik
Das, the writer of Rasatattvasar, had two Gurus namely
R aghunath as his DikSa Guru and M athura Das as his &k$a
G uru. However, we learn that A kinchan was a disciple of the
line of Mukuijdadev. Thus, we find that the m odern school
o f Sahajiya Cult o f the post-Caitanya period owes its origin
to Mukupdadev, the most favourite youngest disciple of
K rpadas Kaviraj. This branch o f Sahajiya school was
further developed with the compositions of various works on
Sahajiya doctrine by the disciples and followers of M ukundadev.
The name and fame of ti is school of Sahajiya cult spread
far and wide having a strong hold over the m ind o f the
general people o f Bengal during the period of three hundred
years spreading from the seventeenth century A. D. to the
nineteenth century A. D.
Aspects of Sahajiya Doctrine :
Three stages o f a Sahajiya devotee: In the mystic culture of
devotional love the Sahajiyas have classified three stages of a
religious life, namely (1) Pravartak, (2) Sadhak and (3) Siddha.
These threes stages in the field of religious culture, are inter
linked, each succeeding to the next higher stage. Pravartak is
the first stage, Sadhak, the middle stage and Siddha, the final
stage of perfection. Connected with these three stages, is the
conception of the five kinds of ASrayas, such as, Nama, M antra,

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Bhava, Prem a and Rasa. The devotee in the first stage of

Pravarta should adopt Ngm a an d M antra. W hen the Pravarta
stage of the devotee attains perfection with the recitation of
Nama and M antra, he is elevated to the m iddle stage of Sadhak
and adopts Bhava and follows the path of Raganuga Bhakti i.e.
emotional love for Kfi>a. While the culture of devotional love
attains perfection, Sadhak is elevated to the final stage o f Siddha
and adopts Prema and follows the path of Ragatm ika Bhakti
which culminates into the direct enjoyment of Rasa, the nector
of love for Krsya.
We find a description about the particulars of different
stages and A srayas in the A m ritaratnavali : A t first a devotee
should be initiated before a Dlka Guru. He, then, should
keep to the com pany of the pious devotees, which will lead him
to the Bhavasraya stage. The Asrayas o f M antra, Bhava, Prema
and Rasa are attributed to the three stages of Pravarta, Sadhak
and Siddha. After initiation the devotee should recite the
M antra that he receives from his D iksa Guru. This is a feature
of the Vaidhi Bhakti. I t is called M antrasraya to be adopted in
the Pravarta stage. In the Sadhaka stage the devotee should
adopt Bhava an d be guided by the $ika Guru in culturing
the spiritual emotional love. This will lead him to the final
stage of perfection.
In another Sahajiya work, R adharasakarika, we find
m ention of the objects of realisation from the three A srayas
of M antra, Bhava and Rasa : From the M antrasraya
(otherwise called NamaSraya) stage one goes to VaikuQfcha,
the abode of Krqa. From the BhavaSraya and Prem asraya
stages one realises within oneself the emotional and sentimental
love for respectively. In these two A srayas the intrinsic
nature o f the devotee is transformed to the blissful nature of
R adha, who is regarded as the highest spiritual embodim ent of
love and M ohabhava. From the RasaSraya stage one realises
the M adhuryya-sudha (nector) of Krpa.
The idea that is preached by the Sahajiyas, is that the

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devotee o f the Pravarta stage should begin spiritual culture

strictly following the prescribed scriptural injunctions until
he rises higher and higher to the final stage of Siddhi which
is characterised by the enjoyment of perpetual bliss.
Now the question may arise, what is the source o f the
Sahajiyas to establish these three different grades am ong the
worshippers beginning with the strict observance of rules in
the lowest rank to the stage of M ohgbhava in the highest rank ?
This classification of Prabartak, Sadhak and Siddha seems to
be in line with the classification m ade by Indrabhuti, the
king of Uddiyan. Indrabhiiti recognised three classes o f
disciples who had different degrees o f m ental development,
and prescribed for them according to their mental capacities
different regulations for their spiritual uplift.1
The Sahajiyas prescribed the strictest rules for the Pravartaks
who were less advanced in the initial stage. W hen the Pravar
taks would have sufficiently advanced in the matter of spiritual
progress, they would be allowed to follow such advanced prac
tices as are prescribed in the higher forms of the Buddhist
Yoga-tantras.
Four systems o f classification are found in Buddhist
T antrik literature. These four systems are : (1) K riygtantra,
(2) C aryatantra, (3) Y ogatantra and (4) A nuttarayogatantra.
Beginners who wanted to be initiated into the mysteries o f
Vajrayan, were admitted to the lowest rank, namely K riyatantra, and then C aryatantra where strict rules of discipline
were imposed on them until they were considered fit to be
raised to a higher class. Y ogatantra appears to have been
reserved for those who were considered fit to come in contact
with the Saktis and to observe secret practices as are prescribed
by the Sahajiyas to a devotee of the Sgdhak stage for the
culture of em otional love in accompaniment of a Parakiya
m aiden. The A nuttarayogins belonged to the highest class and
1. See, Two V ajrayan W orks, G . O. S. N o. 44, pp. 95 ff,

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were immune from all laws and restrictions. Anuttarayogins

were called the Siddhas. The traditional number of Siddhas is
recognised as eighty-four, and most of them, as I have already
m entioned, belonged to the Pala period in the history o f
Bengal.
The Sahajiyas accepted the forms of classification with
little modification from the Tantrik Vajrayan system ; but
keeping in conformity with the R ag-sadhana of the G audiya
VaiQavas they developed a new system of S adhana (worship) of
their own in three different grades, which bore a little connec
tion with the T antrik Vajrayan system.
Bathing in three streams : Corresponding to the gradation
o f the three different stages, the Sahajiyas have also
mentioned the bathing in three streams at the each succeeding
stage of Pravartak, Sadhak and Siddha and according to
the degrees of spiritual development. We find mention in
C aitanya-Caritam rita and Vivarta-Vilas th at at the maturity
o f the Pravartak stage, the devotee is bathed in the stream
o f grace of G od, which is called K aru^adharai Snan and
is elevated to the stage of Sadhak. A t the maturity of the
culture of emotional love (Bhava-bhakti) in the stage of
Sadhak, the devotee is bathed in the stream of spiritualism
and becomes free from re-birth, which is called m ritadharai Snan and is elevated to the stage o f Siddha.
Again at the m aturity o f the culture of sentimental love
(Prema-bhakti) in the stage of Siddha, the devotee is
bathed in the last stream of celestial beauty which is called
LavaQyamritadharai Snan and is elevated to the state o f
A ntaranga H ladinI Sakti of Krya. The beauty the devotee
attains at this stage, is but the reflection of the all pervading
beauty of Kfria.
It has been illustrated by the poet
R abindranath Tagore in his dram a Raja, where Sudarsana,
the queen of the dark chamber has been portrayed as
Jivatm a and the invisible King as Param atm a. W hen the
queen Jivatma remains within the fold o f Maya, she fails

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Sahajiya Cult

to recognise the King, Param atm a, Param atm a is always

calling the Jivatma and is trying to attract her towards
him. But Jivatm a ignoring the biddings of Param atm a, is
attracted towards the wordly pleasures. At last when Jivatm a
realises her mistake, she turns her face towards her beloved
husband Param atm a and with all devotion and love
approaches towards her husband serving him with all humility.
Being moved with the intense devotional love of the
devotee, the King Param atm a embraces her with all raptures
and transforms her to his H ladini gakti. A t this final
stage o f re-union the sight of all pervading beauty o f G od
overwhelms the devotee, Sudarsana and she cries out,
Oh Lord, you are not only beautiful but also unparallel
in beauty . At this the K ing says, You are my counterpart,
so my beauty resembles to yours. On hearing this queen
SudarSana says, If it be so, it is due to your infinite
love for me. Your love illumines me, this is why you see
your beauty reflected in me. It is of yours not o f mine.
(R aja, p. 131).
Three form s o f Bhakti (devotion) : Keeping in harm ony
with the three different grades of devotees, viz. Pravartak,
Sadhak and Siddha, the Sahajiyas have developed the three
succeeding forms of Bhakti, i.e., (1) Sadhan-bhakti, (2) Bhavabhakti and (3) Prema-bhakti. Sadhan-bhakti corresponds
to Vaidhi Bhakti, Bhgva bhakti to Raganuga Bhakti and
Prem a-bhakti to Ragatm ika Bhakti.
(1) Sadhan-bhakti or Vaidhi Bhakti
The stages, beginning from the awakening of the Ruchi
(liking) due to the association o f ascetics (sadhu), to the
instruction of the spiritual guide, are the preliminaries o f
upgsana or worship.
Therefore, Sadhan-bhakti is the
cultivation of ruchi or inward feelings of devotion accom
panied with the observance of the norms of Vaidhi Bhakti.
This is followed by different stages of upasana graded
according to the increased capacity of the devotee. K arm a-

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misra Bhakti or Vaidhj Bhakti as the preliminary stage,

is taken up first for the rise of devotional feelings. Karm amisra Bhakti gives rise to the concentration of mind and
ultimately results in awakening the spiritual consciousness
o f the devotee. Then the devotee follows the Jnana-m isra
Bhakti. When the Jnana-miSra Bhakti ripens to the fullest
extent, then the Sahajiya B hakta gives up Jnana completely
and resorts to Bhakti exclusively. It is the opinion of the
Sahajiyas that Jnana-m igra Bhakti gives rise to the spontaneous
growth of Bhava Bhakti or R aganuga Bhakti and Bhava Bhakti
prepares the ground for the spontaneous rise of Prema-bhakti
or Ragatm ika Bhakti. Karma-migra and Jfiana-m isra Bhakti
are regarded as the stepping stones to Suddha (pure) Bhakti.
SvarGpa-siddha Bhava Bhakti and Prem a Bhakti are accom
plished by the spontaneous flow o f em otional and sentimental
feelings of sublimated love for .
Some of the elements (Angas) o f the Vaid hi Bhakti are
enumerated here : (i) Saraqagati, i.e., resorting to Bhagavan
as the only refuge. It arises in the resignation of self.
The next stage is (ii) Guru-seva, i.e., devotion to the spiritual
guide. This stage is followed by (iii) , i.e., the act
o f listening to the accounts of the form, sports and name
of Bhagavan. Closely allied to this is (iv) K lrtana, i.e.,
chanting aloud the holy name of Bhagavan. This is said
to be the most powerful means of effecting a devotional
attitude. A still higher stage is reached in (v) Smaraqa
which consists of fixing ones thought on the name, form
or sports of . This brings m ental concentration on
. The special concentration of m ind with reference
to the name, form or sports of is effected through
the acts of D haraija, Dhyan and Dhruvanusm rti. Dhruvanusmrti which is an uninterrupted flow of mind towards
Krt)a, ultimately leads to Samadhi. In Samadhi K fsga
who is the exclusive object of thought in m ind, appears
before the devotee in the form of Brahm aan all pervading

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spiritual consciousness.
A nd then and then only the
Pravartak Bhakta is elevated to the higher plane of Sadhak
Bhakta.
At a preliminary stage of Sadhana the acts and cere
monies, mentioned above, are indispensable for the individual
Pravartak-bhakta before he can pass o n to the higher and
spontaneous Bhavabhakti or Raganuga-bhakti of the Sadhak.
By Bhava-bhakti or Raganuga-bhakti is meant the sublime
em otional feelings of devotion which follows the lines of
Ragatmika-bhakti. Raga is defined as the natural attachment
of a devotee towards Krya who is the exclusive objeet
o f desire or attachm ent. A t this elevated stage of Sadhak,
the five senses of the devotee cannot but come into direct
contact with P aram atm aa partial manifestation of Krga.
The sense of sight is naturally draw n towards its beauty,
that o f smell towards its fragrance etc. In the same way
the devotee when elevated to the highest stage of Siddha,
cannot but be attracted towards Bhagavan Krgga. A t this
stage the spontaneous flow of devotion is called Ragatm ika
Bhakti which expresses itself as a deep and natural feeling
o f attachm ent and which springs spontaneously from the
spiritually elevated Prakriti or Sva-bhava of the devotee.
This elevated spiritual and celestial Sva-bhava (Nature) o f
the Siddha Bhakta is but the essence of the A hladinl
6 akti o f KfSija.
Thus it follows that observance of V aidhi Bhakti at the
preliminary stage of S adhana is necessary for those whose
m ind in the early stage of devotion is inwardly distracted and
cannot attain the natural stage of composure which is
essential for the growth of Bhava-bhakti or Raganuga-bhakti.
Hence the chief object of Vaidhi Bhakti (Sadhan Bhakti) is
to bring about this gradual concentration of mind and prepare
it for the higher stage of Bhava-bhakti (Raganuga-bhakti).
It follows, therefore, that the Sadhan Bhakti (Vaidhi Bhakti) is
not to be ignored in order to bring about the spontaneous

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flow of Bhava Bhakti. But when the firm concentration of

mind is achieved with observance of V aidhi Bhakti, the
Pravarta-sadhak becomes Self-conscious. W ith the reveal of
Self, is also revealed to the Sadhak the Spiritual N ature o f
the Self i.e., Spiritual Sva-bhava of the Sadhak. W ith the
reveal of A tm a as well as the inherent spiritual nature of the
Sadhak, there is no further necessity for compliance with
Vaidhi Bhakti. Because, at this spiritually elevated stage the
spirit of Bhava Bhakti springs spontaneously from the inherent
spiritual nature (Sva-bhava) of the Sadhak. But this view of the
VaiSpava Sahajiyas is quite contradictory to that of the Gaudiya
Vaisyavas who firmly believe th at Bhava Bhakti (Raganuga
Bhakti) is a natural inclination of a devotee towrds
and is independent of Vaidhi Bhakti. It does not come
out from the observance of Vaidhi Bhakti which is merely
confined to the scriptural injunctions. They hold this view
that acting according to scriptural injunctions brings merit
in religious life but does not lead to the spontaneous flow
of love for .
(ii) Bhava Bhakti or Raganuga Bhakti
The terms Bhava Bhakti and Prem a Bhakti are difficult to
translate, but they have been rendered into english by the terms
em otional and sentim ental devotion respectively. Bhakti
resulting from spontaneous inward emotion is called Bhava
Bhakti. A nd Bhava or inward emotion follows the natural
inclination of heart. The inward em otional capacity of devo
tion increases with the increased cultivation of inward feelings
of devotion. So Bhava Bhakti consists of an emotional
sublimation o f intim ate hum an sentiments towards 1:59 a.
Bhava Bhakti or inward emotional devotion which is
the m atured form of Sadhan Bhakti (Sadhan-paripakena),
also develops through the grace of (Krpa-Kripaya).
It is, according to the VaiSflava Sahajiyas. called the bathing
in the stream o f grace ( dharaya Snan). This
Bhava Bhakti based on inward emotion (Bhava), has not

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yet reached the 'stage of sentimental love (Prema) or has

not yet ripened into Prem a Bhakti. It is defined as con
sisting o f a particular pure feeling (Suddha-sattva-viSea)
which partakes of the nature of the first dawn of Divine
Love ( Prema-sQrya mgusamy abh gk).
(iii) Prem a Bhakti or Ragatm ika Bhakti
Bhakti ripened into sentiment of Divine Love is called
Prema Bhakti. Prema Bhakti (Ragatm ika Bhakti) is the source
(Adaraa) of Bhava Bhakti (Raganuga Bhakti). One of the forms
o f R agatm ika Bhakti is Kgma-rQpa consisting o f a desire for
erotic enjoyment of Krga culm inating in Prema-rasa
celestial sentiment o f love. Therefore, the highest type of
U ttam a Bhakti is Prem a Bhakti which is a direct ripening
o f the Bhgva Bhakti itself (Bhava-Bhakti-paripgka eva). It
occurs when the Bhava or in-ward emotion is developed
into a sublime supreme sentiment of love (Prema). It also
originates from the grace of Krya. It is said to be bathing in
the stream o f everlasting youth (Tarunyam rita dharaya snan).
Divine grace It is believed by the Sahajiyg school that
the m an is essentially divine and can, by divine grace
as well as by his own exertions m ental and moral, enter
into com m union with the Divine Being. What is indispen
sable, is divine grace. Self-surrender (Prapatti) is a much
quicker process for the attainm ent of divine grace. Devotional
acts like chanting of Blj-mantra, recitation o f blessed name
with deep faith, devotional services to Guru and Saints and
performance of ritualism tend to the discipline and purification
of m ind and body. One of the fundamental creeds of Gaudiya
Vaispavism is the deep faith in the power o f the blessed nam e.
G audiya Vaisnava school m aintains the essential identity o f the
nam e an d the possessor of the name (nam a-nam inor abhedah).
In other words the school believes that the blessed name itself
is the essence of Bhagavgn Krija (Bhagavat-svarvipam eva
nama), so much so that one who utters the blessed name with
devotion, attains krsga Himself. Therefore, the blessed name of

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Krgpa possesses a spiritual significance and efficacy. It is also

true that mere mechanical performance of outward rituals is
never taken to possess the efficacy ; exclusive stress is laid on
inward earnestness and devotion. This is why it has lead the
Sahajiya school to think that Vaidhi Bhakti is a necessary
preliminary step to the attainm ent o f a higher devotional
attitude after which the elevated Sadhak devotee discards all
outward rituals and ceremonies. Because the higher Bhavabhakti and the highest Prem a-bhakti arise spontaneously
through m ans self-surrender and G ods grace. The Pravarta
Bhakta (devotee) is first blessed with divine grace and
simultaneously rises to the higher state of Sadhak Bhakta
(devotee). So it is believed by the Sahajiya school that the
ultimate source of higher devotional attitude o f Bhava-bhakti
is divine grace (KaruOa). Bhava-bhakti (emotional feeling) is
inborn and natural, but it can operate only through
divine grace. The Sahajiya school does not believe that any
kind of R aganuga-bhakti can be based on emotionalism
alone and can grow independent of Vaidhl-bhakti as held
by the Gaudiya VaiSQava school.
The higher mode of spiritual emotion undoubtedly
implies purity and intensity o f inborn nature (Sva-bhava),
but the Prem a-bhakti resolves itself into a form of religious
divine sentimentality, a continuous frenzy of divine madness
(divyonmad), an all-engrossing mystic state o f yearning, rapture
and vision as were visible in the last twelve years of & i
Caitanyas life. The Sahajiyas follow the ideal of Ragatmikabhakti as shown by Caitanyadev in his behaviour of the
last few years of his life. The Sahajiya school holds the
view th at the devout attitude of the Prem a-siddha Bhakti
becomes identical with that of Gopi and consequently of
R adha. We find support of this view of the Sahajiyas in the
Padm apurgga where it has been stated that even men can follow
this Ragatm ika way of love of the Gopis, for in the M athuram ahatmya of the Padma-purgQa, it is said that the M unis (ascetics)

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of D agdaka forest out of their eagerness to enjoy the erotic

sports of Krpa, became incarnated as Gopis o f Vripdavan. But
the G audiya Vai9ava school encourages the Raganuga-bhakti
only and advises the Raganuga Bhakta to contem plate inwardly
the erotic sports of R adha and Krqa. It emphasises on the
inward realisation of divine sports in all their irotic implications
as the ultimate end o f the R aganuga B hakta who can never
expect to be elevated to Ragatm ika stage.
Three kinds o f V rin ^ v a n The Vaigqava Sahajiyas have
conceived the
three kinds of V rindavan viz. (i) M ona
(mental) Vriqdavan, (ii) CiQmoya (spiritual) Vrindavan and
(iii) Divya (divine) Vriqdgvan in congruence
with the
Sadhan-bhakti, Bhava-bhakti and Prema-bhakti.
By M onaVriqdgvan the Sahajiyas refer to the Vripdavan
of m ental
plane o f the Pravartak, where the love-sports o f Krqa
comes under the perview of internal perception, by Cinmoya
Vrindavanthe Vriqdavan of spiritual plane of the Sadhak,
where the love-sports of Krna comes under the perview
of spiritual perception, and by Divya
Vriijdavanthe
Vriridavan of eternity as styled by the Sahajiyas Nityer dega
or Nitya-Vrigdavan. This Nitya-Vriijdavan is the celestial
plane of the Siddha. This Nitya-Vriqdavan is also called by
the Sahajiyas the gupta-chandrapura where resides Sahajamanu, Krqa. The Sahaja-slddhabhakta (devotee) converting
to the nature of R adha, is directly united here with KfSQa who
is the em bodim ent of Supreme Delight. It has been said in a
poem ascribed to Candidas, G reat is the difference between
this world and t h a t ; but there is a way of transition from the
one to the other, donot speak of it to any one else .
Se deSe eh dese
anek antar
Janaye sakal loke
Se dese eh deSe
miSgmiSi ache
eh kathg koya na kake
Three aspects o f K rm aFive Vai$i)ava communities
grew up in India. They are know n by Sam pradaya

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(community) founded by Ram anujacarya ; M adhva Sam

pradaya, by M adhvacarya ; N im barkacarya Sampradaya,
Vallabhacarya Sam pradaya and Goudiya Vaisgava Sam
pradaya founded by the followers of Sri Caitanya. The
first four schools of Vaisnavism propounded their doctrines
by writing elaborate commentaries on the Vedanta-Sutra
and interpreting it in their own way ; but the school of
Gaudiya Vainavism regards the j^rlmad-bhagavata P arana,
as Vyasadevs own commentary on his Vedanta-siitra, and
therefore confines itself to an interpretation of this Puraga
in its own light, instead of composing a seperate commentary
on the Vedanta-Sutra. The school of Gaudiya Vaigriavism,
therefore, proceeds almost entirely on an explication o f
the Bhagavat Puraya.
The highest Tattva which forms the central theme of the
Bhagavata P uraga, is described in the following terms :
Vadanti tat tattvavidas tattvam yaj Jnanam advayam i
Brahmeti Param atm eti Bhagavan iti Sabdyate
The m eaning o f the verse is, the Tattva which the
knowers of ultimate Reality call advaya Jn an a, is expressed
by the designations of Brahma, Param atm a and Bhagavan.
This verse is said to sum up the concept of Absolute
Reality as propounded by the Bhagavat Purapa. In the
first line o f the verse the Ultimate Reality or Tattva is
spoken of as Advaya-jnana-tattva, while the second line
designates the three aspects of the same Reality as Brahma,
Param atm a and Bhagavan. The term Jn a n a is explained as
consisting o f pure consciousness which is self-luminous (Svaprakaa).
The soul of Jiva (Jivatma) is no doubt pure
conscious (cidrupa), but is subordinate to Param atm a who
is the ultimate self-luminous conscious principle.
The
Ultimate Reality as the Advaya Tattva is the unity of the
highest knowledge or consciousness (Jnana) and the highest
bliss (Param a A nanda), as well as o f eternal reality (Sat).
This Advaya Tattva (Ultimate Reality) is finally identified

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with Bhagavan who is no other th an Krqa Himself as the

most perfect and supreme manifestation o f the A bsolute; and
as such it forms the essential theme of the Bhagavata Puraija.
The Bhagavata Puraga also describes Brahma as the
bodily lustre (tanubha) of Bhagavan, and Param atm a as
the supreme power (Aisvarjya) o f Bhagavan. Jiva as a
conscious element is a part (amSa) o f Paramatma. Brahma
is the object o f realisation of the Jnana-yogins. Param atm a
is the object o f realisation o f the Tantra-yogins. And
Bhagavan reveals Himself ultimately to the Bhakti-yogins.
Thus we and that according to the Bhagavata Puraija,
Bhagavan Krga is the highest and most perfect manifesta
tion of Advaya-Jnana-tattva. A t the sametime it designates
th at though Bhagavan is Absolute and indivisible, yet He
has threefold aspects. The same Ultimate Reality, therefore,
is viewed respectively as Brahm a, Param atm a and Bhagvan.
According to the Sahajiya school these three concepts o f the
Absolute are but the gradations of one and the same
Reality. The devotee realises these three aspects of the Absolute
through the three graded sadhanas. These three graded
Sadhanas, as already mentioned, are (i) Sadhan-bhakti,
(ii) Bhava-bhakti and (iii) Prema-bhaki.
The concept o f and Jivatma
Param atm a is a partial manifestation of Bhagavan. Para
m atm a is endowed with the power of controling the
M aya-aakti (Bahiranga Vaibhava) of Bhagavan as well as is
the inward regulator of the individual Jiva as an Antaryam i.
Jivatma is a m inute () manifestation of Param atm a.
Jivatm a possesses essentially the same characteristic o f eternity
as well as the same attributes of Cit and A n a n d a of
Bhagavan, but is liable to the influence of the M ayasakti who makes Jiva forget his true self and inherent
nature (svabhava).
So the relation among
Bhagavan,
P aram atm a and Jivatm a is really one of gradation in the
heirchy of manifestation of one and the same Reality.

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The essential character o f the Jiva

Let us consider here the essential character o f the Jiva
in brief. Jiva is neither the body, nor the sense, nor the
m ind, nor life, nor intellect. It is self-luminous to itself con
sisting of Cit and A nanda (cidanandatm akali), and it is always
pure (nitya nirmalatt). Though atomic in size (aijuh), yet it has
the attribute of pervading (vyapti-Silahi). As the Jiva is atomic
(aiju), so the Jiva is called atom of consciousness (cit-kaQa or
apu-cit). And yet by virtue of its being a conscious principle,
it is capable of pervading the whole world by consciousness.
We find echo of this truth in the words of Sir Oliver Lodge.
He says, How large a subliminal self may be, one does not
know (M aking of M an, ch. IX). One o f the chief attributes
of the Jiva, however, is that it is an entity which possesses
consciousness (cetana) or in other words the Jiva is selfluminous, it reveals itself by its own consciousness. This self
luminosity, however, depends on the Param atm a and from
whose self-luminosity comes its illuminating power.
The Jiva is indeed a self-conscious entity whose mortal
existence is brought about in the organic body by the MayaSakti, but it is distinct from the body, and unlike the body it is
not subject to change or decay. It is only through the M ayaSakti that the Jiva in delusion identifies itself with the body.
This self-luminosity of Jiva is represented by the word
Aham (I). This Aham is not the false ego (prakrita
ahaqikara), but the real ego (aprakrita ahamkara). This self
consciousness is pure and indivisible and is therefore to be
distinguished from the impure consiousness derived from the
organic senses.
From the analysis of the above characteristics of the Jiva, it
can be infered that the Jiva is always pure and this purity
consists in its real ego which is not affected with the impure
effects of the M aya-6akti. This state is the Suddha sattva of the
Jiva, which is said to be M ayatita beyond the sphere of M aya.
In relation to the body and the phenomenal world, however,

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its gross conciousness, which is the effect of the M aya-^akti,

over powers it and obscures its pure consciousness and its real
nature even to itself. Poet Shelley has rightly observed :
Life like a dome of many coloured glass
Stains the white radiance of eternity
Functions o f Svariipa-Sakti and -feakti
In order understand the concept o f Brahma, Param atm a
and Bhagavan, it would be necessary to understaud the nature
of Svariipa {Sakti or Divine Energy, upon whose degree and
quality of display the distinction really rests. Three Divine
Energies or Saktis such as S andhinl, Samvit, and H ladini
reside eternally (Nitya) in Bhagavan, Param atm a and also in
Jivatma. Divine Energies have their full play in Bhagavan and
in lesser degree and quality in Param atm a. Jivatm a also
possesses these Divine Energies which are inherent in its
nature but lie dorm ant owing to the overwhelming power of
M aya-^akti. These $3aktis are, therefore, regarded as Svarfipabhiita. Svariipa-$akti or Intrinsic Energy consists o f Buddha
Sattva (pure existence), which is prakritatita (beyond the
sphere o f the phenom enal world). Sattva signifies pure ex
istence (Sat), pure consciousness (Cit) and pure bliss (A nanda).
Svarupa $3akti possesses the characteristic o f Svabhavikatva.
By Svabhavikatva it is m eant that the Svariipa l^akti is natural
and spontaneous to Bhagavan, Param atm a and A tm a ; and
constitutes the very essence of them and is therefore inseparable
from them.
Through M aya lakti Bhagavan Kri)a limits Himself
into His partial m anifestation as Param atm a who, in turn,
limits himself into minute (aqu) manifestation as Atm a. This
M aya ^akti causes the creation, sustenance and dissolution of
the phenom enal world, and consists of an aspect of Bahiranga
Vaibhava o f K rqa in the form of the material Prakriti
(Nature). P aram atm a is the godhead im manent in Spirit (Jlva)
and N ature (Prakriti). The Jiva (individual self) is an aspect
o f M aya-^akti which Bhagavan Kri)a displays in His role o f

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97

Param atm a. Being subject to the Maya-sakti, the Jiva cannot,,

until released from the bondage o f M aya, be connected with
the svariipa-gakti. Since Bhagavan Krt)a is the ultimate
essential source of the Jiva, who can, in spite of his deviation,,
return to Bhagavan by shaking off the Maya-sakti and being
finally connected with His essential svariipa-sakti. The Jiva isindeed a m inute part of Bhagavan and is therefore liable to the
influence of the Maya-sakti. But on account of its ultimate
affinity with Bhagavan, the Jiva even in bondage has the
inherent capacity of releasing itself ; and when emancipated, it
comes into direct contact with the svariipa-sakti and goes
eternally beyond the influence of the Mayg-sakti. According
to the view of the Sahajiya school this release comes through
the practice of devotional Yoga-Tantra.
The function of the Maya-Sakti is two fold consisting of
Avidya and Vidya. Avidya acts as a covering (avarapatmika)
which causes the concealment of the true nature o f the JivaThe Vidyavritti acts as a revealer of the eternal self-conscious
ness of Jiva who is originally composed of viSuddha-sattva of
Bhagavan. Visuddha-sattva is m eant by the three attributes (sat,
cit and ananda) of Bhagavan. Therefore the vidya-vritti of the
Maya-sakti must be taken to imply that it is not a form of the
supreme consciousness itself, but only an opening to the revealation of that consciousness which is an aspect of the svariipa-Sakti.
Possessing the divine intrinsic attributes of eternity, con
sciousness and bliss (sat, cit and ananda) the Jiva is disposed
to the influence of G ods highest svarQpa-Sakti. Jnanyoga and
Bhaktiyoga consequently bring the devotee under the influence
of the svariipa-sakti of Bhagavan. This intrinsic connection o f
the Jiva with Bhagavan is indicated by the qualifying epithet
Svatati sarvada paramattnaikasega-svabhava .
From the
divine source the Jiva receives not only its attribute of conscious
ness but also its attribute of bliss (cidanandatm aka). Therefore
the svabhava of the Jiva also consists of its inherent nature
possessed with consciousness and bliss.
7

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Relation between Bhagavan and JivaAccording to Gaucjia

Vaiggavism Bhagavan is Cit and A nanda, but
Jivatma is Cit-kaga. Even when the Jiva attains pure con
sciousness (cidriipa), it is yet inferior to Bhagavan who remains
ever unaffected by his own extraneous Maya-Sakti. In its
essence it is a minute part (apu-amSa) of Bhagavan, which makes
it different from Bhagavan both in svarupa and samarthya.
Therefore, there is an inevitable difference between Bhagavan
and the Jiva and thereby absolute identity can never be
established.
But at the same breadth this school declares that Jiva is
identical in its intrinsic affinity with Bhagavgn who is its ulti
mate source. This school further declares that in spite o f its
essential identity Jiva has a separate existence as an eternal
spiritual atom.
.
The belief in the essential difference as well as identity
between Jiva and Bhagavan forms the very foundation of the
G audiya Vaisoavism. Although the Jiva consists of pure con
sciousness (cidrQpa), it is yet over powered by the M aya Sakti,
while M aya is an extraneous Sakti of Bhagavan. Hence Jiva
and Bhagavan are perceived as different in essence (svar'pa)
and capacity (samarthya,). The Gaudiya Vaigpavism m aintains
that the individual Jiva, as pure consciousness, forms only a
minute part of the highest being, Bhagavan. So the relation of
master (sevya) and servant (sevaka) between Bhagavan and Jiva
is real. Jiva is a n eternal servant of B hagavan: Jiva Krg^er
nitya das. This eternal distinction continues even when the
bondage, which is due to M aya Sakti, is removed and G ods
grace is obtained. As Bhakti or devotion to Krgga who is
G od Himself, is the highest good, the Jiva in its duality conti
nues as a separate worshipping entity even after emancipation.
The views o f Advaita vadins The Advaita vadins hold this
view th at the difference between Jiva and Param Brahm a is
not real but is due to upadhi (condition or limitation), by means
of which the really unconditioned Param Brahma appears to

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condition Himself or limitedly reflects Himself as Jlva. U padhi,

according to the Advaita vadins, gives rise to a perception of
difference which does not really exist. Jlva becomes Param
Brahm a as soon as he is released from the bondage of M aya.
Jiva is in essence Param Brahma. (Jivo-Brahmaiva naparabi).
It has already been mentioned in the chapter or historical
back-ground that Sankaracgrya was accused by the then
Buddhists th at he replaced by Param Brahma*. Accor
ding to the followers of Sankaracgrya an individual Jiva being
released from the bondage of M gya-sakti, is completely identified
with Param Brahma. This view of the Advaita vgdins has
been retained by the Sahajiya Vaisqavas who profess th at the
emancipated self becomes, at first, a part of the Svariipa Sakti
o f Bhagavan. Since bliss is an inherent attribute of the Jiva, it
finds a point of contact with the intrinsic H ladini sakti or
blissful energy of Bhagavgn through the mode o f Bhakti
(devotion). O f course, Bhakti awakes in Bhakta (devotee)
through divine grace (anugraha). Being free from the bondage
of the M gya-Sikti by the natural capacity of the Sadhan-bhakti
and then with the intensity of Bhgva-bhakti and Prema-bhakti
the Bhakta is restored to his original self and finally becomes
identified with Bhagavan without any distinction. After being
completely identified with Bhakta who becomes, at that highest
stage of devotion, none the less than His blissful energy (H ladini
sakti), Bhagavan splits Himself into two parts : one becomes
the subject (viaya) of love and the other, the resort (asraya) of
love and then both the parts, who are but the two aspects of the
one and same reality otherwise known as Krya and Radhg,
are engaged in eternal love-sports in order to relish m gdhurya,
the highest essence of Bhagavan. This is, according to the
Sahajiyas, the real Acintya Bhedabhed tattva (doctrine) or the
relation of non-identity in identity. This principle of dualism
in non-dualism is something th at transcends intellectual com
prehension (acintya).
G istFrom the above review we may draw this conclusion

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th at Prema-bhakti or sentimental love for Krt*a is the highest

type of Bhakti which brings imperishable happiness. It has also
been declared by the Budahist philosophers that the highest
good of m an is the discontinuance o f the miseries of existence
(duhkha-nivrtti) and the attainm ent o f supreme happiness
(paramasukha-prapti). In all religions the Ultimate Reality is
established as the real (sat), eternal (ananta), absolute (Kevala)
and perfect bliss (parama-maha-sukh). Altough Jiva belongs to
the Supreme Soul, its knowledge of the Supreme Soul is defeated
by the external Maya-Sakti and this results in a loss of self
knowledge. Being absorbed in the phenom enal world created
by the M aya-sakti, Jiva is tied to the miseries o f life. This does
not mean that Jiva is want of knowledge o f its real se lf; it
exists from the beginning and can be revealed by divine grace
accompanied with sadhana (religious efforts). In other words
Jivas knowledge of self may be temporarily non-existent, but
Jiva possesses through mental efforts and divine grace, the
inherent capacity of attaining self-knowledge. As soon as want
of knowledge (avidya) is removed, Jivas loss of self-knowledge
is automatically restored ; for the knowledge o f self consists
entirely of thu knowledge of the Self-manifesting Divine Self.
The removal of the bondage of Maya-Sakti and escape from
misery ^samsara) has, therefore, been described as the attainm ent
o f the Jivas natural state (Sahaj-abastha as styled by the
Sahajiya VaiSpavas) and function by relinquishing its otherwise
imposed state and function.
Jiva as a part attains the whole which according to the
capacity and mode of worship, may be either Brahma,
Param atm a or Bhagavan. Of these three modes o f attain
m ent, the first consists merely of the appearance of the spiritual
knowledge o f all pervading Brahma on the destruction of that
function of the M aya Sakti, which is known as avidya.
The attainm ent of Brahma must not be understood to imply
th at the individual attains identity with Brahm a as the Vedantists think, but to the Sahajiyas who are mainly Tantrik

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devotees, it means that the individual merely possesses its own

intrinsic character similar to the divine reality and gets back its
inherent divine nature o f SvarGpa-sakti, which for the timebeing was supressed by the M aya sakti. The second which is
higher, consists of the attainm ent o f Param atm a through the
process of Bhgva-yoga. But the third which is the highest,
consists of the attainm ent of Bhagavan in His fullest and truest
Self through the process o f Prema-yoga. In this highest state of
devotion the Jlva in its true essence and nature, is transformed
into the highest energy of bliss or H ladini ^akti of God.
To come in contact with Brahm a, Param atm a and
Bhagavan keeping at the same time ones own individuality, is
much superior to the mere consciousness or Jnana of Brahma.
O f all the attributes of Bhagavan Krna, the highest is His
special attribute of beloved ness which implies the state both of
loving and being loved. The degree of divine revelation
depends upon the degree of devotional love (Bhava-bhakti and
Prema-bhakti). It follows from what has been said above that
(a) the ceasation o f lifes misery ( sam sara ) is attainable by
Sadhan bhakti in conjunction with the mystic practices of Yoga,
which culminates into direct vision of Brahm a ; (b) Sadhanbhakti culminates into Bhava-bhakti and Bhava-bhakti into
Prem a-bhakti according to the stages of Prabarta, Sadhak and
Siddha ; (cj upon the quality and extent o f devotional love
depends the character and degree of v isio n ; (d) without
devotional love there can be no revelation of the Supreme
Divine Self with His intrinsic attrib u te s; (e) by intense
devotional love in the stage o f Siddha, there occurs the final
revelation which consists of the attainm ent of the Ultimate
D ivine Reality in its truest and fullest character of Bhagavan
in His eternal ( nitya ) place of Vriodavan ; (f) the
intense devotional love ( Prema-bhakti ) for is thus the
only summum bonum of the Sahajiya devotee.
All beings are naturally inclined towards love. A m an
seeks different objects of love in his life, but his search is never

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fully satisfied. Everyone desires to love that object which

brings the highest perpetual bliss and such an object is unavaila
ble in this phenom enal world. Bhagavan Krna alone as
the source of such bliss, is the highest object of love. Em ancipa
tion (mukti) is insignificant to such divine love for Krpa..
Because there is no consciousness of feeling of supreme bliss
and consequently no experience (anubhava) of supreme bliss in
em ancipation (mukti). The pure Jn&na-vadlns say that Jiva
becomes bliss itself when it attains the state of complete identity
with Absolute Being. To the opinion of the G audiya Vaii}avas
and the Sahajiya VaiQavas, the existence of bliss is useless unlees
it can be relished. N ot a single devotee desires that he will lose
his individuality in the ocean of bliss, but desires to relish the
nectar of supreme bliss. If there is no relishment of bliss in the
state o f emancipation, then it would be a futile objective for
which no effort would be undertaken. Before the Prema-siddha
Bhakta (devotee) Bhagvan manifests Himself in H is
full display of the intrinsic Divine Self, and in this case the
essence of supreme bliss or Hladini-Sakti springs from the
perfect divine self o f the devotee and enables the devotee to
relish the nectar of supreme infinite bliss which is of a varied
an d wonderful character.
In the Pravartak stage or in the preliminary stage o f
sadhana, the devotee contemplates Bhagavan Krga inw ardly
and Bhagavan Krga reveals Himself inwardly to the con
templative mind of the devotee. For the revelation of Bhagavan,.
purity of mind and body is a necessary qualification. Because
such purity itself is the result of the self-manifesting energy o f
the divine will. Purity of body and m ind is nevertheless,
necessary for reflecting, as in a m irror, the divine energy. The
removal of the gross consciousness induced by the Maya-Sakti
abolishes the phenom enal se lf; and the true self, standing out
in its essential purity and tranquility, becomes a sort of supersensuous medium for the appearance of the divine being. A nd
then Bhagavan Krsqa reveals Himself outwardly in the forms

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103

o f Param atm a and Bhagavan succeedingly in accordance with

the maturity of Bhava-bhakti and Prema-bhakti to the
eyes and other sense organs of the Sadhak and Siddha
devotee. Thus the mind and senses of the devotee become
means of divine manifestation. The outward vision is regarded
by the Sahajiyas as superior to the inward revelation ; for the
actual sight of Kyga as a person is a higher realisation than
the mere comprehension through mental m editation. Premabhakti results in the real saksatkgra of Bhagavan Krgqa.
Bhava-bhakti and consequently Prema-bhakti being a special
function of the divine Svariipa-aakti or being an essence of
Hladinl-I^akti, appears of itself spontaneously within the
devotee when he is graced with divine compassion.
The G audiya Vai9ava Rasa-sastra has classified devotional
sentiments into five kinds, namely, S^anta, Dasya, Sakhya,
Vatsalya and M adhurya. The feelings of ^anta, Dasya, Sakhya,
Vatsalya and M adhurya form five basic aspects of Bhagavatpriti and each succeeding one of these indicates a higher stage
o f realisation than the preceeding. Those devotees who are
without the feeling of attachment, conceive the highest deity as
Brahm a and they are called Santa Bhakta. On the other
hand those devotees who possess the feeling of attachm ent, t
conceive KfSoa as M aster (Prabhu) and themselves as His
servant (Dasa). They are called Dasa Bhakta. Those who
have the attitude of friendliness (^sakha-bhava), conceive
as a friend and their feeling towards Krga is called Sakhya.
Those who conceive .$ as a son, feel parental affection
towards and their feeling is called vatsalya. The climax
o f intimate feeling of attachment is reached in those devotees
who are drawn towards with irresistible love for Him.
Their feeling is called K anta-rati or M adhurya-rati. This feeling
o f M adhurya-rati can reach to the highest state of M ahabhava.
M adhurya means loveliness of beauty and youth of Krga,
which is the source of love in its sweet and melting quality.
M adhurya of Krya can be relished only by entering into

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em otional intimacy with KjSna. Those who desire and cultivate

this sweetness of personal emotional relationship with Kfgga,
are the best types of His premi-bhaktas.
The Sahajiya Vaisgavas have resorted exclusively to the
cultivation of M adhurya-rati eleminating the other four kinds
o f Raga-bhakti.
In this regard they have followed the
Ragatm ika-bhakti of $5ri Caitanya manifested in the last phase
of his life at Nilachal. In the last twelve years of his life at
f^reekhetra Caitanyadev would remain engrossed in deep love
with Krgga. In the Vaisqava Rasa-Sastra, Bhagavat-Priti is
designated by the term Prem a-bhakti and as such it is regarded
as an expression of the intrinsic divine energy of the highest
H ladinl or blissful svariipa-sakti of Bhagavan Krua. The
incidental characteristics of Bhagavatprema or Prema-bhakti
consist of such outward expressions of the sentiment as melting
o f the mind, thrill of pleasure and shedding of tears of joy etc ;
and they signify that the relish o f this kind of divine sentiment
is M adhurya, the outcome of Bhagavat-prema. This is why
Prema-bhakti is described as natural or svabhaviki. Even
Sadhan-bhakti and Bhava-bhakti possess these characteristics
because of their direct relation to Prema-bhakti. Bhakti, in
whatever form it appears, is to be considered as an expression of
the divine attribute of blissful love. A nd when Prema-bhakti
makes its full appearance, there is a complete attachment to
Bhagavan-KrgQa, which is unchangeable in all conditions and
situations. Viewed from this standpoint, it follows that in the
blissful love of the devotee, Bhagavan Krqa also eternally
realises His own intrinsic potency of blissful love which forms
the very essence of His Divine Self. It is thus a form of self
realisation not only of the devotee who regains his natural
divine blissful state of R adha, but also of Bhagavan Krga
whose very Self consists primarily of divine blissful love. This
Divine Bliss which surpasses every other kind of bliss, being
revealed within the prema-siddha-bhakta, becomes Bhagavat
prema, the experience of which makes both Kfpa and the

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105

prem a-siddha-bhakta completely engrossed in each other. Thus

a direct channel of mystic contact is established between
Bhagavan Kr9a and the prem a-siddha-bhakta and the relation
ship continues for ever. But this view of the Sahajiya Vaisqavas
is contrary to that of the Gaudiya Vaisyavas who hold firmly
th at prem l-bhakta Jlva can never possess the Ragatm ika-bhakti
which ever remains confined to the direct Parikaras of Bhagavan
K rsqa. The prem l-bhakta Jiva possesses only the Raganugabhakti and with the conceit o f a particular relationship of
an emotional character with Krya such as being a servant,
a friend, a parent or a beloved, desires to experience a parti
cular sentiment of Dasa, Sakha, Vatsala or K anta by means
o f rendering help to the direct Parikaras in their services to
. Each o f these Raganuga devotees seeks such favour
as suits his capacity and inclination. This theory implies that
the practice of Bhagavat-prema is based upon the distinctive
consciousness of one or other of such indirect personal
relationship of an em otional character with Bhagavan .
N o doubt this relationship is supersensuous in essence for its
transcendental character.
Salient features o f Sahajiya SQdhanU.
Self-realisation :Contrary to the theory of Gaudiya
Vaiyavism, the Sahajiya Vaignavas believe in the importance
o f self-realisation. It expresses itself in the form of recognition
of soul. Recognition of soul is destructive of ignorance lying
at the root of worldly existence. W hen direct knowledge of
soul is achieved, all smaskaras of previous lives are destroyed.
But self-realisation or soul-consciousness or direct spiritual
experience is very rare. It does not and cannot appear until
the mind has been purified from the blinding effects of Maya.
M ind is purified through the propitiation of ones own divine
self by means of meditation (upasana) and in chanting
bija-mantra given by Dika-guru during initiation. The impor
tance of divine grace descending on the soul and purifying it,
can n o t be over-estimated. The dawn o f divine wisdom which

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is the result of purification of m ind and of divine grace acting

upon the soul, is the origin of the so-called suddha-vidya.
According to the opinion of the Sahajiya Vaigyavas per
formance of Karma-miSra-bhakti, chanting of bija-mantra along
with the observance of mystic yougic practices lead to the
manifestation of Brahma, an all pervading consciousness. At
the sight of Brahma, the Pravarta-bhakta becomes consicious of
his real self, i.e., he becomes conscious of his soul which is only
partial manifestation of all pervading Brahma. As soon as
the bija-m antra manifests itself, the Pravarta-bhakta is placed in
sudd ha adhvan. uddha-adhvan represents the higher world
o f pure matter beyond the influence of Maya. A nd he is
elevated to the stage o f Sadhak-bhakta. Here lies the signifi
cance o f divine grace.
As soon as the mind, by gradual training, becomes im m une
from impurities, it acquires the power of merging itself with soul.
Then the m ind (citta) is fully illumined and its real nature is
perfectly brought out. This illumination is called by the name
o f Prajna. In the process of mystic culture o f Sahajiya Sgdhana
the emergence of Real Self consists in the relative unity of Soul.
(Puru) and M ind (Prakriti). So the emergence of such purified
and illumined mind is nothing but the original divine nature
(svabhav) of the Sadhak-bhakta. This illumined mind is but
the essence of Hladini-i^akti of Krya, that remained dorm ant
so long under the influence of Maya-5akti. According to the
Sahajiya doctrine Bram a-dargan of Atma-darSan (soul con
sciousness) relates to the integral unity between the individual
self and individual nature or Prakriti. This self-illuminated
original nature is called Cit-sakti or Cit-Prakriti of the Sadhakbhakta. As soon as the Cit-Prakriti arises shaking off the
power of Maya. Param atm a reveals himself to the Sadhak
devotee. Recognition of Param atm a relates to the integral
unity between the soul of Sadhak and the universal soul. A t
, the sight of Param atm a the manifested Cit-Prakriti of the
Sadhak feels an irresistable attraction for Param atm a an d

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moves towards him with all her emotional love. The culture
o f emotional love at this stage of Sadhak is designated by
the Sahajiyas as the sadhana of Bhava-bhakti. Cit-Prakriti
of the Sadhak is the manifestation of H ladini-^akti in a
lesser degree. A t the maturity of Bhava-Sadhana Bhagavan
KfSya reveals Himself to the Sadhak devotee and attracts his
Cit-Prakriti. A t the sight of K r n a who is the em bodim ent of
all engrossing beauty, love and sweetness, Cit-Prakriti moves
with all her sentimental love towards Krga. The culture of
sentimental love is designated as the sadhana of Prema-bhakti.
W hen Prem a-bhakti attains m aturity, Sadhak becomes Siddha
and is united inseparably with Krgpa. At this full grown stage
o f Prem a-sadhana, Cit-Prakriti also develops into full grown
H ladini-^akti, the eternal consort of K rsga and relishes the
divine sentiment of love that varies at every mom ent of changes
in the endless waves of emotion that ultimately culminates into
M ohabhava. Thus there is an order of progression in spiritual
experience of the Sahajiya devotee. The successive stages of
spiritual perfection consequent on the daw n of wisdom are
represented by the tattvas to which the soul is attached. The
lowest stage is th at o f M antra which corresponds to SuddhaVidya. The next higher state is corresponding to A tm atattva,
self-consciousness. Above it, is the state of Param&tma. The
state of Param atm a is really transcendent, being th at o f pure
and absolute consciousness. But the true absolute is Bhagavan
Sree Krpa, where identity with all the tattvas as well as their
transcendence are present simultaneously. A nd in Krnia there
is the fullest display of all the divine saktis, but what is prom i
nent, is the highest expression of H ladinl-Sakti or the energy
of bliss. As is the highest embodiment of divine A n an d a
or M adhurya, so the aspect of His m adhurya is reflected in the
highest Prema-siddha devotee whose Cit-Prakriti, by this time,
is identified with H ladini-^akti, the highest essence of Bhagavan
Krpa.
We have already mentioned that in the religion o f the

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Sahajiya VaiSnavas Sadhan-bhakti, Bhava-bhakti and Premabhakti are the three succeeding phases of Bhakti. The Sadhanbhakti is to be learnt from ones spiritual preceptor (&ka-guru).
Bhava-bhakti and Prema-bhakti develop spontaneously within
th^C it-Prakriti of the Sadhak devotee who then discards all the
formalities of Sadhan-bhakti. By the Sadhan-bhakti BrahmaJfiana or A tm a-jnana (self-consciousness) is attained ; but Param
atm a and Bhagavan are attainable only by Bhava-bhakti and
prema-bhakti respectively. The meritorious acts lead one in
the way of Sadhan-bhakti, and in this way one becomes fitted
for the higher Bhava-bhakti and subsequently the highest
Prema-bhakti. Thus we find that Bhakti is never considered
in consistent with Jnana by the Vainava Sahajiyas. Their
attem pt is to reconcile Jnana and Bhakti in their devotional
worship of Krga. But the Gaudiya Vaiuavas dispense with
Jnana and take their stand exclusively upon devotional emotion.
Devotion (Bhakti) is no doubt superior to every other mode of
worship. But Karma-miSra-bhakti (sadhan-bhakti) according
to the Sahajiyas is indispensable at the initial stage of Sadhana.
W orks or K arm a consisting of observance of the ceremonial
duties, of obedience to scriptural directions and of dedication
of all fruits of K arm a to Bhagavan are helpful for the realisation
o f soul and are also productive of a proneness towards the
supreme God, Bhagavan, Bhagavan Krgria. In all these modes
of worship there must be an element of Bhakti and the devotee
must be free from any desire of wordly objects. This mode
of attitude produces in the mind of the devotee an inclination
towards Bhagavan.
Em ancipation from the bondage of M aya is the realisation
of the knowledge of self. The threefold aspects of the Supreme
Reality indicates the three stages of realisation. The a tta in
ment of Brahm a represents only a lower manifestation of the
most perfect Bhagavan. The Jnanins who desire em ancipation
irrespective of Bhakti, merge in Brahma and become extinct.
The Sahajiyas are the other class of Jnanins who desire emanci

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'

pation but also possess Bhakti. This is why they stand on a

different footing from the Vedantists who seek release from
the Maya-Sakti only to be identified with Brahma without
any distinction. Bhakti of the Sahajiya VaiSpavas leads them to
enter into the intimate relation with Bhagavan. It is their
Jnanam isra-bhakti that prevails in the beginning, leads them
to the highest realisation of Bhagavan. So their Jnana-migrar
bhakti culminates into Prema-bhakti at the highest stage of
R aga-sadhana (culture of sentimental love).
GaudiyaVaisoavas advocate suddha-bhakti (pure em otional
devotion) from the very beginning of R aga-sadhanaculture
of emotional love for . Their justification is that at the
maturity of Raganuga-bhakti (emotional devotion) Jnana will
come of itself. They are justified in this sense that by realising
Bhagavan one necessarily realises along with His supreme
bliss (Ananda), the other aspect of His supreme consciousness
(Jnana). They regard Jnana to be the offspring of suddhabhakti (pure emotional devotion). So they are of opinion that
the way of suddha-bhakti is far superior to that of Jnana-m israbhakti, and thereby dispense with the necessity of Jnana. They
consider Jnana as a hindrance to the way of culturing em otional
love for Krspa.
The theology of the Sahajiya Vaispavas does not reject the
way of Jnana. They profess that in order to realise Bhagavan
fully it is inevitable for a Bhakta-sadhak to pass through the
three stages of sadhana corresponding to the threefold aspects of
Bhagavan. They are of opinion that unless one acquires self
consciousness, one cannot acquire Bhava-bhakti and Premabhakti in real sense of the terms. The real Bhava-bhakti
dawns only when the Cit-Prakriti or svabhava within one self is
revealed after being conscious of ones own real self free from the
influence of Maya-Sakti. This is why they prefer Jnana-m israbhakti to Suddha-bhakti in the first stage of Raga-sadhana.
Through the influence of Maya-Sakti the individual self (Jiva)
forgets its true nature and becomes distracted by the phenom enal

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world, with the . result that it loses its tranquil state. In order
to restore its self-consciousness the Sahajiya Vaigavas do not
dispense with the ceremonial duties in the primary stage of
Raga-sadhana and attach much im portance to the observance of
ceremonial duties as a means to an end. But the G audiya
VaiSnavas consider the way of K arm a as superfluous for the
attainm ent of Raga-bhakti that leads to the attachm ent o f
Bhagavan with love. They hold this view that following the
Karm a-m arga which lays down injunctions regarding the perfor
m ance of ceremonial duties, cannot in any way help in evolving
the Raganuga-bhakti within the devotee. O n the contrary
Sahajiya VaiSnavas hold this opinion that the ceremonial duties
should be performed, as the G ita teaches, without attachment
(anasakti) and desire of fruits (phala-tyaga) and even such
dedication will be accompanied by Bhakti. The ceremonial acts
accompanied with Bhakti consist of such acts as Sravaqa (listening
to the praise of Krqa), K irtana (singing in praise of Krqa),
m antra-japa (muttering m antra im planted in the mind of the
divotee by Dika-guru) etc., by which the supreme deity is wor
shipped and which are m eant only for the pleasure of Bhagavan.
These kinds of acts accompanied with Bhakti and esoteric prac
tices, are productive of Jn an a and Bhava-bhakti simultaneously.
Being self-conscious the individual devotee in his purity and
freedom from the M aya sakti realises not only his original
self, but also his intrinsic divine nature ICit-Prakriti orsvabhava).
At that moment Bhava-bhakti which is synonymous to
Raganuga-bhakti springs up from his intrinsic divine nature
which is the real Prakriti of the Bhakta-sadhak and is the
essence (vrtti) of H ladini Sakti of Bhagavan Krqa. The spon
taneous Bhava-bhakti then leads the devotee to the attainm ent
of Prema-bhakti which is synonymous to Ragatmika-bhakti.
A t the stage of Sadhak the necessity of performance o f cere
m onial duties comes to an end. Because only Bhava-bhakti
leads the Sadhak-devotee to a higher stage of realisation than
th at attained by Jnana, for it goes beyond the stage of attain-

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m eat of Brahma to the realisation of Param atm a, a higher

aspect of Bhagavan. A nd then by the attraction o f spon
taneous Prema-bhakti or through the Premayoga the Siddhabhakta ultimately realises the highest Bhagavan, Kr0a. Thus
Karma-miSra-bhakti produces Bhava-bhakti and Bhava-bhakti
culminates into Prema-bhakti. Hence Prema-bhakti which may
be termed Ragatmika-bhakti, occupies the highest place in the
order of spiritual realisation.
Elements o f Yoga TantraIn contrast with the Sadhana
o f Gaudiya Vaigqavism, Sahjiya Sadhana is intimately connected
with Yoga-Tantra. It has already been pointed out that the first
aim of the Sahajiya devotee is to realise the self. Yoga-Tantra
quickens to acquire self-consicousness. Yoga precedes Tantra.
Our m ind is always full of earthly desires and cravings. It always
seeks satisfaction derived from the fulfilment of earthly desires.
This kind of earthly satisfaction is not real pleasure. Real and
everlasting enjoyment is derived only when our real self is
attracted towards the Supreme Being and comes into His close
contact. As our m ind wants satisfaction from the fulfilment of
earthly desires, so our mind always move from one object to
other and thus becomes restless. As soon as one object is fulfiled,
the mind moves to other and so on. As for example, if a m an
becomes thirsty, he drinks a glass of water. F or the time-being
he gets satisfaction, but after sometimes he again feels thirsty
a n d so on. His thirst is not quenched for-ever. Likewise our
mind seeks earthly pleasures and never remains content with
w hat he has. So earthly desires and cravings always scatter our
m ind. Patanjali, a great exponent o f yoga, has term ed it
vikshipta state of mind. Patanjal yoga-sastra advises us to get the
m ind rid of all kinds of desires and cravings, and concentrate it
to one object for the realisation of spiritual knowledge. The
practice of concentrating the m ind into one object is the initial
stage of yogasadhana. While the m ind is fully concentrated to
one object only without any interruption or while the streams of
thought flow continuously towards ene object, then at the

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saturating point flashes the light of self-consciousness. The light

of spiritual consciousness, thus revealed, does not linger long,
in a moment it evaporates. Again and again the yoga-sadhak
brings back th at light through the repeated concentration of
mind.
While the light of spiritual consciousness becomes
permanently fixed, the knowledge of self or soul dawns upon
the yoga-sadhak and the sadhak gets rid of all miseries of life
and of re-birth which is called M oksa (liberation of soul). The
individual self consciousness, thus obtained, gradually pervades
the whole world. In this way the sadhak first achieves the self
consciousness and then he realises the world-consciousness
within himself. W hen the inner and the outer worlds mingle
into one within the spiritual consciousness of the Sadhak, then
the Sadhak acquires the knowledge of Brahma. The Tantrik
Sadhak after gaining the knowledge of Brahma, does not lose
his own individuality as the Brahma-vadins do being merged
with all absorbing light of Brahma.
Spiritually conscious
T antrik Sadhak-bhakta is restored to his original nature (CitPrakriti) in order to relish the supreme delight of the Supreme
Lord who is made of three qualities, Sat (eternal existence),
Cit (supreme consciousness) and A n a n d a (supreme delight).
W ithout the practice of yoga, the knowledge of self can never
be achieved far to speak of the knowledge of Brahma.
The great emphasis is laid by the Sahajiya Vaigqavas on the
hum an body which is conceived as a microcosm of the universe.
This feature predominates in all the Tantras in general wherever
the yogic element prevails. In the hum an body there are innu
merable nerves, but amongst all these Pingala, suSumna and
Ida are most im portant. Wherever Pingala and Ida cross
each other at suSumna, there is formed a cakra or lotus (plexus).
In the hum an body there are such six cakras or lotuses along
the spinal cord. As these yogic-cakras or lotuses have got an
extremely im portant place in the world of Yoga-Sadhana, so
let us have a cursory glance over these plexus.

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(I) The 1 Cakra (Plexus) M uladhara cakra

is situated between the penis and the anus facing down with
four petals of red colour. This cakra is the resting place for
the Kuydalinl-Sakti (the divine power).
(II) The Svftdisthclna cakraThe second plexus of the
hum an body is called S vadhi^hana cakra. This plexus is
situated near the root of the penis with six petals of the colour
o f vermilion.
(III) The Mani CakraThe third plexus is known as
M apipura cakra. It is situated in the region of the navel with
ten petals of the colour of the cloud.
(IV) The Anahata cakraThe name of the fourth plexus
is A nahata cakra.
It is situated in the heart with twelve
petals of the colour of Bandhuka-flower (red). It is generally
assumed that brooding over this plexus, the yogi can conquer
the maladies and miseries, sorrows and misfortunes. Some of
the yoga-experts opine that simply concentrating on the
A nahata cakra, the spiritual seeker (sadhak) becomes Trikalajna,
one having the knowledge of past, present and future (the
omniscient).
(v) The Visuddha cakraThe fifth plexus of our body is
known as ViSuddha cakra. It is situated at the junction of the
spinal cord and the medulla oblangata with sixteen petals
of smoky colour.
(VI) The ~Aj<na CakraThe sixth plexus of the hum an
body is named as A jna cakra which is located between the
eyebrows with two petals of white colour. Concentrating on
this plexus, it is believed by the Sahajiya Vaigavas, the yogi
comes face to face with Paramatma. The Bhakta Sadhak
yogi being free from the crude shackles of M aya and redeemed
from the miseries and misfortunes of the wordly life, is elevated
to such a sublime position where he enjoys the state o f ecstassy
which is known as Bliss.
Above all there is the Sahasrara cakra, also known as the
Bflnya cakra, in the highest cerebral region. This cakra is
8

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Sahajiya Cult

regarded by tife Tantrik as the seat of Param a &va. The

Sahaja-siddha Buddhists have located the Sahaja-kaya in the
Sahasrara kam ala which is termed as Usyia K am ala by the
T antrik Buddhists. It is also called by them the Maha-sukhakam ala being the seat of supreme realisation. The Sahajiya
Vaisyavas have identified it with Golok-Briijdavan. Even in a
popular VaisQava text like the Brahma-sariihila which was
brought by -Caitanya himself from South India, the T antrik
influence on VaiSpavism is perceived. In the fifth chapter, which
is only available now-a-days, of Brahma-sariihila we find that
the lotus of thousand petals in the cerebral-region is described
as G okula, the abode of Kfpa.
In the M tiiadhara cakra remains the K ula-Kuqdalini-Sakti,
the Divine Power in the serpentine form. This -ikti lies
dow n in the M ulgdhara-cakra in the sleeping, state. The
sadhana consists in rousing this 6akti lying dorm ant in the
M uladhara-cakra. The yogi, therefore, awakens this dorm ent
Divine Power by continuously striking through M antra-^akti
(reciting the incantations) im planted by the Dika Guru in the
heart of his disciple at the time of initiation. With his con
tinuous practices and incessant efforts guided by the Sika
G u ru as is m entioned in the religion of the Sahajiya Vaipavas,
the yogi enables the K undalini Sakti rise from her slumber.
Thus awakened the kundalini &ikti enters into the middlenerve, SuSumna within the spinal cord, which is designated by
the H indu Tantriks as B rahm arandhra or middle path by the
T antrik Budhists, and passes through all the cakras (plexus)
o f the body and ultimately enters in the A jna cakra and after
acquiring the siddhi (perfection) of this plexus the K up4alini
Sakti finally merges with Param a 6iva, tl e Supreme Lord o f
the Universe, in the Sahasrara cakra. This is the real yoga,
the communion of K undalini $akti (the Divine Power) with
Param a Siva (the Ultimate-truth). After this uniqe unison,
the Bhakta-yogi becomes one with the Supreme God and thus
attains Divine Beauty.

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For the union with God, we have to merge our U nit

(individual) soul with the Cosmic-Soul (A tm a with Param atm a),
which is the very gist and purpose of the science of yoga. But,
before being one with the Ultimate Reality we have to absorb
our little individual ego in the Universal-Ego and this would
pave the way for our individual identity with the Absolute-One.
This whole universe is nothing but the manifestation of the
Absolute-One and the souls in all beings represent the same
supreme-soul (Paramatama). Once the little individual-ego is
merged in the universal-ego then the little individual-ego assum
ing the shape of the universal-ego automatically becomes the
universal-ego. Thus, with the help of the yoga Microcosm is
transform ed into Macrocosm.
In order to achieve the highest goal of hum an life there are
many methods, various ways and procedures. The different
religious systems of India came into existence for the same
purpose and almost all of them have their respective importance.
But there are three fundam ental paths (ways) which help us to
a very great extent to carry us to the greatest aim o f hum an
life, these are K arm a yoga, the yoga of disinterested action ;
Raja yoga, the yoga o f m editation and concentration ; and
Bhakti yoga, the yoga of the sincere spiritual attachm ent with a
flavour of emotion and sentiment. These three ways of yoga
are intimately related to one another. Raja yoga means to
perform any action with full interest an d complete concentra
tion. It also means to calm down the propensities of m ind,
as the greatest cham pion of the yoga-system, Patanjali defines
it : Yogahi cittavrtti nirodhah . But in the spiritual sense
yoga stands for the communion, the unison of the soul with the
supreme soulthe microcosm with the macrocosm. The final
yoga means the sublime state or merger where the Sadhaka,
the spiritually conscious yogi, becomes one with the Sadhya,
the Absolute One. After attaining this supreme sublime state of
unison the Siddha yogi enjoys extreme happiness which is
term ed as Bliss .

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To every Sahajiya yogi who aspires to make a fast progress

in the world of spirituality, it is almost imperative to m editate
first of all on Kr9a sitting in the MQladhgra cakra which is
the very base of the yogic Sadhana. It is only with the grace
and blessings of the Lord of the M uladhara cakra that the
sadhak-yogi attains the exalted state of Param ananda (the
Bliss). Even Sankaracarya, the greatest champion of M onism,
believed that the T antrik technique brings early success in the
spiritual field and also precipitates in achieving the desired
results.1
Coming to the question of the esoteric practice of the
Sahajiya Vaigpavas, the first thing that we should take notice of,
is the importance attached to the process of the yogic practices
for making the body fit for higher realisation. This principle
an d practice of yoga is common to all Tantrik schools of India.
F o r the purpose of spiritualising the body the practices o f
Hath-yoga are prescribed ; and it is for this reason that the
B uddhist Sahajayana Siddhacaryas were great Hatha-yogins.
In fact, Tantras are intimately connected with the Rajyoga
as advocated in the system o f Patanjali and also with H athayoga. Rajyoga shows the correct way of developing m ental
faculties and of obtaining great spiritual powers. To obtain
spiritual powers requires concentration of mind. The Tantriks
know the power of m ind. The hum an mind has one peculiar
power and with the help of this power the hum an mind adjusts
itself to the deity and becomes one with the same. Even God
can be conceived and realised if the mind is properly attuned to
the Absolute.
Complete purification of body, as prescribed in the H athayoga, is essential for concentrating the mind. Complete control
over breath and over wind in the whole physiological system
has "to be attained before real concentration o f m ind takes
place. Therefore Tantrik culture presupposes Rajayoga and
Hathayoga. Rajayoga and Hathayoga give control over the
1. See Sankaracaryas Prapanchasara, 16/36.

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m ind and body. C oncentration in yoga produces a condition

th at makes the yogi oblivious to all surroundings, even the
physical body, but the yogi does not lose his consciousness,
but remains conscious throughout the process of the communion
o f the Jivatma with the Param atm a and feels a kind of divine
joy which words fail to describe.
A t the initial stage yoga certainly purifies the mind and
body of the Sahajiya Pravartak and brings harm ony in life.
The above statement will clearly demonstrate that the highest
degree of discipline in m ind is necessary to follow the path of
T antra, and th at it cannot be m eant for all. In fact, T antra is
m eant only for a few persons who are blessed with a high
degree of mental refinement.
Sahajiyas conception o f yoga and RadhaTo the Sahajiya
Vaigavas yoga means commingling. The individual soul is
called the Jivatm a, while the highest soul is called the param
atm a. W hen the commingling of the Jivatm a with the
Param atm a takes place it is called by them the real yoga. This
spirit is imbibed by them from Buddhism. In Buddhism the
individual soul is called the Bodhicitta and the highest spirit is
called the &unya with three elements of , Vijnana and
M ahasukha. &, like Param a Siiva of H indu T antra, is
the highest spirit and an inexhustible storehouse of energy
which pervades the whole universe. The chief aim of the
Bodhicitta is to commingle with this and be a part and
parcel of the great energy, eternal knowledge and eternal
happiness. This is, to them, the final yoga in the truest sense of
th e term.
Likewise the Sahajiya Vaiyavas consider to be the
Absolute G od who is the embodiment of three elem ents: Sat
(eternal existence), Cit (pure consciousness) and A nanda
(Supreme Bliss). They have replaced Bodhicitta by Radha.
Radlm is the embodiment of Ananda-element of Krga.
Gaudiya Vaigpavas can never think of obtaining R adhahood.
Because R adha represents Krgqas H ladini Sakti who belongs

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to one of the three aspects of His swartip Sakti. The devotion

o f R adha and her Sakhis (female com panions) to KrgQa falls
to the category of Ragatm ika Bhakti that can never be obtained
by Jiva who is regarded Ta^astha ^akti of K r^na.
But according to the theology of Sahajiya Vaisyavism
R ad h a is the supreme spiritual divine state that can be a atta
ined by a Sahajiya Bhakta Sadhak who gets perfection (Siddhi)
in Bhakti-yoga and is ultimately united with Krgqa as the
Bodhicitta commingles with the highest spirit . The creed
o f the Sahajiya Vaigyavas is thus fundam entally based on the
question of self-revelation as a lover of God. The ultimate
nature of the Sahajiya-siddha serves as a m irror where love and
beauty of the Absolute are reflected. This manifestation o f
love and beauty of the Absolute reaches perfection in m an and
it is for this reason th at man is the microcosm in which all
attributes of the Absolute are united and in him alone does
the Absolute become conscious of itself in all its diverse aspects.
M an thus represents in him a synthesis of the finite and the
infinite. This conception of the Divine and the hum an combined
in m an may well be compared with the UpaniSadic conception
o f the Param atm a and Jivatm a residing in the same hum an
body. The conception of the Sahajiya Vai9avas is that in
love we realise that we are all seperated from the Beloved
with whom we were once one ; and in love again shall we
proceed in the regressive way and realise our true original self
being one with the Beloved.
M an is the m arginal being or a finite-infinite being. W hen
associated with principles o f illusory defilement, he passes on
to his purely finite nature of anim al existence, when he suffersbondage on all sides. But when he purifies himself in m edita
tio n and in self-less love of G od, the principles of defilement
in him being all burnt away, he passes again on to his true
divine nature and becomes liberated by transcending all limita
tions of finitude and is united with God with rapture o f joy.
The Sahajiya Vaiqavas have interpreted this in this way

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th at through the ecstasy of the purest love, the spiritual nature

(svabhava) of the Sahajiya-Siddha passes into the divinity of
R adha. But we should take notice that though love is the
main religious mode of the Vaigqava Sahajiyas, the elements
of yoga-Tantra are in no way less im portant in their Sadhana.
The element of love has been associated with the elements of
yoga-Tantra in the Vaisqava Sahajiya sect.
T antra is divided into various sections, both in Hinduism
as well as in Buddhism. With the Hindus Dakiqgcara is to
be followed first, after which Vamacara is permitted.
In
Daksiqacara strict celibacy, restriction of food and drink,
meditation etc., are of prim ary im portance and when the
neophyte is sufficiently advanced, he is initiated into the myste
ries o f Vamacara when women are permitted for the purpose
o f practising the Yoga-Tantra together. Similarly, in Buddhism,
T antra is divided into four sections. In the two earlier sections,
namely the Kriya-tantra and the C arya-tantra, strict celibacy
and restrictions of food, drink etc., are enjoined. W hen this
course is complete, the neophyte then can be initiated into the
mysteries of Yoga-Tantra, in which women become necessary
for the purpose of practising the Tantrik rites. In Tantra to
rouse the K undalini 6akti which remains sleeping in M uladhar
cakra, is highly necessary for a Tantrik Sadhak to obtain the
spiritual knowledge. The great Tantrik gurus allow the
neophytes with much caution to take women in practising.
Yoga-Tantra in order to rouse K undalini f^akti. But it must
be remembered th at both in Hindus Vamacara and Buddhists
Yoga-Tantra, complete control over the wind that is contained
within the body, is essential and this is obtained after a long
continued practice of Ha^hayoga, Rajayoga, Praqayam and
so forth, so th at the association with women does not upset
rather help the initiated in rousing the Kupdalini ^akti. It is
for this reason that the Tantras are to be taken recourse to
when perfection is reached in controling wind. Because wind
th at wc breathe, gives motion to every cell in the body and is

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responsible for th6 excretory secretions of the body. The prim ary
object of practising the T antrik rites is to stop forever the
excretory secretions from the body. But it is not easy to
control wind and thereby mind. It requires years of patience
and systematic practices. A nd the practices must be conducted
on right lines under the guidance and control of a spiritual
Guru. Because mistakes in the process bring untold miseries
to th e practiser. It is for this reason th at we find in the T antra
a great revernce for the Guru.
Guru-vUda (the doctrine o f the preceptor)
In all Indian religions Guru is held in the highest esteem.
In ancient India the necessity of a guru or a preceptor was
always felt. The Upaniads were so called because the disciples
had to sit near the guru to obtain spiritual knowledges. The
preceptor opens the eyes of the disciple and makes him realise
the existence of God. Spiritual knowledge is transmitted from
the preceptor to the disciple just as light from one lamp to the
other. The only way of knowing the spiritual truth is, there
fore, to seek the grace of Guru. It is believed that the spirittual
preceptor (Sa^-guru) in his non-dual state identifies himself with
the disciple and performs from within the disciple all that
is necessary for the latters spiritual uplift. This kind of spiri
tual performance by the Guru is called Dika (initiation).
After initiation the disciple is called Dvija. I t means that
the disciple is spiritually born after his material birth. We also
find the paralal idea of initiation in Christianity, which is
called Baptism. Baptism means the Spirit of God discends
upon the Baptised pupil. There are evidences in the Gospel
story that from the time of his baptism the Spirit of God abode
upon Chirst :
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John to
be baptised of him
..A nd Jesus, when he was baptised,
went up straitway out of the water : an d , lo, the heavens were
opened unto him and he saw the Spirit of G od descending like
a dove and lighting upon him. (Mathew Ch. I ll, 14, 16, 17.)

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Tantrikism which lays emphasis on the practical aspect of

religion, naturally lays great stress on the function of G uru.
M ost of the T antrik practices are secret practices involving
complex process of esoteric yoga. Because of this stringent
nature of the T antrik practice, the help of the Guru is enjoined
to be sought at every step. These intricate esoteric practices,
when properly and systematically carried out, lead a man to
the highest spiritual elevation. On the other hand if they are
not pursued very cautiously and methodically with the guidance
and directions of the spiritual Guru they may lead and are very
likely to lead a m an into the darkest abyss of hell.
From the ancient time the Tantrik practices were handed
down from gurus to disciples in an unbroken chain. The
Vaii)ava Sahajiya religion like all other esoterie religions, is
characterised by the emphasis on Guru. They are of the opinion
th at nothing can be achieved without a guru. The spiritual
knowledge cannot be defined, as it is dependent more or less on
self-realisation. This perfect knowledge can only be obtained from
a spritual preceptor. So in Tantra, either H indu or Buddhist, we
find the position of guru altogether param ount. In every Sahajiya
work there is evidence of high esteem in which the gurus were
held and eulogized by the disciples. In many of their work
the characteristics of the guru and the disciple are enumerated.
The disciple is first to be initiated by ti.e guru, and if all
instructions of guru are properly followed by the disciple, then
and then alone Siddhi (perfection) is possible of attainm ent.
Satguru is very rare to find. The soul of Sa$guru remains
always in contact with the Supreme Soul from which Guru
draws energy to be transmitted to the heart of the disciple in
the from of Bijmantra'. The divine grace cannot in all cases
operate directly. It operates through the medium of saintly
persons and gurus who are free from the influence of M aya-Sakti
and are therefore direct receptacles of divine grace. Therefore
the association with saints and devotees and rendering service
to them are regarded by both the Gaudiya Vaisqavas and the

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Sahajiya Vaigqavas the first cause of Sprouting Bhakti (devotion)

on the mind of the beginners. Because the association with
saints and devotees and sincere service to them are the most
effective medium through which the divine grace is communi
cated.
The Sahajiya cult suggests that in selecting gurus
JBana-sidaha and Prem a-siddha Bhaktas are to be preferred.
These kinds of gurus are termed by the Sahajiya Vaiqavas as
Bhava-siddha and Rasasiddha Manjuries who can only act as a
mediurr, of divine grace and generate Bhakti in the individual.
This leads to the theory of the necessity of a spiritual guru, a
theory which plays an im portant part in all kinds o f religions.
The justification of guru-vada lies in the fact that the spiritual
guide must be one who has attained spiritual illumination. The
contact and influence of such a spiritually illumined guru become
o f immense benefit to the beginner in the attainm ent of spiritual
truth. From the association with the spiritually illum inated
saintly persons (sadhu-saijga) arises first of all ruci or relish in
the object of worship and also in the ways of worship and thisproduces sraddha or belief as a preliminary stage to Bhakti.
According to the Sahajiya Vainavas gurus are of two
classes : one is DIkSa guru and the other, &ka guru. It
is a new innovation of the Sahajiya Vairiavas, as it is n o t
found in any other religious system of India. The Dikit-gum
or the M antra-guru is" he who im parts to the disciple theesoteric sacred formula lor meditation and the Sika-guru is h e
who undertakes to train the mind of the initiated disciple in
order to attain the perfection (siddhi). The &k$a-guru is
regarded by the Sahajiyas as M anjari. By this way the two
types of spiritual gurus occupy the high position in the religious,
life of the Sahajiya devotee.
We have already refered to the three types of Bhakti of theSahajiyas such as Sadhan-bhakti, Bhava-bhakti and Prem abhakti. Sadhan-bhakti is the first step to Prema-bhakti, that
arises only from the grace of Loid K rjq a thorugh the guru
(Tat-prasadapeksa). As the perfect knowledge can only be

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obtained from a spiritually qualified guru, so it is the custom o f

the Sahajiyas th at a Sat-guru well-versed in the Tantrik lore
should be served and worshipped with great devotion, so that
the spiritual knowledge may be obtained. .In response to the
disciples devotion and eagerness guru as a mark of great
favour, grants him the requisite initiation which is called
K aruvadharai Snan.
Keeping the above discussion in m ind we shall proceed,
to unfold mysteries of Parakiya Sadhana prevalent in Vaisijava
Sahajiya Cult.
The concept o f Doctrine :
The excellence of love rests on the sentiment of
Parakiya not on that of Svakiya. Parakiya indicates a mental
attitude of intense longing. The views of the Gosvamls of
Vrgdavan appear to have been that, as Svarup-sakti of
Bhagavan Kfna, the Gopis including R adha were His Own
(Svakiya), but the Gopis under an illusion created by Yogamgya,
considered themselves to be the wives of the Gops. Specially
the works of Jiva Gosvami did not lend support to the Parakiya
doctrine. But Kii)adas Kaviraj in his book Caitanya
C aritam rta, however, ascribed the Parakiya belief to Caitanya
himself. Y ad u n andan upheld that view (see K argananda, p. 88)
and in his time the efforts of Syam ananda and Srinivasa had
made the P arakiya doctrine wide-spread in Bengal. Srinivasas
descendant, R adham ohan Thakur became a formidable cham
pion of this doctrine. There is, however, no doubt th at this doc
trine of Parakiya developed and became established in Bengal.
We have seen th at the Brahmanism revived during the reign
of the Sena-Kings who succeeded the Pala-Kings. G audiya
Vaii)avism, based m ainly on the love dalliances of the cowherd
boy KrSga with the cowherd girl R adha, began to gain
popularity during the reign of the Sena-Kings. Jayadeva who
is said to have been the court-poet of the last Sena-King
Laksman Sena in the last half of the twelfth century A .D .,
was the first Bengali Vaiggava poet to write and sing the sweet

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.melodious immortal love-songs o f R adha and Krgpa. He

wrote the famous book Gitgovinda depicting the love-dalliances
of R adha and Kri}a. Candid asa of the fourtheenth century
A.D. popularised the legends and ideals of the love of R adha
and through his exquisite lyrical poems. Similar lyrics
were composed also by the poet Vidyapati of M ithila, who is
said to be the contem porary to Candidasa. Though Vidyapati
wrote poems on the love-dalliances of R adha and Kl 9 a in
M aithili language, yet he enjoyed enormous popularity in
Bengal in comparison to meagre popularity in M ithila. This
wide-spread popularity of the love-songs of R adha and K rsga
began to influence the mind o f the people belonging to all
substrata of the society. It was through the influence of these
love-songs of R adha and that the ideology of the
Sahajayana Buddhists while amalgamated with Gaudiya VaiQawism, was changed. The Buddhist Sahajayanists were turned
into the sect of Vaisqava Sahajiyas and with the change of
.ideology their methodology also was changed.
With the popularity of the Radha-Krtia cult the ideal of
Parakiya Rati gradually gained the ground. In almost all
the theological discussions of the Gaudiya Vaiijavas of the
Post-Chaitanya period the superiority of these ideal of Parakiya
love to th at of Svakiya love was variously dem onstrated :
"Parakiya Preme ati Raser Ullas In his Typical selections
from Old Bengali Literature (Vol II, pp. 1638-1643) Dr.
Dinesh C handra Sen has quoted two old documents belonging
to the first half of the eighteenth century A.D., where we
find that regular debates were arranged between the Vaispava
exponents of the Parakiya and the Savkiya ideals of love in
order to ascertain which of the two is more congenial to the
culture of Bhakti-dharma. In the debates the upholders of
the Svakiya view were defeated and had to sign documents
adm itting the supremacy of the Parakiya ideal of love. This
ideal of Parakiya love has been the strongest factor in
moulding the doctrine of the Vaisgava Sahajiyas of Bengal.

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The Vaiw ava movement of Bengal, in the line of the

Kfsqa-Gopis cult, grew along with the traditions of the
Puraqas like the BhSgavata-puraqa, ViSQu-puraqa, BrahmaVaivarta-puraqa etc.
The first literary record of Bengal
Vaiijavism is to be found in the famous lyrical poem, the G itagovinda of Jayadev. After him C andidas and Vidyapati who,
though a M aithili poet, was more popular in Bengal than in
Mithila, sang the immortal songs of the eternal love of R adha
and . According to some learned scholars C andidas
and Vidyapati were the predecessors o f S ri Caitanya who
flourished in the sixteenth century A.D. Caitanyadev took
the initiative in bringing about a great revolution in the devo
tional movement which for a long time overflooded Bengal
and some of the neighbouring provinces. Gaudiys Vainavite
apostles like M adhavendrapuri, Advaitacarya, Srivasa and
others flourished just before the advent of Sri Caitanya. The
advent of ! Caitanya was something like a fruition of all
their devotional penances. Sri C aitanya, as he is interpreted
first by KriSyadas Kaviraj in his famous book C aitanyaC aritam rta, embodies in him the essential qualities of both
R ad h a and Krsqa. Through his life and teaching Caitanyadev
preached a doctrine of divine love which was philosophically
systematised and theologically codified by the six Gosvamis
of Vrindavan viz., R upa, Sanatana, Raghunath Das, Raghunath
B hatta, G opal Bhatta and Jiva Gosvami. The philosophical
and theological system known as Gaudiya Vaii)avism, is really
the contribution of these six Gosvamis who were all religious,
apostles inspired by the life and teachings of Caitanyadev.
Gaudiya Vaisyavism as interpreted by the six Gosvamis
of V rindavan, generally flourished with the love-legends of
R ad h a and Krqa. But in the Post Caitanya Sahajiya cult of
Bengal the divinity of Sri Caitanya as the synthesis o f the two
elements of the same Supreme Reality as the lover and the
beloved was recognised. Krisijadas Kaviraj in his much reputed
book Caitanya-Caritam rta first imforms us that in the eternal

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land of Vrindavan JKrt)a being himself the subject of love,

could not relish the nector of supreme love that his counterpart
R adha would do at the sight of him. In order to be acquainted
with the nature of Rad h as love Krga himself assumed the
em otional feelings o f R adha and incarnated in the form of 1
Caitanya at the sacred land of Navadvip in Bengal. This theory
o f synthesis of the divine lover and the beloved embodied in
Caitanya as propounded by Kri)adas Kaviraj, was highly
acclaimed by the people of Bengal. The Vaisqava Sahajiyas
of Bengal accepted this theory whole hearted 1 with some m odi
fication. The emphasised the necessity of synthetizing the two
opposite elements in one body by the mystic culture of yogaT antra with accompaniment of Prakritia female Sadhika
for the sublimation of sensuous love into divine love.
Both the Gaudiya Vaigoavas and the Sahajiya VaiSrtavas
accepted the ideal of Parakiya love as contrasted with the ideal
o f Svakiya love in their doctrines. The ideal of Parakiya love
was merely recognised as a theological speculation in Gaudiya
Vaii)avism, but it was accepted even in its practical bearing
by the Vaigoava Sahajiyas. C andidas who wrote innumerable
love songs on R adha and , is held by the Vainava
Sahajiyas an exponent of the Sahajiya practice in the PreCaitanya period. A love-episode between C andidas and a
washer-woman named R am i is prevalent in Bengal. It is said
that Candidas practised esoteric Sadhana with Ram i. Though
the love-episode can not be taken as a historical proof, yet
judging from the num ber of Sahajiya poems ascribed to him, it
will not be far to speak that there might have been some truth
in the tradition of C andidas himself being a Sahajiya Sadhak.
The indebtedness of ^ri Caitanya to the love-lyrics of Jayadev,
Vidyapati and Candidas is well know through the Caitanya
C aritam rita, a standard biography of Caitanayadev, written by
K rsoadas Kaviraj. The VaiQava Sahajiyas have held all the
great poets like Jayadev, Vidyapati, Candidas to be the
exponents of Sahajiya practice in the Pre-Caitanya period.

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It is curiously held by some of the Vaisgava Sahajiyas that

Caitanyadev practised Sahajiya Sadhana in company of Sat hi,
daughter of Sarvabhaum a.1 The Vaisgava Sahajiyas hold that
all the great VaiSnava apostles of Gaudiya Vaigpavism practised
Sahajiya S aih an a with some female companion. Thus it is
said in the Vivarta Vilasa of Akifiuhanadas %
Slri RQpa karila Sadhana M irar sahite I
Bhatta R aghunath karila K argabai sathe ||
Lakgmahira sane karila goriisai Sanatan |
M oham antra preme seva sada acharay l|
Goriisai Loknath C haydalinl-K anya sange |
D ohajan anurage premer ta ra n je ||
Goyalini Pingala se Brajadevi Sama |
Goriisai Kririadas sadai acharai} i|
Syama napitanl sange Sri Jiva goriisai |
Param pirlti K aila yar Sima ngi II
Raghunath gosvami pirlti ullase |
M irabai sange teha ra iha-kuoda base ||
G aurpriya sange G opal B hatta goriisai I
Karaye sa ih a n ygr any a kichu nai II
Roy R am ananda yaje Devakanya Sange I
Aropete sthiti teha K riyar tarange n
(Vivarta Vilasa, pp 106/107)
Here we find that the great Vaisjjava apostles like RQpa,
R agunath B ha^a, Sanatan, Loknath, Krinadas Kaviraj,
Sri Jiva, Raghunath Gosvami, G opal B hatta and Roy
R am ananda practised Sahajiya Sadhana in accompaniment
o f their respective female com panions like M ira, K arnbgi,
LaksiP-ihira, Chai)dalinl-kanya, Pingala, Syam a, M irabai,
G ourpriya and Deva-Kanya. Those VaiSpava apostles were
held to be the exponents of Sahajiya cult by VaigOava Sahajiyas.
Almost all the songs including the Ragatm ika Padas ascribed to
C aijd iias and the Sahajiya texts were composed by the
1.

See C aitanya caritam rta, M adhya lrla, ch. XV.

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S ahajiya Cult

exponents of the Sahajiya Cult in the Post Caitanya period and

mostly in or after the sev nteenth century A.D.
Parakiya ideal is, therefore, an im portant factor both in
the doctrines of the Sahajiya VaigQavas as well as of the G audja
VaiSnavas.
But the Sahajiya doctrine of Parakiya has its
practical bearing also. The Sahajiya devotee takes P arakiya
com panion for the spiritual culture of divine love. Parakiya,
according to the Sahajiya Vaii)avas, is of two kinds(1) Bahya
and (2) 'M arm a, both o f which have special utility at different
stages o f spiritual growth. In the sphere of M arm a culture the
term Parakiya stands for a symbol of intense love. A t first the
culture of M am ra Parakiay aims at the realisation of Param atm a,
when it enters into the domain of pure celestial love called
Buddha Parakiya, the Sahajiya Siddha devotee seeks to
embrace G od with all the ardour of devoted woman, as we
see, maifested in $ri R adha and in Sri Caitanya,
Bahya Parakiya is meant for the practical culture o f
emotional and sentimental love for Krna in the company of
woman. The Sahajiya Vairtavas m aintain that the practical
culture of emotions and sentiments in the company of woman
is an absolute neceessity for knowing the secret of love ; with
out such culture no one can become a true and sincere lover
of God. Women are cosidered to be the best media for men for
the culture of love, because women generally possess some finer
sentiments favourable for the culture of love : A pani Purus
P rakrti haive (Rasasara, p. 47). As the finer sentiments are the
natural inheritance of women, so the necessity o f a female
com panion is adm itted by the Sahajiyas in the primary stage for
the culture of love that culminates in the stage of Siddha
(perfection), into the super sentimental love for God. Because
in the sphere of M adhurya God is to be loved with the sentimet
o f a devoted lover and thus is established an intimate personal
relationship between God and the devotee.
To love G od with the intensity of female sentiment is also a
very familiar idea with the Christian Mysticism. The mystic

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129

Christians like St. Barnard, St. John, St. Catherine, F.W.

Newm an etc., believe that at the highest stage of spiritual life a
m an should transform himself into a woman by adopting the
female nature. A m an cannot have experience of true divine
love so long as he cannot realise the true nature of woman in
him. (1) If thy soul is to go on to higher spiritual blessedness,
it must become w om anyes, however manly thou may be
am ong men.
(F.W. Newman). (2) Prepare thyself as a
bride to receive thy Bridegroom. (Markos, the Gnostic). With
the Christian Mystics also God becomes intensely personal, at
times almost verging on the nature o f a hum an beloved. We
find it in the prayer o f St. John :
(a) I will draw near to Thee in silence, and will uncover
Thy feet that it may please Thee to unite me to Thyself,
making my Soul Thy Bride, I will rejoice in nothing till I am in
Thine arms . (St. John of the Cross)
(b) Oh Love, said St. Catherine of Genoa, I do not
wish to follow Thee for sake of these delights, but solely from
the motive of true love.
Only the adventurous spiritualised souls which are full of
love for God, move towards the mystical sensations of Divine
Love. To St. Bernard, throughout his deeply mystical sermons
on the Song of Songs, the Divine W ord (Logos) is the Bride
groom, the hum an soul is the Bride. (1) Let Him Kiss me
with the Kisses of His mouth*Who is it who speaks these
words ? It is the Bride. Who is the Bride ? It is the Soul
thirsting for G o d ................If, then, m utual love is especially
befitting to a bride and bridegroom, it is not unfitting that the
name of Bride is given to a Soul which loves. (St. B ernard,
Cantica Canticorum, Sermon VII)
(2)
I longed for Thee ; and I still long for Thee and Thou
for me. Therefore, when our two desires unite, Love shall
be fulfilled. (Mechthild of Magdeburg)
The mystic M achthild further says :
Orison (a prayer) draws the great G od down into the
9

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SahanyH Cult

small heart, it drives the hungry soul out to the full God. I t
brings together the two Lovers, G od and the Soul, into a
joyful room, where they speak much of love. (Mechthild of
M agdeburg)
Love is the essence of Krgpa ; and R adha is the symbol of
all lovers of K fsga. According to the Sahajiya Vaigflavas
every devotee who desires to follow the path of Raga Sadhana
the development of sentimental love for Kr9amust imbibe
the sentimental feelings o f a devoted wom an. This attitude
of mine is also found in the Christian religion :
Our work is the love o f G od.
Our satisfaction lies
in submission to the Divine embrace.
Surrender is its
secret : a personal surrender not only of finite to Infinite but
o f bride to Bridegroom, heart to H eart. (Ruysbrock)
Complete self-surrender o f the devotee to the wishes of God
as the devoted bride surrenders to her loving bridegroom, is
the main criterion of the religion of Sahajiya Vair)avas. We
find paralal ideas and feelings in the writings o f hristian
Mystics :
(I) If thou wilt be a spiritual pilgrim, thou shalt strip
thyself naked of all th at thou hast. (Hilton)
(II) *If the soul were stripped of all her sheaths, God would
be discovered all naked to her view and would give Himself to
her, withholding nothing. As long as the soul has not throw n
o f all her veils, however thin, she is unable to see G od.
(Meister Eckhart)
(III) It is then that, by the sublime ardours of a stripped
a n d naked spirit, we obtain the immediate contact o f the
Divine. (Ruysbrocks De Contemplation)
W hen the pure devotional love for the Supreme Soul arises
in the soul of the devotee, without doubt the Supreme Soul also
feels love for the devotee. It is a mutual attraction between
the finite and the Infinite Soul. Rippling tide of love flows
secretly from the Infinite Soul into the finite soul and draws it
mightily back to its source.

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St. Terisa has described in the following words the august

passion of her soul thirsting for G od :
The pain was so great that it made me m oan and yet so
surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain that I could
not wish to be rid of it. The pain is not bodily but sp iritu al;
though the body has its share in it, even a large one.
It is that august passion, a heavenly madness, in which the
hum an draws nearest to the divine. We find support of
this view in the doctrine of the Sahajiya Vaisoavas. In the initial
stage o f Siddha, the soul of the Sahajiya devotee suddenly
enjoys the rapturous sight of loving Kr^qa. But to bring the
state of Siddha in perfection in order to unite the Siddhadevotec permanently with Him, Kf0a deliberately withdraw His
presence from him for the time-being. Then the Siddha
devotee who has, by this time, attained the R adhahood, feels a
profound emptiness and the anguish of separation. This period
o f destitution is called the D ark Night o f the Soul by the
mystic Christian writers :
Thou didst begin, Oh ray God ! to withdraw Thyself from
inc ; and the pain of Thy absence was more bitter to me ;
because Thy presence had been so sweet to me, Thy love so
strong in me.* (M adame Guyon)
A nd, In union \'h e n basking in the sunbeams of the U n
created Light he forgets that he has not yet reached the Perfect
L andis yet far removed from the true end of Being. So the
Light withdraws Itself and the D ark Night of the Soul sets in.
.(Underhills Mysticism, p, 287)
This Divine Absence comes between the first mystic life or
illuminative way and the second mystic lifethe unitive way.
Therefore, this type of darkness with its accompanying and
overwhelming sensation of distress and anguish is common
in the lives of the mystic devotional lovers o f God. In another
place St. Teresa has vividly described the inner feelings of her
Mark rapture :
The pain grows to such a degree of intensity that inspite o f

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oneself one cj-ies aloud. Moreover, the intense and painful

concentration upon the Divine Absence, which takes place in
this dark rapture induces all the psychophysical marks o f
ecstasy. Although this ecstasy lasts but a short time, the bones
of the body seem to be disjointed by it. The pulse is as feeble as
if one were at the point o f death ........ She is no longer the
mistress of reason ........ She burns with a consuming thirst and
cannot drink at the well which she desires.
This description is not exaggerated as this sort of Divine
madness became prom inent in the life o f Caitanyadev during
the last twelve years of his stay at Puri. This state of Divine
distress and anguish of Caitanyadev, burnt with a consuming
love for Krgpa, was witnessed by Svarup D am odar, Rai
R am ananda and Raghunathdas Gosvaml.
In the midst of a psychic storm caused by the ecstasy of
deprivation, corporeal love is for ever disestablished and the new
state o f pure divine love is established in its place. Regarding
this transfiguration St. Teresa has said :
In order to raise the soul from imperfection said the Voice
of G od to St. Catherine, I withdraw Myself from her sentiment
which I do in order to humiliate her, and to cause her to seek
me in truth.
Though she perceives that I have withdrawn
Myself, she awaits with lovely faith the coming of the Holy Spirit,
th at is of Me, W ho am the Fire of Love. N o doubt that Lovedalliances (sports) o f Krpa and R ad h a are full o f eroticism.
But it must be borne in m ind that the Love of R adha is Platonic
Love th at kills lust. Only with the annihilation of self-disire,
comes the fulfilment of Divine Love. Platonic Love grows up
from the wedding of the individual soul with the Supreme Soul.
It is spiritual union.
The Sahajiyas advocate the company of the wom an-sadhiks
for this purpose that K am a (lust) should be duly subdued by
the mystic culture of yogic practices with the accom panim ent of
a female. They hold this opinion that K am a (the carnal desire)
transform s itself into Prem a (Divine Love) when K am a is.

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133

dissociated from ego-centric desires through the practices of

yoga. They further hold that Prema (Divine Love) which is the
highest spiritual gain, cannot be attained through the absolute
negation of Kam a, it is to be attained rather through the
sublimation o f Kam a. To them Prem a is but the purified form
o f Kama. The Prema of the Sahajiyas is the most intense senti
m ental love of m an towards God. The religion of the Vai9ava
Sahajiyas is thus a religion of sublime love.
Therefore, we find, the Sahajiyas advocate not suppression
but sublimation o f the feelings of love. The famous western
philosopher uspensky is of the same opinion. He says
O f all we know in life, only in love is there a taste of the
mystical, a taste of ecstacy. Nothing else in our life brings us
so near to the limit of hum an possibilities, beyond which begins
the unknown.
A nd in this lies, without doubt, the chief
cause of the terrible power of sex over hum an life.
He further says
Love, sex, these are but a foretaste of mystical sensations-*Consequently in true mysticism, there is no sacrifice of feeling.
Mystical sensations are sensations of the same category as the
sensations of love, only infinitely higher and more complex.
According to the opinion of the Sahajiyas the passionate
longing for women is not love in the true sense of the term.
Real love can dawn only on the sublimation of the sexual
impulses. A nd when sentiment of sensuous love is sublimated,
it turns into a deeply religious sentiment of Divine Love. To
them Raganuga Bhakti of Bhava Bhakti is but the means of an
em otional sublimation of intimate hum an sentiments by
directing them towards Bhagavan KrQa. To achieve their end
they resort to the esoteric practices of yoga. By means o f
practical yoga they want to establish a direct personal relation
ship with the deity. A t the same time they have warned that
the esoteric practices o f yoga in accompaniment of a female
must not be resorted to in a lower plane, otherwise the result
would be dangerous. It is for this reason that the Sahajiyas

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Sahajiy& Cult

have repeatedly declared that a real Sahajiya Sadhaka is rarely

found even among crores : Ko^ike gotik hai. The im portant
thing in yoga proper is to well-prepare the planes (bhumi) o f
m ind for spiritual culture of Divine Love and for deep spiritual
experience of Self.
Therefore the Sadhana of the Vaisqava Sahajiya sadhaka
primarily concerns with the mystic culture of Divine Love in
association of an equally religious female sadhika. So it is the
custom of the Sahajiyas to take a female com panion in order to
imbibe the intense em otional feelings of the female, which are
inherent in her female-nature. M an realises his ultimate mature
m ade of pure em otional feelings after coming in contact with his
most beloved female com panion. M an cannot realise his lovenature without being in relation to his female sweet-heart ; it is
through the touch of the sweet-heart that the svabhav (the
ultimate nature) of the Sadhaka as a lover of God, is evolved
within. So the Sahajiyas hold the female com panion (sadhika)
in high esteem as the preceptor for guiding them towards the
culture of Divine Love.
In this conection we may refer to the following opinion o f
Sir John Woodroffe :
In His manifestation as R adha He (Kft}a) is both the
fount o f emotion (Rasa) and emotion itself which includes the
sexual sensation (srngara) and the higher love (M adhura),
whii h, in the more spiritually evolved m arriage, is associated
with it. The worshipper rises above the unconscious anim al
life, and the evil consciousness so often accompanying this
upward movement in which the passions are regarded as things
only of and for the limited self. The gratification of senses in
serving self alone is a sowing to the flesh. He, therfore,
identifies himself with R adha, and thus places himself under
the direction of H er Lord with whom She is one, and who as
the A ntaryam in or indwelling spirit guides and controls the
body and its senses. Thus gross desire is purified by its direction
towards that abode of KjS 9 a wherein He as G opala plays a n d

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135

becomes as it were the Vehicle on which subtle aspiration is

m ade to rest. This is exampled by the Sakhibhava of the
Vaigava, and certain ritual details in the Rahasyapuja of the
^aktas. 1
We may say that this is exampled more so by the mystic
culture of the Sahajiya VaiSpavas. They say that the hum an
body is the basis of mystic culture :
Sakaler sar hai apan ^ arlra |
Nija deha janile apane habe sthira
(Am ftaratnavali, p. 3)
Or
(i) Bhajaner mill ai narabapu deha |
(ii) A p a n a janile tabe Sahaja vastu jane u
(Amrtarasavali, p. 4)
W hat is considered im portant by them, is that every body
is m ade up a male and a female half, i.e., both the male and
the female elements are present in every body :
(i) Sakai sarlre hai ardhanga abala i
(ii) Purus prakrti dui deha madhye achhe u
(Am rtaratnavali, p.4)
M en and women are different externally, but so far as the
soul is considered there is absolutely no difference of any kind ;
in other words, all body is but soul externised in m atter:
Ak rflp dui hai, bhinna deha nai |
P rakrti puru nam bahire dekhai u
(Prem anandalaharl. p. 8)
Em otional realisations have been classified by the Gaudiya
Vaisqavas in terms of hum an sentiments into five broad cate
gories of Rasas, namely, $anta, Dasya, Sakhya, Vatsalya and
M adhurya. The climax of emotional sentiment is reached in
the stage of M adhura Rasa. The reason that is advanced by
the Sahajiya Vaisnavas in support of the custom o f taking a
female com panion in spiritual culture is that women are adopted
1. T an trik Texts, vol. I l l, In tro ., p. 63.

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S ah ajiya Cult

primarily for the culture o f M adhura Rasa. M adhura Rasa

adopted in divine worship assumes the characteristics of Svakiya
and Parakiya :
Ataeb M adhura Rasa kahi tar nam a |
Svakiya Parakiya bhave dvividha sansthana u
(Cait. Carit., 1-4)
The dawn of love which is called Purva-Raga, is really the
outcome of the desire for a union before marriage. But when
the love-affairs end in wedlock, it gives the stamp of Svakiya on
those who are Parakiya before. Then the Svakiya love loses its
irresistible attraction and charm as they were felt before
marriage. Anguish of Parakiya serves to intensify the impulse
of love. So Parakiya love is considered deep, while the Svakiya
is shallow :
(i) Parakiya Raga ati Raser ullas
Svakiyate Raga nai, kahila abhas
(Rasaratnasgra, p. 65)
(ii) Parakiya Rase hai Raser ullas |
Svakiya je svalpa, tah aja n ih a niryas n
(Sudham rtakayika, p. 8)
In the sphere of the spiritual culture of love, therefore, the
Parakiyas are considered better than Svakiyas both by the
G audiya Vais^avas and the Sahajiya Vainavas.
From the above review we find, in the field of spirituality
the Sahajiya Vaii)avas are chiefly concerned only with the
intensity o f love. So Parakiya is considered by them better than
Svakiya for the purpose of esoteric culture. In esoteric culture
Parakiya com panion is adopted for the sublimation of K am a
and the cultivation of Divine Love.
According to the Sahajiya VaiSQavas Parakiya is of two
kinds : (I) G auna and (II) Mukhya.
Parakiya ak nahe dui mat vate |
*

G aupa M ukhya dui mat hai Parakiya Ii

(Sudham ftakaqika, p. 15)

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137

W hen a Sahajiyg Pravartaka is associated with a Parakiya

wom an for the sublimation of Kam a, it is G auya ; but when
without taking a woman, the ideal of Parakiya love is cultured
by the self-revealed ultimate nature (svabhava) of the Sahajiya
Sadhak for further advancem ent towards spiritual love, it
becomes M ukhya.
In the most im portant Sahajiya work,
Vivarta-Vilasa, the former is called Bahya, while the latter as
M arm a Parakiya :
Bahya M arm a dui Parakiyate sadhan n
Bahya Parakiya kara nayikar sange I
A ntaranga Parakiya vaner tarafige
(Vivarta-Vilgsa, p. 97)
In another Sahajiya work, Rativilasa-Paddhati they are
vailed P rak lta and A prakrta respectively :
A prakrta Parakiya, a r deha aprakrta I
Bahii anga prabrtti ai sadhan kathita n
(Rativilasa Paddhati, p. 28-29)
While the Rati is practised in the material body with the
association of a Parakiya woman, it is called Prakfta which is
also designated by the term Sam anya. While the Rati is
cultured by the ultimate spiritual nature of the Sahjiya Sadhak
independent of any wom ans association, it is called A prakrta
which is designated by the term ViSeS. It should also be
observed that the idea of external and internal culture of Rati
has been expressed by Krnadas Gosvami in his famous book
Caitanya C aritam jta :
Bahya A ntar ihar dui ta sadhan I
(canto II, Chap. 22)
The Sahajiya work like the Sahaj-Tattva-Grantha speaks o f
the same two main divisions :
Bahya A ntar dui m at jajan I
(Sahaj-tattva-grantha, p. 4)
Inspite of such terminological differentiation, it is, however,
quite clear th at only two kinds of Parakiya culture are m eant,
one of which is the Parakiya culture of love with the association

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S ah a jiya Cult

o f a female com panion, while the other is the Parakiya culture

o f love by the svabhava, the ultimate spiritual nature, of the
Sahajiya Sadhak.
Bahya or Practical CultureIn esoteric culture of R ati the
selection of a female com panion is o f prim ary importance^
A ny and every woman cannot be adopted for this purpose.
In the Vivarta-Vilasa it is said that the women taken for the
purpose of mystic culture, should be very beautiful, and that
both in character and physical grace they should be quite
heavenly :
Eh sav naikagaq param suQdari |
A k ar svabhave yana Brahmadevi narl n
(Vivarta-Vilasa, p. 99)
"
There are also other considerations in the m atter of selection:
an d culture. In the esoteric culture of love both the sadhak
an d the sadhika should be of identical spiritual tem peram ent :
Ubhaiya saman haile tave iha meele |
Sadharai}! haile ithe yai rasatale i
(Premavilasa)
In one of the Ragatm ika Padas attributed to Candidas, it is
said th at in the culture of the Rati the Sadhak and the S dhika
should be of the same nature :
PuruS Prakrti
Dohe ek rlti
se Rati sadhite hai l
N ot only the sadhaka and the sadhika should be o f th e
same nature, but also they must be nf one m ind and take to
spiritual culture with perfect unanimity of purpose :
D ohar m on Oikya bhave dubi ek hai i
Taveta Sahajsiddha janiha niScai ll
(Prem anandalaharl, p. 8)
The SvarQpakalpataru, another Sahajiya work, says that the
Sahajiya sadhak should submit himself in every respect to the
Sadhika and take her as his guru. He should completely forget
himgelf being fully absorbed in love in association with th e

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139

Sgdhika. T hen the couple should have the spiritual realisation*

o f the Supreme Being :
Nayak yodyopi hai N ayikar vag I
A tm asukh nahi jane ragete ava it
Sai Nayak N ayika sata-siddha hai I
Sahaja m anus Kroa tghate asrai 11
This shows how the esoteric culture advocated by the
Tantras, either o f Hindus or of Buddhists, has been adopted by
the Sahajiyas within the fold of their own religion.
By practising the mystic rites the Tantriks arouse the
K undalini Sakti and push up this spiritual Sakti or Energy
through the m iddle nerve, Sugumna* in order to unite individual
Energy with the Supreme Energy located in the head. The
Sahajiyas also in the Pravartak stage practise the mystic rites o f
the Tantriks, but as soon as the K undalini Sakti arises, they give
up the path of observing the mystic rites and follow the path of"
devotion saturated with emotional and sentimental feelings in
order to unite the personal soul with the Supreme Soul in
conjugal love. The Sahajiyas also have located the personal
(finite) soul and the Supreme (Infinite) Soul in the microci sm of
the hum an body. Both the cultures are esoteric in nature and
are advised to adopt them under the proper guidance of Sat-guru
(Spiritual preceptor).
The Sahajiyas lay great stress on the esoteric culture in
association with an equally religious temperamental wom an in
order to purify the element of passion that is in our body. It
is held th at bindu or semen (Sukra) is contained in the Sahasrar.
The three im portant nerves within our body are Ida, Pingala
and Susumna in the left, right and the m iddle respectively. Due
to sexual attraction semen comes down through the Pifigala
nerve and is secreted. The Pravarta Sadhaks first duty is to
control the secretion of semen through the constant practice o f
Iragayama. The nerves like Ida and Pingala are controlled
anil purified through processes of Prapayam a. Pragayam a also
leads to the control of the m ind. It is also held that Khecari-

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S ahajiya Cult

m udra, a yogic process, has the capacity o f controlling all kinds

o f secretion, and if a yogi practises Khecari, his bindu becomes
solidified and unmoved and becomes as hard as the thunder
bolt. But the Vaisqava Sahajiya yogis do not remain content
by m aking bindu solidified, unmoved an d as hard as. the
thunder-bolt. Though it is recognised by many of the yogic
schools as one of the highest state of yoga, yet the Vaisqava
Sahajiya yogis aspire further. Because they know that this
yogic-state does not help them in relishing the nector of Divine
Love. They hold that bindu thus solidified with the process
of Praqayam a, hothayoga and Khecari m udra, should be melted
and purified in the fire that is in the woman. They have com
pared bindu which is the essence of body and the source of
extreme joy, with milk. It is said by them that as milk does
not thicken without being boiled over the fire, so also bindu
which is the root of attraction and love, does not become intense
enough to be transformed into Divine Love without the woman
o f heart, who serves as the oven to boil and thicken love. It is
held by them that in practical yoga with the association of a
female sadhika, bindu is distilled in the form of soma or
nector (amrta) and is reposited in the Sahasrar.
The VivartaVilasa says, Now hear about the nature of the Bahya Parakiya.
Just as milk is usually boiled over the fire, so the Vainava
Gosvamis have utilised the fire that is in women for the purpose
o f purifying the passion :
Bahya P arakiya ebe suna Ohe m an I
Agnikuqda vina nahe dugdha avarttan ll
Prakrtir sange jai agnikuijda schhe I
Ataeb Gosvamira tah a yojiachhe 11
(Vivarta-Vilasa, p. 97)
At the same time the Vaiyava Sahajiyas have warned that
the Pravarta sadhak should not take any ordinary woman as
his Sadhan-sangini (female companion). The female companion
also should be equally religious minded woman who should
not drag the Sadhak to the carnal cravings :

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141

Samanya prakrti
pakrta se rati
paraS na kara tare u
(Sahajiya song N o. 15)
With the perfection of bindu-sadliana, the Pavartak emarges
with 'B aindava deha i.e., Suddha (pure) body which is deathless
and free from distintegration, and the Pavartak attains the state
of Sadhak. Then comes to an end of Bahya Parakiya sadhana
and begins the M arm a Parakiya Sadhana. With the perfection
o f M arm a Parakiya Sadhana, the Baindava-deha merges in the
end in higher Visuddha deha or Divya deha i.e., Divine body.
Then the Sahajiya Sadhak becomes Siddha and is belonged to
the group of H ladinl Sakti of Lord Krija.
From the above statement, it is, therefore, quite clear th at the
women so taken by the Sahajiya devotees, are simply means to
an end. Just as the traveller walks over the road to arrive at
his destination, so in the esoteric culture of love the devotee
should have the fixed goal for the realisation of which he should
take a woman. As soon as the object is realised there is no
necessity of the woman any longer.
The Sahajiyas have the
strongest injunctions against the passionate indulgence o f any
kind in the company of women whom the devotees adopt for
spiritual culture.
Marma or Suddha CultureM arm a Parakiya is
said to be the worship of God based on the culture o f sweet
emotions by the revealed ultimate nature (svabhava) o f the
Sahajiya sadhak-devotee. W hen the emotional worship gets
m atured then God is to be loved with the sentiment o f a
beloved woman. It is called Buddha Parakiya. The principle
of iW d h a Parakiya is wholly based on the sentiment of pure
divine love :
Visuddha satter kahi Suddha Parakiya
(C.U. Ms. No. 2533, p. 5)
It is called Parakiya, because in this doctrine the Sahajiya
siddha devotee should love with the intensity o f P arakiya
lover. He should constantly think of Krgija with that depth o f

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SahajiyH Cult

sentim ental feeling which is experienced by a young girl for

her young and beautiful lover. This, in short, is the principle
o f Suddha Parakiya. Here we get glimpse of Buddha P arakiya
ideal enacted in the eternal land o f Vfpdavan. In this sphere
o f auddha Parakiya, the Sahajiya Siddha devotee simply
becomes mad after love, always wailing for union with Kfoa
like a deserted lover, transform ing himself, as the Sahajiyss say,
into Parakiya R adha. This, in fact, is the true spirit of the
M arm a Parakiya culture, which has been adopted by the
Sahajiyas as a dogma in religion. This is considered by them
to be the most natural divine sentiment o f the Siddha devotee
for union with Krna, which was manifested in Sri Caitanya
specially in the last phase of his divine madness. It is said
-that he was born with the sentiment of R adha :
A khaqda niScome tar svabhavic Rati I
Sai svabhavic Rati Caitanya Gosai u
(Bhrngaratnavali, p. 11)
Thus we find, Bahya Parakiya culture in the company of a
woman, which is allied to the Tantrik culture, is considered the
stepping stone to S uddha P arakiya culture by the Vaisqava
Sahajiyas.
The Sahajiya doctrine resembles Tantrikism in this respect
th at both of them advocate Parakiya com panion for mystic
practices with a view to spiritual advancement, which is com
pletely adverse to the theory of G audiya VaigOavism. Though
,the Sahajiya writers have acknowledged their indebtedness to
Tantrikism in clear terms, though they have adopted the cakra
theory o f the Tantras with some modifications to serve their
own purpose and the Ragatmika padas which are ascribed to
Caydidasa, supply proofs of adoption from the Tantras, yet the
spirit of these two doctrines is quite different from each other.
The Tantriks are mainly the worshippers of indomitable Power
and Will, but the Sahajiyas are the followers of Divine Love
a n d to serve their purpose they adopt female partners whom they
designate by the term M anjarls.

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143

Sahajiyas hold fast to the ideal of Parakiya and M adhura

Rasa only. Rasa, as we have noted before, is of four kinds :
(1) Dasya, (2) Sakhya, (3) Vatsalya and (4) M adhura. Some
o f the poetics do not regard Santa as Rasa. However, o f these
four kinds of emotional feelings M adhura is said to be the
best of all. M adhura Rasa is again subdivided into Svakiya
and Parakiya. The G audiya Vaipavas, though they lay special
stress on M adhura, m aintain that a devotee may adopt any of
the four emotions in his attem pt to realise God. But the
Sahajiya Vaisnavas have adopted the M adhura Rasa only ; and
in support of this they advocate that the mystic doctrine of love
rests on the foundation o f this emotion. In this respect the two
schools differ from each other.
We have already stated that the ideal of Parakiya love was
accepted by both the schools of G audiya Vaigoavism and
Sahajiya VaigQavism. Though the G audiya Vaisijavas have
given preference to Parakiya, yet Svakiya has not been discarded
by them. On the other hand they have advanced various
argum ents to ascribe Svakiya character to Radha. But the
Sahajiyas have firmly declared that Svakiya is merely a
semblance of love and that Parakiya stands supreme :
Parakiya Rage ati Raser ullas I
Svaklyate Raga nai, kahila abhas ll
(R atnasara, p. 65)
It is thus quite evident that the conception of the Sahajiyas
is quite different from that o f the G audiya Vnii)avas.
Thus we find that in the sphere of Raga culture the Sahajiya
Vaipavas could not think of any other emotion except that of
M adhura, the ideal of conjugal love being the only ideal that
was adopted by them in the esoteric culture of love and that
was also of the P arakiya complexion. They m aintain that
some sort of practical culture is necessary for the realisation o f
the Divine Love of Parakiya complexion. They, therefore, take
Parakiya companions for the growth of this Divine Love. It is
for this reason that in the Sahajiya works there are references to

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S ah ajiya Cult

the practical culture of love in association with female com

panions, while the Gaudiya Vaipavas simply adopt the ideal o f
Parakiya love to be imitated in the culture of Raganuga emotion.
In this connection the hum an body has received great
attention from the Sahajiyas. They m aintain that the mystic
culture of the body imparts the best spiritual knowledge which
is a necessary factor for the culture of emotional and sentimental
love for God. The Sahajiyas have indulged in a sort of
philosophical conception about the hum an body with regard
to the origin of creation.
According to their perception
every hum an body contains a male and a female element, the
former being located in the right half, while the latter in the left.
A t the origin of creation there was unity, then came the division
to be united again in individual form :
) Sakai sarlre hai ardhanga avala
A nd
(2) Purus Prakfti dui deha madhye achhe
(A m rtaratnavali, p. 4)
(3) Ek Prabhu dui haila Rasa asvadite |
Duia ek haia purbe achhila niscite li
Ekhan duhete dekha rahe ek haia I
Deha madhye dui jan dekha vicariya
Vam ange Prakrti, PuruS dakhirie
etc.
(Nigudhartha-Prakasavall, p. 7)
The theory o f the origin o f Creation .-According to the
Sahajiyas the male and the female elements taken seperately are
simply halves of an ideal whole, and it is only through the
culture of Divine Love th at the two elements become perfect
again in union. This is why the Sahajiyas not only advocate the
com pany of women as equal partners in spiritual culture, but it
is also their favourite maxim that the m an should cultivate the
feminine nature in order to be united with God with the warm th
of Parakiya m aiden love.
In the Brhad-arapyakopanisat we find that in the beginning
was the A tm an and it became self-conscious. It never enjoyed,

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145

an d as it was not possible to enjoy all alone it longed for a

com panion ; it then divided its own self into two as the male
and the female and from their union proceeded the creation.1
These two aspects of the A tm anas the male and the female have
been variously conceived in the Upanigads. This view of the
Upanigads has been reflected in many of the works of the
Vaiggava Sahajiyas with some modifications to serve their pur
poses ; such as :
(1) Ek Brahma jakhan dvitiya nahi ar I
Sei kale Suni Isvar K aren vicar it
A purva raser chegta apurva karan |
Kemane haive iha karen bhavan
Bhavite bhavite ek udaya haila |
Manete an anda haiya vihval haila ll
A rdha anga haite ami prakrti haiva I
A lhiini Radhika nsm tahar haiva II
A p ani Raser murti kariva dharan I
Rasa asvadiva ami kariya jatan
Rasa asvadan lagi haila dui m urti I
Ei hetu Krgqa hai puru prakrti ll
(Dvipako-jjvala-grantha, Ms. C.U. No. 564)
(2) Param atm gr dui nam a dhare dui i
Eimate ek haiya dharaye svarup ||
Tahe dui bhed hai puru prakrti I
Sakaler 1 hai sei Rasa-murati
Param atm a puru prakrti dui I
Sahasra-dale vas kare Raser svarup n
(R atna-sara, Ms. C.U. No. 1111, p. 52, B)
In ^aiva or Sakta Tantrikism we find that the two aspects of
the Absolute Reality have been conceived as the Siva and the
Sakti or the prim ordial male and the female. One of the
fundam ental tenets of all the esoteric schools is to hold that the
1.

B rhad-aranyaka, 1.4. 1-3.

10

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hum an body the epitome of the universe, all tattva is con

tained within the body. Consistent with this view it has been
held that Siva resides in the Sahasrara, the lotus of thousand
petals situated in the cerebrum region, as the principle of pure
consciousness and Sakti as the principle o f world-force resides
in the other pole of the M uladhara cakra in the form o f the
coiled serpent. This Sakti remains sleeping. The sadhana
consists in rousing and raising this Sakti from the M uladhara
cakra to Sahasrara i.e., from one pole to the other and to unite
her there with Siva ; and this union of the Siva and the Sakti
produces the state of the Absolute. Thus, according to Tantrikism, the principles of Siva-Sakti or the male and the female
are contained within the person o f every m an and woman.
Again it has been held that the principles of the male and
the female are contained within the body of a m an in the right
a n d the left respectively; the right half being the masculine part
a n d the left half the feminine part. This will explain the
conception of the Absolute as A rdhanarisvara or the half
male and half-female deity. Thus, there are principles o f
masculinity and femininity contained in every m an and woman,
a m an is a m an because of the predominance in him of the
principle of masculinity, whereas a woman is a woman because
of the predominance of the principle of femininity in her. The
division of the creatures of the world into the male and the
female has an ontological reason behind it. The male and the
female represent in the visible world the division which is present
in the nature of the Absolute as Siva and Sakti, and the perfect
union of the Siva and the Sakti is the highest reality. The
supreme bliss that proceeds from such union is the highest
religious gain.
In Vijfiana-vada Budhism Sunyata was conceived as some
thing like the Ultimate Substance or the prim ordial element
from which evolves the visible world. In Tantrabased later
M ahayana texts, Bodhicitta was conceived of the nature of the
Ultim ate Substance from which everything originates. This

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Absolute Ultimate Substance have two elements in it, viz., nyata

an d Karuna. The commingling of ^unyata with K arupa is
designated by the Vajrayanists as Advaya. It is a theory which
is very im portant for understanding the underlying features of
Vajrayana, for, on this alone the foundation of $5akti worship is
based. The introduction of the Sakti worship for the first time
found expresion in the Guhyasam aja-tantra , where the theory
o f the five D hyani Buddhas was for the first time systematized
and each was assigned a Sakti for the purposes of union. In
Vajrayana Advaya was also deified and we find two deities
H eruka and Prajfia, embodiments of and Karuna, com
mingled in Advaya and fused together in embrance in the Yugan addha form. The duality merges into one and gives rise to
the single form o f H eruka only.
In M ahayana texts we find that Sflnyata is Prajfia and
K arutja or universal compassion is called Upaya. The highest
spiritual knowledge is called Prajfia. When Prajfia and Upaya
are merged into one without distinction, it is called Prajnopgya
a state of Y uganaddha. This Prajnopgya is, on the one hand,
the creative principle of the universe and everything emerges
and develops from this principle ; and on the other hand, is
called M ahasukha, because it gives eternal happiness to him
w ho attains this state. This Prajfiopaya may well be compared
with the H indu deity of A rddhanarlgvar.
The two principles of j^unyata and K aruya or Prajna and
U paya were transformed in Vajrayana to the female and the
male elements. In the Hevajratantra, it has been said that in
the ultimate state there is the cognition o f neither Prajna nor of
Upaya i.e., there is no sense of duality. In the Sadhana-m ala,1
it has been said that the one body of the ultimate nature which
is the unity of both SQnyata and is called as Yuga
naddha. This principle of Y uganaddha is the same as the
principle of non-duality (Advaya). The principle of conjugal
I.

G .O .S ., v o l. II, p. 05.

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union o f Siva and Sakti in H indu Tantras refers to the same

principle. All these indicate the two aspects of the Absolute
Reality. Closely associated with the idea o f Y uganaddha and
Advaya is the idea o f Samarasa or oneness. This Samarasa
has been extensively used in many o f the Buddhist as well as
Saiva and Sakti texts to signify the union of Prajna and upaya
or of Sakti and Siva.
It is, therefore, clear to see th at the significance of Prajiia
an d Upaya is exactly the same as that of Siva and Sakti. The
only difference is that pure consciousness which is absolutely
passive by nature, is conceived as the Lord Siva in the SaivaT sntrik school and it is conceived as the goddess Prajng in
T antrik Buddhism ; where-as the active element is the goddess
Sakti according to Saiva T antrik view, it is the Lord Upaya
according to the Buddhist view. But notwithstanding this
difference in notice, Prajna and Upaya are the symbolies of
Siva and Sakti. As in the Saiva-Tantra Siva and Sakti are
regarded as constituting the two aspects of One Absolute
Reality, so also is the case with Prajna and U payathey are ex
plained as two aspects of One Reality. In either case the
relation between the two is inseparable.
According to the H indu Tantrik view, the first manifestation
o f the Unmanifest is in the form of Ardhanariavar. The
general view is th at the creative impulse is supplied to P rakrti
by Purusa through his contact just as active power is supplied
to inactive iron by magnet through its contact. O f course, the
school of Samkhya holds a different opinion. They say that
creation proceeds from the spontaneous disturbance in the
equilibrium of the three qualities in Prakrti viz. Sattva, rajas and
tamas. In B ouddha-Tantrik view Prajna as a pure consciousness
and perfect enlightenment, is the principle of pure passivity,
U paya is the world-force, it is the dynamic principle, through
the activities of which the phenom enal world comes into
existence.
From the above discussion we come to know that every

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individual is a manifestation of Sakti or may be called energy

an d our individual ego-consciousness with which our exis
tence in this world is linked up, is but a small appearance in a
fixed time and space. In other word the hum an existence is part
of the whole. We suffer, because we have become alienated
from the whole, because our ego, in its self-confinement, is a
distortion of our real nature.
We move in the circle of existences. We are prevented from
attaining our true-self by ignorance. Ignorance does not mean
intellectual stupidity, but spiritual blindness and darkness, the
inability to see the inner light that endures and is imperishable
and untouched by death and decay, the light o f wisdom that
dissipates the darkness of spiritual blindness. If by grace of
spiritual Guru, we turn our eyes inwardly, we are able to find
liberation from ignorance.
Liberation does not mean the
isolation o f an immortal soul from the m ortal human body, but
is the transfiguration of the whole man. So liberated man is not
dissolved into nothingness but he becomes pure and transparent.
M ans yearning is directed towards entireness. M an wants
to have what once fell asunder, reunited on a plane where the
danger of a split is eliminated. M ans integral nature is the
experience of the inseparability with Absolute Being before the
daw n of creation. At the dawn of creation the Absolute
Supreme Being divides Himself within Himself into two contrary
parts : Purug and Prakrti, Siva and Sakti, Prajng and Upaya,
Masculinity and femininity. These two contrary elements in
the Supreme Plane appear through many gradual processes of
changes as man and woman in this phenom enal world. M ans
integral nature is called by the Vainava Sahajiyas as Sahajasiddha nature which Sahajiya devotee aspires to get back
after a sojourn of many painful lives in this material world.
According to the Indian conception the highest aim of m an
is to break away dualism and to be one with Absolute Being.
In order to achieve this goal a m an should have to go through
the long process of Tantrik Sadhana for uniting the masculinity

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and femininity from within as an integral whole. Because

masculinity and femininity are not two different factors but they
are inseparably associated with each other. The inseparability
of masculinity and femininity is a symbol for the true man.
From the very beginning of the idea of enlightenment expressed
under the symbol of the conjunction of two elementsmasculi
nity and femininity, has been linked up with a most intensive
emotion which is called bliss (M ahasukha). Indrabhuti speak
ing of enlightenm ent as pure bliss, says :
Sarvatathagatam jngnam svasamvedyasvabhg-vakam |
Sarvasukhyaglbhfltavat m ahasukham iti Sm rtatn 11
(JSanasiddhi, G. O. Series No. XLiv)
The All-Buddha-Knowledge which is to be experienced
within ones inmost self, is called G reat Bliss (M ahasukha),
because it is the most excellent of all pleasures.
Advayavajra states that :
Sukhabhave na bodhihi sygt m ata ya sukharOpini"
(M ahasukhaprakasa, G.O. Series No. XI)
W ithout bliss there is no enlightenm ent, for enlightenm ent
is bliss itself;
All this shows the ideal of the inseparability of enlighten
m ent and bliss.
The Tantras have aptly illustrated the relationship of m an 1
and woman by the symbols of masculinity and femininity.
The symbol of yugal of the Vaigqavas or Y am al' of the
j^aktas or Y uganaddha of the Buddhists, symbolizes the
harmonious union of the opposites viz., masculinity and
femininity. Justy as in the outer world we meet men and
women, so also within the hum an body there are tender
feminine traits in the soul of the male and the hard m asculine
traits in the soul of the female. The Sadhana of the Tantriks
is to establish a lasting relationship between these two elements.
Whenever a m an comes into contact with his latent femalenessor a woman with her hidden maleness, thus giving up the one
sided ness of conscious life, his or her whole being will be

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spiritually enriched. This spiritual enrichment is of utmost

im portance for realising the supreme goal of life. When an
individual is elevated to the spiritual level with the accumula
tion of merits earned through the sadhana, he experiences an
inner awareness which is superior to his egocentric conscious
ness. Because he has then risen above the contraries. He has
become what he has been at the very beginning of creation.
All manifestations in this world are characterised by a dual
aspect. M odern science speaks of positive and negative
electricity, of potential and kinetic energy and in the realm of
m an, of masculinity and femininity, but the one is always the
-implicate of the other masculinity and femininity cannot
be treated as distinct elements.
The custom of taking woman in the esoteric system o f
sadhana means to acknowledge the value of the woman and to
take her as a guide in the profound culture of integration. The
T an trik sadhak undergoes the mystic sadhana in accompani
m ent of a female ascetic in order to bring to light his true
nature, his incredible potentialities. Thus T antra elevates the
image of the woman. The religious experience involved in the
relation between m an and wom an, is unique. It is this unique
ness of experience of m ans own feminity that transcends the
lin.ited male individuality and paves the way for m ans spiritual
growth and development toward the Absolute whole.
In Buddhism great compassion (m ahakarupa) is the means
or the method (Upaya) by which m ans highest aim may be
realised. M ethod is thought of as the male aspect of the
One.
Wisdom (Prajna) is thought to be female aspect of the One.
The commingling of G reat compassion and wisdom is the
highest affirmation. It makes man realise what he actually is.
But this realisation of his true nature has nothing to do with
the fictitious values of the ego. The integration of maleness
and femaleness deepens the awareness of emotional enjoyments
(bliss) arising from this reunion of what once became separated.

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The m an who achieves this integration, is spiritually enlightened.

W hen an individual arrives at this goal of the realisation o f the
inseparability o f maleness and femaleness, at enlightenment,
then there are no fictitious contraries. Because he has found
again what he has been from the very beginning. All his
worries resulting from the exaggerations of his ego, cease.
Saraha has explained this state of Supreme Bliss elegantly :
G ham bhlraha ubaharpe para appana
Sahajanande chaiiththa KhaQe nia sambeaqa jana .
(Verse-98)
If I speak of the Ultimate, there is neither an Ego nor a
Thou. Experience your inmost nature in that blissful state o f
what you are in this state which we call the fourth moment.
According to the Sahajayana Buddhists the integration of
maleness and femaleness is an internal subjective process o f
integration. The apparent dual aspect of m an as well as of the
whole universe, of which the hum an is but a certain manifesta
tion, has been symbolized by the Prajnopgya. Prajna is the
female aspect and U paya is the male aspect. We see in the
Buddhist sculpture that Prajna and Upaya embrace each other
touching at all points of contact. This is to show that one
cannot be without the other and that they are basically one.
This symbol is of special significance, because it comprises the
physical symbol by means of which m ans spiritual journey is
pictured. The Tantrik yogi goes for the root from whence
everything has started split up into contardictory elements.
The Ultimate Reality is the undivided and indivisible whole
symbolized by the oneness of the Void (J5 myata).
The internal subjective process o f integration of male and
female elements within the body has been adopted by the
Vaigqava Sahajiyas in their esoteric culture of Divine Love.
According to them soul is inseparably connected with its
spiritual nature Svabhava as compassion in Buddhism is
inseparably connected with wisdom.
MahS-sukha (Supreme Bliss)The other im portant innova

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153

tio n in T antrik Buddhism is the idea of M ahasukha (Supreme

Bliss) which evolved from the idea o f N irvana in earlier
Buddhism. The word Nirvana was held by the earliest
Buddhists as the complete cessation of the cycle of birth and
death or the eternal tranquility resulting from the cessation of
all the vasana and Samskara. From the idea of complete
cessation and perfect tranquility developed the idea of
perfect peace in Nirvana. In popular belief as represented
through the Pali literature Nirvaqa was conceived as something
positive. Nirvana is spoken of in many popular Pali texts as
not only something positive, but as a state of infinite bliss S
Santiti nibbaqam jngtva (sutta-nipata, 933)
or, NibhaQam param am Sukham . (Majjhima-nikaya, 508)
or, NibbaQa-thane Vimutta te patta te acalam sukham .
(Then gatha, 350)
This positive aspect of Nirvana as supreme bliss was empha
sised in Vajrayana Buddhism. In later times Nirvana and
supreme bliss (Maha-sukha) were held by the Sahajayana
Buddhists to be identical. W hen N irvaqa was thus identified
with a state of supreme bliss, the attainm ent of an absolute state
of supreme bliss was accepted to be the summum bonum of life
by the Sahajayana Buddhists. For the realisation of such a state
o f supreme bliss they adopted a course of yogic practice.
The conception o f 'Sahaja'The word Sahaja literally
means that which is born with the birth : Saha jayate iti
Sahajalji. Sahaja is the svariipa of all. But it cannot be
explained by words, because it transcends the capacity of all
verbal means. It is said in the Hevajratantra :
Nanyena Kathyate sahajam na Kasm inn abhilapyate |
A tm ana jnayate puijyad guru-pado-pasevaya li
(Hevajra-tantra, Ms. P. 22B)
Sahaja can neither be explained by any m an nor can be
expressed by any speech ; it is realised by the self through the
merit of serving at the feet of the Guru.
So we see that Sahaja can be attained through self-

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realisation, Sva-samvedyaip, none else can make one realise

it.
Because it is of the nature of transcendental reality.
According to the Sahajayana Buddhists the state of Sahaja is a
waveless sea of perfect purity. It is unchanging without any
transform ation ; here m ind has no function at all, this is what
is called Nirvana. In the conception of Sahajayana Buddhism
^unyata (Void) and K aruija (Compassion), transformed as
Prajng and Upaya, are held to be the two prim ary attributes
o f the ultimate Reality which is Sahaja. The two aspects of
the Ultimate Reality, Prajna and Upaya, are conceived in
Sahajayana Buddhism just as &ikti and &va of the H indu
Tantrik school. Prajng and Upaya thus represent the principles
of dualism and the unification of the two in a supreme non
dual state is the final aim o f the Sahajayana Buddhists. The
practical yogic m ethod for the realisation of the Sahaja is,
therefore, fundamentally based on the principle of the union
of Prajfia and Upaya.
According to the Goudlya Vainava-school the two aspects
of the Absolute Reality are explained as ^ and R adhathe
eternal enjoyer and the eternal enjoyed.
All kinds of esoteric sadhana of India have a common back
ground. The secret of all esoteric sadhana is to destroy all
principles of dualism and to attain the final state of non-duality.
This ultimate state of non-duality is variously called in the
different esoteric systems as the state of Advaya, Y uganaddha,
Yam al, Yu^al, Sama-rasa or Sahaja. The final state of yoga
is called the Sahaja state. The Vaisyava Sahajiya Cult is the
outcome of the am algam ation of Sahajayana Buddhism and
G audiya VaiSQavism. So this cult lays much stress on yoga for
realising the Sahaja-nature of the self.
The other most im portant thing common to all schools of
esoterisjn is the culture of the body (Kaya-sadhana). But the
esoteric culure of body is not the final aim of the Buddhist
Sahajayanas or the Vaigqava Sahajiyas. The process of KayaS adhana is regarded in both the sects as an indispensable:

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155

accessory for the realisation of the Sahaja-nature as supreme

bliss. But there is a marked difference between these two sects
in respect of their final goal. The Sahajayana Buddhists lay
the highest stress on the realisation of Sahajanature as the
summum bonum of their religious life. But the devotional
spirit of love is, however, conspicuous by its absence from the
Sahajayana Buddhists, which plays a dom inant part in the
devotional culture of the Vaipava Sahajiyas.
In the Buddhist Sahajayana school the physical organism
was regarded as the epitome of the universe and the physical
body as such was regarded as the abode of all truth. We have
seen that it is a salient feature also of the Vaigpava Sahajiya
cult.
A study of the poems of the Vaigqava Sahajiya literature
will reveal that the Vai9 ava Sahajiyas developed a yogic system
o f their own involving the theory of ti e lotus or plexus, the
nervous system and the control of the vital wind. Among the
nerves of the body, three are the most im portant, two by the
two sides of the spinal cord and one in the middle. The m iddle
nerve Susumna which is the meeting place of the other two
nerves Ida and Pingala, has always been regarded by them as
the path to Sahaja. This Sahaja, according to the Buddhist
Sahajayanas, is the state of vacuity (Sahaja ). This Sahaja
is a non-dual state of supreme bliss (M ahasukha). There is no
fundam ental difference in the conception of Sahaja between the
Buddhist Sahajayanists and the Vaisnava Sahajiyas. But it is to
be observed that the sole emphasis of the Vai$ava Sahajiyas
seems to be on the intensity of devotion and love through which
the Saddaks nature attains the perfect state of unity and non
duality and this state is what they call the state of Sahaja.
Bhagavan Kri)a is none but the non-dual Ultimate Beloved
and that Ultimate Beloved is the Sahaja. This Sahaja is to be
realised not simply through the austere esoteric practices, but
also through a state o f deep immersion in the intensity of
supreme love and devotion.
The religion o f the VaiSpava

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Sahajiyas is, therefore, marked by a dom inating spirit of love

which is the watchword o f their sadhana, although yoga
and T antra have influenced greatly in the initial stage of
S adhana.
In the Priti-samdarbha of Jiva Gosvami it has been shown
that R adha represents am ong Gopis the highest degree of the
supreme love : Premotkara-paraka$ha. Therefore R adha,
as the greatest devotee, is said to have attained the highest state
of M ahabhava and obtained KrOa in the fullest manner. The
superiority of R adha to all other Gopis consists in the fact that
in her is prom inently displayed a particular essence of lovesentiment (Premarasasara-vigea) which in its turn is the
essence o f the supreme H ladinl ^akti of Bhagavan Krija
(Hlad inisara-vftti vi6ea). This is why R adha is entirely
identified with Kfgrias greatest attribute of bliss or H ladini
$3akti. The relation between the highest and greatest devotee
(R adha) and Bhagavan (Krsqa) is, therefore, one of absolute
identity but appears non-identity inspite of identity which may
be compared to the relation of the scent to the flower. It
follows, therefore, that R adha is the highest type of Bhakta
(devotee) as well as the closest consort of . This is the
view of the Vaii)ava Sahajiyas who hold that the highest state
of R adha may be attained by a sgdhaka-devotee through the
culture of both the T antrik yoga and the intense devotional
love-sentiment.
The doctrine of divine love, as enunciated by the school of
Gaudiya Vaisoavism, is based on a principle of duality. The
Gaudiya Vaiijavas have conceived a kind of duality between
G od and the individual (Jiva). This principle of duality cannot
be surpassed even when the devotion of the individual culminates
into sentimental love for God. The V ai^ava Sahajiyas adm it
this principle of duality in the lower plane for the culture of
devotion, but in the highest plane when devotion culminates
into sentimental love for G od, the individual self melts and
merges in God being inseparably united with Him. At this

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157

supreme state the relation between G od and the individual soul

is a relation of non-dualism , and yet they adm it o f a kind of
dualism in order to relish M gdhurya.
This principle of
dualism in non-dualism is something that transcends intellectual
comprehension (acintya).
After the brief account of the general characteristics of
Sahajiygn Buddhism in general and after indicating the mode
of transform ation o f the principle N irvaga o f M ahayana into
the positive state of M aha-sukha of Sahaja-yana, and thereby the
development of esoteric doctrines and their influence on the
Vaisqava Sahajiya cult, let us now once again turn our attention
on the study of the special features of Vaigava Shahjiya
school.
Four kinds o f mUnusThe Vaignava Sahajiyas have dis
covered four kinds of manu and have differentiated them
according to their virtues :
(1) Samanya m anusthe ordinary m an of passions;
(2) ayoni manuSoul or A tm a ; (3) Rager manuSPara
m atm a ; and (4) thence the Sahaja manu or nityer maus
Krgpa :
M anus manuS
trividha prakar
mgnuS bachiyg leha |
Sahaja manug
ayoni m anus
Sainskara m anus deha i|
(Sahajiya song No. 22)
Cf. also
Rgger manug
Nityer manu
ekatra kariya nive |
PaiaSe paras
ekanta kariya.
Riipe misgiya thuve |i
Ei se manu
asak kariya
rati se bujhiya nive I
Riipa rati tahe
ekanta kariya
hrdete manu have it
Sunutrtha RatiSahaja m anus Krgoa cannot be attained

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S ah ajiya Cult

through the Samanya rati. He is to be attained through the

"Visea rati (samartha rati). W hen a Sahajiya-sadhak sublimates
the Samanya rati into Vi6ea rati through the mystic culture
o f sentimental love, then the Sadhak becomes siddha and attains
the nature of R adha :
Sei deha rati jaya Krpete battaya i
Krame krame rati Sola an a haya n
Thus the sam anya rati when transformed into the Vi6ea
ra ti, it becomes fit for undertaking the culture o f SupremeLove.
In the Ujjvala N ilm ani of RQpa Gosvami we find description of
three kinds of Rati, viz., Sam artha, Samanjasa and Sadhgrai)i\ Sam artha rati is the best of all, because in it there is no
selfish motive o f self-satisfaction, rather there is complete self
surrender to the beloved. The Samanjasa Rati, however, wishes
to have equal share of enjoyment with the lover. The
Sadharaql Rati is inspired in love-union only with the desire o f
self-satisfaction. The VaigQava Sahajiyas have recognised this
classification of Ratis but they have accepted the Samartha Rati
as the only Rati suited for the culture of Divine Love. They
have termed the SadhgraOi Rati by the Samanya rati and
Sam artha Rati by Vi6ea Rati. They have vehemently asserted
th at Sam anya Rati is converted to Visea Rati by following the
mystic practices of T antrik yoga-sadhana.
The Vaigqava Sahajiyas have laid stringent conditions
-regarding the culture of divine love. They have declared that
for the attainm ent of divine love a m an must become dead first
o f all dead in the sense that the lower anim al instincts in him
must be eradicated, giving scope for full play to the divine
emotional feelings in him. They have described it as Jiyante
m ora. This kind of death enables a man to be imbued through
and through with the radiant glow of his real svariipa. With
the revelation of realself (svariipa), svabhava ( spiritual nature )
also is revealed within. Because Svariipa and Svabahva i.e., soul
and its spiritual nature remain intermingled. The Sahajiyas
have put sole emphasis on the process of esoteric sadhana by

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159

which a m an must do away completely with the egoism of

manliness and transform his nature to that of a woman.
According to the Vaiggava Sahajiyas, real sadhana (culture) of
emotional love for does not begin until Svabhava (the
ultimate nature) that lie hidden in m an, is revealed within. We
find, this theory corroborates with that of Christian mysticism
and SQfism.
The stringencey of Sahaja-sadhana and the great danger sure
to result from the slightest deviation have been repeatedly
declared by the Sahajiyas. The process of sadhana has fre
quently been com pared to the process of diving deep in the
ocean without getting wet in the least or to the process of
m aking the frog dance before the serpent :
Sam udra pasiva
nire na titiva
nahi duklja sukha kies
(Candidas)
Or, Saper mukht te
bhekere nacavi
tava ta rasik-raj 11
(Candidas)
Whenever the esoteric practices are resorted to in a lower
plane, the result must be dangerous ; it is for this reason, the
Vainiva Sahajiyas have more than once declared that a real
Sahajiya sadhak is rarely found even among crores Kotike
gotic hai.
Three stages o f SadhanaThis stringency in the Sahajasadhana leads to the im portance of strict physical and m ental
discipline without which it is simply disastrous to enter upon
such a course of sadhana. It is for this
reason, the three stages
have been marked in the course of sadhana, viz., Pravartaka
or the stage of the b eg in n er; Sa ihaka, i.e., an advanced
stage ; and Siddha* or the perfect stage. Closely associated
with these three stages of sadhana are the five Asrayas (refuges),
viz., Naina (divine name). M antra, Bhava (divine emotion),
I ' i v i i u t Divine love) and Rasa (divine an a n d a or bliss).
N araa
11nil M antra are associated with the stage o f Pravartaka, Bhava

160

SahajiyH Cult

with the second stage o f Sadhaka, and Prema and Rasa

associated with the third and final stage of Siddha. It has been
repeatedly enjoined that the sadhana in company of a wom an
can be entered upon only in the Sadhaka stage. At the perfec
tion of Sadhaka state, culture of emotional feelings begins. A nd
culture of intense divotional love ensues with the perfect stage
o f Siddha and never before. Thus we find that the perfection
o f body and m ind preccedes the culture o f the devotional
emotional and sentimental love in the religion of the Vaii)ava
Sahajiyas. The perfect devotional love, according to them, can;
never be realised without a perfect body :
Apakva dehete
e kam sadhile
i-kul u-kil jai |
Baman haiya
bahu pasgriyg
C and dharivare cai u
(song of Narottam)'
Herein comes the question of Yoga-sadhana. It involves the
practical sadhana in association with the female com panion.
The practice of Hathayoga plays an im portant part in the
sadhana of the Buddhist Sahajayans as well as in the sadhana
o f the Vaisyava Sahajiyas and of the H indu Tantriks.
The im portant point, therefore, to be noticed is that the
culture of divine love of the Vaisnava Sahajiyas is always based
on the Yogic Sadhana. The emotional love sadhana of the
Vaisyava Sahajiyas evolves from the Yogic sadhana. It is for
this reason the Sahajiya texts and songs are full of hints on the
yogic Sadhana. The Sahajiyas are in firm belief that without
being conversant with the secrets of Yogic practices and thereby
revealing Svabhava (ultimate nature) within himself, none can
attain the status of culturing Raggnuga-bhakti (emotional
love) in its true sense.
In all schools o f esoteric yogic practice the body has been
held to be the abode of all truths. The same view is equally
emphasised in the VaiSpava Sahajiya school. It is said in a
song of Cayilidas that truth resides in the body :

Contributions o f masters o f this school

161

Vastu ache dehe varttam ane l

Or,
Rasa-vastu thake sei rasik sarire i
Piriti m urati hai prem nam dhare |l*
(Dvipakajjvala grantha, C. U. Ms. No. 364)
It is said in the R atnasara that if one can realise the truth o f
the body (bhatyda), one will be able to realise the truth o f the
Universe (Brahmatjda). It means that the realisation of the
mystery of the body leads to the realisation of the truth of ones
own self. N ot only that, the realisation o f the mystery o f the
body also reveals to the Prem a-sadhaka that Krsria, R adha
and Vrndavan reside within the body. So body is held by the
Vai5i.iava Sahajiyas to be the basis o f R aga-sadhana :
Bhandake janile jani B rahm ander tattva |
*

BhaOda bicarile jani apan m ahattm a |

A pana janile jani V rndavana tattva
*

Bhai)da haite jani jata KfSpar m ahim a i

Bhayda haite jani R adha-prem a tattva sima l|
(C. U. Ms. No. 1111)
The proverb goes that hum an body is the temple or G od.
So the body be kept purified. The same view is held by the
Vaisgava Sahajiyas. To them the ideal loveof R adha can
be realised only in a perfectly purified body and m ind, whence
all kinds of defilement are absolutely eradicated. Our body
and mind are the outcome of the com bination of three elements :
Sattva (subtle virtue), Rajas (energy) and Tamas (inertia). By
(lie purification of body and mind means the subsidence of the
dem ents o f Tamas and Rajas, and the predom inance o f the
element o f Sattva. The Vaii)ava Sahajiyas say th at above the
Multi of Sattva is the state of Suddha-sattva where sattva is
iiiily prominent eradicating completely the other two elements
It itjiiN ii ml Tamas. This state Suddha-sattva is achieved
i Ii v u u r I i the yoga-sadhana.
Again with the help o f Raga-

II

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Sahajiya Cult

sadhana, ^uddha-sattva is further purified and is transform ed

into ViSuddha-sattva. This state of ViSuddha sattva is a
transcendental state. The culture of pure love of the nature
of Radha-love is possible only in such a transcendental state.
Thus the Raga-sadhana of the Vaisnava Sahajiyas is the culture
o f love that transcends from the finite to the infinite, from the
sensual object to the spiritual object. To them, the esoteric
culture of love is based on the realisation o f the Self as well as
o f the Ultimate N ature which is the embodiment o f infinite
supreme love of Radha. So we find that the final aim o f the
Vaisoava Sahajiyas is the realisation of the Sahaja-nature of the
Self through the culture of R aga (love). Supreme love flows
form the Sahaja-nature, which in its ultimate character is the
Rasathe intense sentim ental feelings o f Love Divine.
The above, in a nut-shell, is the fundam ental basis
o f the religious creed of the VaisQava Sahajiyas expressed
in their lyrical poems and other prose and poetical works.

CONCLUSION
VRA TICAL ASPECT OF YOGA BETWEEN THE TWO SCHOOLS
o r BUDDHIST SAHAJAYANA A N D VAISNAVA SAHAJIYA

It is im portant to note that in the practical aspect of yoga,

I lie system of Vaigyava Sahajiya school is essentially the same
as that o f Buddhist Sahajayana school. O f course, there is a
remarkable difference in their respective religious attitude, but
m spile of all differences in views and the religious approaches
l lie Yonie process seems to have been substantially the same.
I lie linal goal of the Sahajayana Buddhists is the attainm ent of
Mnhu-sukliii (supreme bliss). The practice o f the Sahajayana
Buddhists for the realisation of the M ohasukha was intimately
eonnectcd with the esoteric practices in association with the
woman.
This is why Sahajayana Buddhists eulogised the
woman in all possible glowing terms as the incarnation of
l*i.i|rtii and her company was regarded as indispensable for the
attainm ent of perfection in spiritual life. O f course, we must
ivmeiiilK-r that I'rajfiu is not the corporeal w o m an ; she is the
Niilui|a damsel.
I n I he way the Vaiwava Sahajiyas explain the necessity
til t h e m m paiiy dIW oman in tlieir Sahaja-sadhana. The ideal
ol M a h a s u k h a o f the Buddhist Saluijayanists has been further
modified by the Vaisoavu Sahajiyas into the intense emotion of
supreme love llowing from the Sahaja-nature of the Sahajiya
Siddha devotee. Neither M ohasukha nor supreme love o f the
I h i rest and of the most intense nature is attainable without the
help o f the same religious m inded w om an; and it is for this
l e a t . u n I hat the Buddhist Sahajayanists always spoke o f her as
(lie invar nation of Prajfia and the Vaisyava Sahajiyas as the
mlm.limenl of M ohabhava, i.e., the supreme emotion o f love
ir. |iri -,iinilicd by R adha. This attitude of the Vairiava SahaliyA. piesents a sharp contrast to that of the Buddhist Sahal ay f m a s .
O n e school had recourse to the esoteric sadhana from

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Sahajiya Cult

a particular outlook, the other approached the Yogic practices

from a different point o f view. The approach o f the Vaisijava
Sahajiya school to the supreme goal lies in the element o f
intense feelings of em otional love and devotion which is
conspicuous by its absence in the Buddhist Sahajayana school.
Though devotion may be recognised to be one of the chara
cteristics of later M ahayanic Buddhism, yet the Buddhist Saha
jayana cult was pre-eminently an esoteric yogic school.
Let us now have a brief comparison between the ideology
o f the Buddhist Sahajayanas and that of the VniQava Saha
jiyas. We have found that the final aim of the Buddhist
Sahajayanas was supreme bliss. This conception of the final
state o f the Buddhist Sahajayanas differed greatly from that o f
the earlier Tantrik Buddhists in this that the M ahasukha state of
N irvana is a definitely positive state, while the earlier Buddhistic
tendency was towards negation or a state of absolute dissolution.
M ahasukha has been held by the Buddhist Sahajayanas to be the
final statethe state of perfect enlightenm ent. The final state
of M ahasukha as the state of Sahaja of the Buddhist Saha
jayanas is also the final state of Sahaja with the Vaisqava Saha
jiyas. But the Vainava Sahajiyas conceived this Sahaja state
as the state o f Supreme Divine Love. The conception of
and R adha of the Gaudiya Vaisyavas has been interpreted by
the VaisQava Sahajiyas in a sense akin to the conception o f
U paya and Prajna of the Tantrik Buddhists on the one hand
and &va and &ikti of the H indu Tantras on the other hand.
The principles of U paya and Prajna of the Tantrik Buddhists or
Siva and f^akti of the H indu Tantras are but the two aspects of
One Absolute Reality. The principles o f Krgpa and R adha of
G audiya Vaiijavism are also the two aspects of One Absolute
Reality.
According to the opinion o f Vaispava Sahajiyas,
R adha is the supreme state where a Sahajiya can reach passing
through three stages of Sadhana namely Pravartaka, Sadhaka,
and Siddha. Tantrik Buddhists or Hindus hold the view th at
through the process of esoteric sadhana a Sadhaka is able to

Conclusion

165

unite Prajna and U paya or Siva and Sakti. Thus uniting the
two aspects o f One Absolute Reality the Sadhaka eojoys the
supreme bliss (Param ananda) arising out of the union of the
two. According to the principle of Vaistjava Sahajiyas, the
Sahajiya Sadhaka, after attaining the highest state o f R adha,
enjoys the supreme love arising out of the unending love-sports
with Kroa who is no other than G od Himself : Krnastu
Svawam Bhagavan (Sreemat Bhagavat PuraOa). So R adha
and Krspa of G audiya Vaii}avism have easily been assimilated
by the Sahajiyas into their cult.
Moreover, the supreme
slate of the VaiOavas is no state of absolute cessation or
annihilation, rather it is a positive state of the eternal flow of
Divine Love. This ideal of the final positive state of love was
very well utilised by the Sahajiyas in a slightly modified way
and thus the Sahajiyas accommodated their esoteric practices
with G audiya VaiSnava theology. Having been adopted
with the Vaisoava theology of Bengal, their whole ideology
and methodology were changed differing greatly from those of
Saliajayun Buddhists. The whole aim of T antrik sadhana
til llie Vai9uava .S'ahajiyas was to discipline the mind in order to
vmn enti ate the whole energy in the culture of Divine Love.
Thus the Sahajiyas gave a new interpretation of hum an love.
The Sahajiya Sadhaka followed Tantrik practices only to
prepare the mind to he absorbed in the unfathomable depth of
Divine Love and emotions. The whole process of esoteric
smlhuna of the Sahajiyns was to sublimate the passionate love of
man into a selfless devotional love for God. Thus to the
Sahajiyas the Tantrik practice was only a religious process for
Hie divinisation of hum an love and the consequent discovery of
the divinity in man.
The esoteric sadhana of the VaiQava Sahajiyas grew m ainly
with the ideal of eternal love between R adha and KfSQa in the
eeleslial land of Vrpdavanthe land of eternity. The philo
sophy that the G audiya Vaiijavas has developed, is that R adha
is the transfiguration of the infinite potency of Divine Love

1 66

Sahajiya Cult

ntained in the very nature of K fsija who is God HimselfKrgga, the Ultim ate Being, has been conceived in three succes
sive states(i) Brahm a, (ii) Param atm a and (iii) Bhagavan.
These three states are but the three different aspects o f One
Supreme Reality. as Bhagavan or Supreme Reality
possesses three powers, viz., Svarupa Sakti, i.e., the power
which He possesses by virtue of His ultim ate nature, Jiva Sakti
or known as the Tatastha-Sakti, is His power through which
all the beings are produced, and the M aya-Sakti through
which evolves the material world. The Svarupa-$akti of Kr$na
has again three attributes, viz., Sat (the attribute of eternal
existence), Cit (the attribute of pure consciousness), and
A n a n d a (the attribute o f bliss). The potency of these three
attributes o f are know n as Sandhinlthe power o f
existence, Samvitthe power o f consciousness and H ladini
the power of bliss which is o f the nature of infinite love.
R ad h a is the emblem of Hladini-Sakti of . Though
R adha and Krpa as conceived by the Gaudiya Vai^qavas,
apper to be two, yet these two are but one and the same in the
ultim ate principle. They are inseperable from each other. T he
apparent separation of R adha from Krgija is for the self-realisa
tion of Krstja. Krpa is the embodiment of Supreme Love.
K rsp a fails to relish His attribute of A nanda or love when H e
is alone. Taste of love depends on the lovesports between the
two. In other words Kroa has within His nature two aspects,
the enjoyer and the enjoyed. W ithout the object to be enjoyed
H e can not even realise His Own N ature as the enjoyer. So H e
separated from Himself His H ladini-Sakti known as R adha. So
and R adha are co-relative. The apparent separation o f
inseparable relation between the two, is for the relish o f
M adhurya arising out of the eternal love-dalliance of R adha
and Kr$na. This m utual relation of eternal love-sport which
is called Lila, is, according to the Vaisnava Sahajiyas, the
secret of the whole dram a enacted in the eternal land o f
Vrijdavan.

Conclusion

167

rsnadas K aviraj was the first to proclaim in his famous

book, Caitanya C aritam rta, th at Sree Caitanya was born
combining in him the enjoyer and the enjoyed of the eternal
love. K rsoadas Kaviraj has pointed out that Sree Caitanya
was none but Krna Himself hallowed with the lustre of the
supreme emotion of R adha : Radha-bhava-dy uti-suvalita .
Though R adha is the Hladinl-Sakti involved in the very nature
of Krija, yet in the eternal land of Vrndavan Kr0a fails to
realise the intensity of emotion of R adha, th at enables her to
enjoy the infinite potency of love and bliss that is in Him. In
order to enjoy His all-pervading beauty and infinite love, He
combines the beauty and intense emotion of R adha In Him
.md descends on earth as C aitanya M ahaprabhu. This speaks
<>l the religious attitude o f Caitanyadev. In the latter half of
his life in NilacaV, he remained overwhelmed with R adhabhava or the love attitude of R adha towards K?na. Thus
Kr$i)a Himself in the embodiment of Sri Caitanya practised
Itndhn bhava and preached how to practise Ragatmika Bhakti
11 irliiious attitude of the devotee towards .
The idea! of devotional love as preached by Caitanyadev, is
imbibed by the Gaucjlya Vaisyavas. But the religious attitude
that they follow, is not exactly the same as that of Sri Caitanya.
The religious attitude of the Gaudiya Vait)avas is Sakhi-bhava
rather than R adha bhava. They place themselves in the
position of the Sakliisthe female companions of R adha,
who never long for direct union with Krna, but ever long for
witnessing from a distance the eternal love-making of R adha
and Krgya in the supra-natural land of Vrrjdavan (A prakrta
Vrydavan). They desire like the Sakhis of R adha to take
part in the preparation of eternal love-sports between R adha
and rr>a and thus to enjoy by witnessing the playful lovemaking of R adha and Krjja, which is called the eternal Ilia
being enacted eternally in the eternal land of Vrpdavan. Thus
they hanker after just to have a peep into the Divine L ila,
and this peep into the divine Lila is the highest spiritual gain

168

SahanyH Cult

beyond which they cannot think of.

Again the general view of the G audiya Vaisoavas is that
Jiva being the Tatastha-Sakti of Krna, can never be elevated
to His Svariipa-^akti. The reason they put forth in support o f
their view, is th at Jiva is Cif , i.e., a very little frag
m entation of unlimited pure consciousness of Kri)a. So Jiva,
however religiously advanced he may be, can never attain the
status o f Svam pa-^akti. There is a perm anent line of dem ar
cation between Svar5pa-^akti and Ta^astha-6akti though the
two kinds of Sakti are involved in the ultim ate nature of Lord
Kr$a. Thus the Gaudiya Vaisijava do adm it a difference
between the devotee and G od, which goes against the principle
o f Advaitaism.
The religious attitude of the Vaioava Sahajiyas is exclusively
R adha-bhava. They follow the R adha-bhava of Sri Caitanya
who placed him self in the position of R ad h a and longed
with all the torm enting pangs of heart for union with his
beloved Kri)a during the last twelve years of his Ragatm ika
sadhana in N ilachal. We have seen that the religious approach
o f Sri Caitanya, as depicted by Krgqadas Kaviraj in his work,
C aitanya C aritam rta, is somewhat different from that o f the
G audiya VaiSflavas. N o doubt the VaiSQava Sahajiyas received
their philosophy of Radha-Kri}a from the Vaisqava religion
and also believed in the eternal dalliances of Radha-Krija in
the highest spiritual land o f Vrndavan. But they have taken
all these views in some modified form and applied them in
their practical sadhana in order to serve their religious purpose.
According to them the Absolute Reality has, from the very
beginning of creation, divided Himself for the sake of self
realisation into two counterparts as the enjoyer and the enjoyed
or as Krga and R adha. They hold this view that like Sri
Caitanya who combined in himself the essence of Radha, every
m an has within him the spiritual essence of R adha, which is
his svabhava (ultimate divine nature). M an is oblivious o f his
ultimate nature owing to the influence of M aya. One has to

Conclusions

169

reveal first ones own ultimate nature by resorting to T antrik

Sadhana and then to Raga-sadhana.
According to ^aiva or Sakta Tantras of the Hindus,
Param brahm a or Absolute Reality has at the beginning of
creation, divided Himself for the sake of Self-realisation, into
two counterparts know n as Siva and Sakti. Siva and Sakti
are nothing but two aspects, named Purus and Prakrti of
one undivided Absolute Reality. Siva is the incarnation of
first-half essence, and Sakti is the incarnation of second-half
essence of One Absolute Energy. This division of Siva and
i^akti as positive and negative forces of One unlimited Absolute
force, was required for the manifestation of the world. A nd
then the polarisation began. At one end of the pole there is
O ne Supreme Absolute Being and at the other end there are
diverse manifestations of phenom enal world. M en and women
of the world represent the two opposite elements in millions of
fragmentation of One Absolute Reality. In a man the element
of Siva predominates and the element of Sakti lies dorm ant.
In a woman the clement of Sakti predominates and the element
<>t Siva lies dorm ant. So the m an feels the want of female
element and the woman feels alike the want of male element.

I hcrelorc wc find in the outer world th at man and wom an are

attracted to each other irresistibly in order to unite the opposite
elements in them. This is why in the H indu T antras all men
and women have been held to be nothing but the incarnation
of 6iva and Sakti manifested in the physical form ; and also in
the Buddhist Tantras they have been held as the embodiment
of Upaya and Prajfia respectively.
This view of Tantras
either of the Hindus or of the Buddhists, has influenced the
VaiSQava Sahajiyas in their belief of accepting a religious
m inded female com panion in the process of their Tantrik
Sadhana with a view to imbibe and culture the intense
em otional feelings of his female com panion and to revive his
real feminine nature which remains veiled behined the false
ego of masculinity. We find, many of the Vaisnava Sahajiya

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Sahajiya Cult

texts are introduced in the form of the earlier Agamas ar.<f

Nigamas in which Siva has sometimes been described as prac
tising the Sahaja sadhana with ^akti.1
The Sahajiyas further hold this view that Jlva being the
Tatast'na Sakti of Krgija is, after all, a P rakrti and her pride as
being the Purua (puruSabhimana) must be removed before
she can be permitted to have her proper place in the eternal
region of Svarupa-i^akti. Being included in the Svariipa-Sakti
o f Krt)a, the Sahjajiya sadhaka acquires the merit by practising
the intense em otional Bhakti-dharm a. By virtue of merits
thus acquired, the Bhakta Sahajiya sadhaka is converted to
H ladini Sakti o f Lord Krna. Thus a Sahaja-siddha sadhaka
by developing his Svaiiipa Prakrti to the highest spiritual
extent, is converted to Svariipa Sakti of Kr 0 a and obtains
the nature of H ladini Sakti. So the Hladini 6akti, the Ultim ate
Blissful N ature of , which is termed by the name R adha,
is nothing but a supreme religious status to which a Jiva has
the right to attain. Conform ing to the blissful nature o f
, Jiva is united with Krgija in the supra-natural or
ap rak rta Vrndavan. This status of Radha, the. blisful nature of
, according to the Sahajiyas, can never be attained even
by the gods except the man. This is why the renowned
Sahajiya sadhaka, C andidas has said that m an is the highest
reality. There is none above m an :
Sunaha Manug vai i
Sabar upare M anus satya
T ahar upare nai i
So the VaiSpava Sahajiyas are of opinion that Jiva, though
belonged to T atastha Sakti of , may be converged with
the Svaiiipa $akti and thereby the Raganuga Bhakti of Jiva
may be elevated to Ragatm ika Bhakti of Radha. From this
point of view the Sahajiyas differ greatly from Gaudiya
Vainavs.
1.

See the au th o rs book C aitan y o tto r P ratham C ariti Sahajiya P uo th i.

Conclusions

111

It is very interesting to note in this connection that there is

a small poetical work entitled S adhaka ranjana1 by K am ala
K gnta who flourished in the first half of the nineteenth
century. In this book Yogic K ula-Rupdaini ^akti has been
conceived exactly in the image o f R adha. The rise o f the Sakti
to meet i&va in the Sahasrara has been sung as the coming out
o f R ad h a to meet her belove in private. The concepts of the
pairs Siva-^akri, Projng-Upaya and -R adhg were
gradually mixed up j and as a m atter o f fact Purusa-Prakfti,
^iva-Sakti, Projna-U paya and K rspa-R adha m eant all the same
in popular theology. This fact has helped the Vaisqava Sahajiyas
to develop their theolagical belief on this line.

1.

Edited jointly by messrs. B asanta R an jan R ay and A tal B ihari

G hosh, Sahitya-Pari$ad g ranthavall, N o . 71.

PANCHA SAKHA CULT

OF
ORISSA

P A N C H A S A K H A CULT

Likewise the Vai9 ava Sahajiya cult of Bengal, Pancha

Sakha D harm a and M ohima D harm a of Orissa are also the
out-comes of a popular assimilation of the religious ideas o f the
later T antrik Buddhism with those of Gaudiya Vaii}avaism
represented by Chaitanyadev.
In order to ascertain how were the popular religions like
Pancha Sakha Dharma and M ohim a D harm a orginated and
developed out o f the admixture of the remnants of M ohayan
or Vajrayan Buddhism with the elements of G audiya
Vaii)avaism, let us once more go back to the primitive age when
Buddhism flourished in Orissa and have a brief survey with
regard to the gradual development of this religion in course of
time in the land of Orissa.
The story of conversion of two m erchant brothers of Orissa
named Tapussa and Bhallika into Buddhism by Buddha him
self just after his enlightenment, has already been m entioned.
The story has revealed the association o f Orissa with the
development of early Buddhism. While Tapussa and Bhallika,
the two merchants of Orissa, are regarded as the first lay
disciples of Buddha by the Mahavagga o f Vinaya texts, the
Aftguttara Nikaya as well as by the Jataka, the N ikaya literature
also points out that the Vassa and the Vanna tribes of Orissa
recognised the teachings of Lord Buddha.
T aranath, the Tibetan historian, gives Odivisa (Orissa) the
credit of being the earliest centre of M ahayan Buddhism.
Some of the M ahasanghika monks who very likely dwelt in
Orissa in the post Asoke period, were the forerunners of
M ahayan Buddhism in Orissa.
An im portant centre of M ohayan Buddhism in the early
Christian centuries was Tamralipta. In ancient times the
im portant cities of M agadha like Rajagrha, G aya and Pa^liputra

176

Pancha SakhH Cult o f Orissa

were connected with the south eastern countries by roads. T he

famous port of Tam ralipta was the meeting place of these
various routes.1 By the time when Fa-H ian came to India
(fifth century A.D.) Tam ralipta had as many as twenty four
monasteries, all flourishing and lively with resident Buddhist
monks. The Chinese pilgrim Fa-H ian was so much fascinated
with rich libraries and sanctuaries o f those monasteries that he
stayed there for long two years. Tam ralipta continued to be a
great Buddhist centre as late as the time of I-Tsin (673-87 A.D.)
who praised highly o f the fame and grandeur of the B haraha
monastery of this place.2 The B haraha monastery of Tam ra
lipta was a stronghold o f Buddhism in Eastern India. The
Chinese pilgrim I-Tsing, who learnt sanskrit and philology in
this monastery, has left a vivid account o f the institution which
was thSn inhabited by both monks and nuns with perfect
discipline of life and conduct.3 After I-Tsing, his monastery
came under the influence of Tantrayan. The early Bhanja
rulers of Orissa extended their sway over Tam ralipta and under
their patronage Tantricism as well as Saivaism began to flourish
there from about the tenth century A.D .4
It is also known from the Tibetan sources that Munjashi
was a famous sacred place in Orissa, a centre of Buddhist
learning frequented by the celebrated teachers and AchSryas
during the M edieaval period. W hen King M ahlpala was ruling
over M agadha (988-1036 century A.D.) this sacred place was a
stronghold of Buddhism in Orissa and it was then visited by the
great Tantrik scholar A nandagarbha, one of the preceptors of
M ahlpala. Viracarya, the then ruler o f Orissa paid great
honour to A nandagarbha.5
Even as late as the fifteenth and the sixthenth Centuries
1. See M ahavam sa VI.
2. See T akakusu, I-Tsing, ch. X.
3. Ibid.
4. See H unters O rissa I.
5. See Pag Sam Jho Zang, p. 115.

Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

177

A.D. when Buddhism declined alsmost from the whole of India,

Orissa could preserve the vestiges of the different schools o f
later Buddhism. A chyutananda Das, the reputed religious
leader and philosopher of the sixteenth century A.D. in Orissa,
has referred, in his most famous book Sunya-Sam hita (chap. X).
to different schools of Buddhism that were then secretly existing
in Orissa namely N agantak followers of Nagarjuna, Vedantak
or Sautrantik school and Yogantak or Y ogachar school. He
has also mentioned in that book the various systems of religion
observed by the T antrik Buddhists but in secret, such as yoga
practices inaugurated by Gorakanath under the com m and of
Vira Sinha, the yoga system of M allikanath, the doctrine of the
Bauli or Baul sect and the Saksimantras of Lohidas and K apil.1
From the observations of A chyutananda Das in his Sunya
Sariihita, we can safely assert that N agantak or the M adhyamik
philosophy introduced by Nagarjuna, the Yogachar or the
system of rites and observances akin to those of Yoga as
introduced and enjoined by Asanga and others., and the
Sautantrik dealing with Buddhistic dogmasthese three schools
o f thought ; an d the Ha^ha-yoga systems introduced and
propagated by G orakganath and M allikanath, and the doctrines
of the Baul sect, and the m antras introduced by Lohidas
an d K apilall these different sects were all along alive and
active in Orissa though they were driven underground by the
forces of many antagonistic circumstances. It is evident from
dtinya-Sam hita that all these schools and sects devoted to
Yogic practices. They represented the ideology of Tantrik
Buddhism in Orissa during the sixteenth century A.D. Even
1.

N agantak V edantak Y ogantak jete I

N anaproti vidhire kohile toi chite II
G orak^anathanka Vidya V irasim ha A jna l
M alliKanathanka yoga Bauli pratijna II
L ohidas K apilanka sak?im antra jete |
Kahile je jem anta Se hoichhi gupte II
(Siinya-Samhita, ch. X)

12

Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

the followers of the Vedantic school came under the influence
o f T antra, because they looked upon T antra as the fifth Veda
which was also regarded as the Siguveda1 by YaSovanta Das
who was also another great philosopher of Orissa in the sixteenth
century A.D. The esoteric sadhanas of these sects attracted the
common people of Orissa of that period. Besides, it has also
been clearly established from the ViSnugarbha of Chaitanya
Das and the D harm agita of M ahadeva Das that the worship
of the Pancha D hyanl Buddha was in vogue in Orissa at that
time.
The most prom inent am ong the Buddhist teachers of Orissa
in the sixteenth century A. D. were Varanga Swami, Lohidas
a n d Virasimha and all o f them used to practise yoga on the
banks o f the river Prachi, which was then densely covered with
forest. Quite a large num ber of their followers were residing in
the caves of Dhauti, Khaydagiri Udayagiri in m odern Purl
district and in the hillocks of M ahiparvata, M aqduka, Jalauka,
R atnagiri, N altigiri in the district of Cuttack and in various
feudal states of the Gadjat.2 The area of the Gadjat, including
the feudal states, comprises Sambalpur, Balangir, D henkanal,
M ayurbhanja, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Nayagarh, K handapara,
R anapur, K hurda, K oraput (?) and Bhawanipatna. M any are
o f opinion that R anapur is the birthplac of Achyutananda.
But from the accounts of his autobiography inserted in SaA hita published by Prachi Samiti (Committee) we came to
know that A chyutananda was born in Tilakana at a miles
distance from the village, Lembalo where he returned at the fag
end of his life after preaching his religion in different places
only to breath his last. The villages Tilakana and Lembalo
belong to the District of Cuttack. A tomb in memory o f
A chyutananda was erected over his grave at Lembalo, which
still exists.
1.

cf. Prem a B hakti B rahm a O ita o f Y asovanta D as, ch, I.

2 . See Siinya Sam hita o f A chutananda.

Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

179

Vira Sixhha, the greatest and the most enlightened Buddhist

of his time, was professing the intricate and mystic philosophy
of the Ngggntak school. According to Isw ara Das, the Utkal
author of C haitanya Bhagavata, Vira Siriiha was a great
philosopher, a yogic Puru, a renowned physician and at the
same time a Tantrik Siddha, and he com m anded respect not
only in Orissa but also in many parts of the A n d h ra territory.1
He is also known to be a great writer of esoteric texts and many
o f his books in the form of M antra, Saptanga, Bhajan, Ajna
and C hautisa are preserved in manuscript forms in many places
of Orissa.
From the biography of B uddha-G uptanath, the guru of
T aranath, \'e come to learn the existence of Buddhism in Orissa
as well as in various places of India in the seventeenth century
A. D. B uddha-G uptanath was born in Indralinga near RgmeHvaram in south India. His family name was Krsi)a. He
was initiated by an ascetic called Tirthingth. In the Census
Report of Bengal, (1901, P tI, p. 203) we find, In the seventeeth
century B uddha-G uptanath wandered in various parts of India
and found Buddhism flourishing in many places. Then it was
lost altogether. For two or three centuries Buddhism became
absolutely unknown in India.
It is known from the records of the reputed Sadhu BuddhaG uptanath th at he visited Kalinga where Buddhist remains
were in plenty. Passing through Jharkhaoda he came to the
land of Jagannath, which was then a great stronghold o f
Buddhism. The Tibetan sources also corroborate the fact that
Buddhism was prevalent in Kalinga, Jharkhaoda and in the
territory round about Jagannath as late as the sixteenth,
s e v e n te e n t h and even the eighteenth centuries A.D.
M r.
I i-ri;usson is also of opinion that Puri was an ancient seat of
BmUlhis;ii and th at the worship of Jagannath is a relic o f some
Buddhist cults.
I . See Isw a ra D as, C haitanya B hagavata, ch. 53.

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Pancha S a kM Cult o f Orissa

The most ancient name o f Puri was Nilachal. At present this

nam e, however, is not in common use. It is also known by
the name Jagannath-K setra, Ketra means the sacred place.
F or centuries past, the city has been looked upon as the
holiest on the face of the earth. A nd the tradition everywhere
accepts Jagannath identified with the Buddha-avatgr (incarna
tion). To the Buddhists of Nepal D harm araj and Jagannath
are only other names of Buddha. The Hindus regard Buddha
as the ninth avatar (incarnation) of ViSnu, and this opinion of
the Hindus is also endorsed by the Buddhists of India.
A chutananda Das in paying homage to Lord Jagannath, has
described in his book G adura Gita (ch. I) :
Shri Nilkagdare Bije K ariachha B uddhartip Vahichha t
Bhakta nim ante Tum bhar eh-sabu Bhaiyan Prabhu
Shri-Vasyachha
Oh Lord (Shri-Vasyachha) ! you have appeared at Nilgiri
(Nilachala) in the incarnation of Buddha. Your all these incar
nations are m ade for the cause of the devotees.
N ot only A chyutananda Das but almost all the ancient
poets of Orissa when singing of the ten incarnations, have
referred to Jagannath or the D aru-B rahm a as being identified
with the incarnation of Buddha, the saviour of men in the
Kaliyuga. Sarala Das, the first great poet of Orissa, probably
of the twelveth century A. D., says in his M ahabharat :
Navame vaijdaha Shri-Buddha Avatar I
Buddharxipe bije kale Shri-NilktQdar n
In the ninth I pay my bumble respects to the incarnation
o f Buddha who in the form of Buddha dwell in the N ilachala
i.e., Puri.
From a detailed account in Yasom atim alika, a scripture o f
the M ahim a D harm a sect of Orissa in the nineteenth century
A. D., we find that Jagannath of Puri generally passed for
Buddha till the forty-first afika (year) of the reign ofM ukndadev,
the son and successor of Raja Prataprudradev of Orissa. A nd
we have learnt from the pen of Tibetan lama T aranath, a noted

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181

historian of Buddhism, that this M ukundadev was in reality a

staunch and faithful worshipper of B uddha, It was during his
time th at the notorious K alapahar carried on his formidable
crusade against Hinduism and Buddhism, and it was with the
end of long reign of M ukundadev that the Buddhists began to
pass their lives in concealment and seclusion.
From Yasom atim alika we further learn that the revival
of Buddhisn in the name of M ahim a D harm a took place in the
year, 1875, the twenty-first year of the reign of Divya Sinha of
Puri. Bhima Bhoi was the leader and propagator of M ahim a
Dharm a. Shri N agendra N ath Basu, Praehya Vidyamaharnava,
a noted Archaeologist of Bengal, is of firm belief that the
M ahim adharm ins of G adjat are but the converted Buddhists.1
From the above investigations we feel sure that the people of
Orissa in general would believe th at B uddha was in reality an
avatara (incarnation) o f ViQu and so they were justified in
substituting the name of Jagannath for Buddha. From the
survey of the history of Buddhism in Orissa we find that so far
back as the sixteenth century A.D. Buddhism was a prevalent
and highly influential creed in Orissa influencing the thoughts
and lives of many thousands of people of Orissa.
Raja P rataparudra appears to have ruled Orissa from the
year 1497 to 1540 A.D. He was a H indu king and a staunch
supporter of Hinduism. We learn from M r. Sterlings Orissa
th at although the followers of Buddhism were at first received
with favour and treated with marked consideration by Prataparudradev, they were afterwards persecuted by his court. It was
the dread of persecution by the king that compelled the
Buddhist priests to seek shelter in concealment. A nd to evade
these persecutions and avoid incurring the displeasure and
disfavour of the Brahmins, the common B uddhist pepole played
the hypocrite by adopting the religious observances and prac
tices of the Hindus. Owing to persecutions at the hands o f the
1. See M odern Buddhism a n d its followers in O rissa.

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Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

king and his courtiers, the enormous influence that Buddhism

once exercised upon the m inds of the people in Orissa, began
subsequently to wane. Although the crusade carried on against
the followers of Buddhism, no doubt, compelled them to take
refuge in the impregnable hilly parts o f the country, yet
Buddhism was never wholly extirpated from Orissa. Though the
Buddhists were persecuted during the time of Raja Prataparudradev, yet they succeeded in securing largely the patronage
o f his son and successor M ukundadev. Speaking of M ukundadev whose dom inion extended from Trivet)! in the N orth to
G anjam in the south, Pag Sgm Jon Zang, a Tibetan work
written by Sampo K ham pa, states that king M ukundadev
favoured Buddhism and Buddhists were found in large numbers
residing in his territories. We quote from the work the follow
ing words in English :
M ukundadev, king of Odivisa (Orissa) who favoured
Buddhism, became powerful. His power extended upto M agadh.
He too did some service to the cause of Buddhism.
During the reign of Raja P rataparudra in Orissa, Shri
Chaitanya M ahaprabhu came from Navadwip of Bengal to
visit the temple of Jagannath. Chaitanyadev settled perma
nently at Puri at about the age of thirty. His long residence of
last eighteen years of his life produced a religious fervour and
enthusiasm all over the province and thus made Orissa a strong
hold of the Vaisgava faith. His long stay at Puri Was marked
by two im portant incidents. The first was the conversion of a
famous Vedantist, Vasudeva Sarvabhauma. The conversion of
Vasudeva Sarvabhaum a was an im portant achievement for
the movement of Vaignava faith which Chaitanyadev represented
and which in this way made its first deep impression in Orissa.
The second was the homage paid by Raja P rataparudra who
was favourably impressed by the fervent devotion and religious
ecstacy of Chaitanyadev. His religious personality and magnetic
charm overwhelmed Raja P rataparudra so much that he con
sidered Chaitanyadev an incarnation of Lord Jagannath.

Pancha SakhH Cult o f Orissa

183

Indeed Chaitanyadev was revered by the people of Orissa as

the living personality of Lord Jagannath of Puri temple.
It is also needless to mention here that one of the foremost
cause of receiving Shri C haitanya with warm th and regard by
Raja P rataparudra was to counteract the spread of Buddhism
in Orissa. In order to escape the persecution and oppression
which followed in the reign of R aja Prataparudra, upon the
Buddhists of all sects and schools, a large majority of them
embraced the Vaisqava religion of Lord Shri Chaitanya. But
it does not seem likely to expect that all of them were earnest
and sincere converts to the VaiSgavism. O n the contrary they
were, in their heart of hearts, but votaries of Buddha.
From the various religious books of Orissa of the sixteenth,
and seventeenth and even of the eighteenth centuries A. D. we
come to know that many modified Buddhists were then residing
in various parts of Orissa. They cherished the loving memory
o f their religion and made no secret of it amongst themselves,
though, in society they passed for devout Vaiggavas. In con
sequence of it a new force of Buddhist culture in Orissa appeared
by the sixteenth century A. D. and transformed it into a
vigorous Vaisyavite movement centering round Lord Jagannath.
The names of A chyutananda Das, Balaram Das, Jagannath
Das, A nanta Das and YaSovanta Das are held in high esteem
by the pious Vaii)avas of Orissa. These five illustrious persons
were the principal poets who sang the glories of Shri Krishna,
The Oriya works of Balaram Das, Jagannath Das and
A chyutananda Das are permeated with a spirit of devotion ;
and in those works there are many songs which display a
high spiritual emotion. This is why these five persons have
been regarded as five apostles of Vaiijavism of Orissa. The
most renowned religious poet A chyutananda has left us an
immortal literary work of his, named Sam hita from
which we learn th at he flourished in the N ilachala during the
reign of Raja Prataparudra. In his work we also find m ention
o f Balaram Das, Jagannath Das, A nantaran Das and Yasovarita

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Das as his contemporaries.1 It is beyond doubt that by the

presence of all these five faithful followers or servants (Das) of
the Supreme Lord, Orissa was honoured and sanctified early in
the beginning of the sixteenth century A.D. It also cannot be
overlooked that though these five Dasas outwardly professed
the Vaisqava faith and propagated the Chaitanya cult, yet from
their writings we come to learn that in their heart of hearts they
were but sincere and staunch followers of Buddhist religion.
The Siinya Saibhita of A chyutananda Das, the G upta G ita
and Siddhanta D am barl of Balaram Das and in a later period
Vigpugarbha Purafl o f Chaitanya Das, Dharma G ita o f
M ahadev Das and Stuti-Bhajans of Bhlma Bhoi (the pro
pounder of M ahim a-D harm a)all these works preserve the
philosophy of Sunyata of the Buddhists. A close study of
these texts would reveal th at the essence of Buddhism was
retained by the thinkers of Orissa upto a very late date and at
the sametime show how Buddhism was absorbed by the
Vainavism. The m ain interesting feature of these works is
that their philosophical conceptions bear close relation to those
of Buddhism. The theory of incarnation of the Great Void
maintained and explained by these veiled followers of
Buddhism, were largely influenced by the Vaipava faith of Shri
C haitanya M ohaprabhu. This is why Sri Nagendra N ath Basu,
Prachya Vidyamaharnava, in his work entitled M odern
Buddhism and its followers in Orissa , has drawn the attention
o f scholars to a modified form of Buddhism that prevailed in
Orissa from the sixteenth century onward. The book on which
he mainly based his conclusion that A chyutananda Das and his
four companions were crypto-Buddhists, is the Siinya Sariihita
o f Achyutananda.
& Samhita It is one of the most renowned works of
A chyutananda. In it he has throw n a flood of light upon his
spiritual life. He has referred in this work that he was ordained
1.

Siinya Sam hita, ch. X.

Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

185,

by Lord Jagannath in his dream to take initiation from

Shri Chaitanya :
^una Achyut mo vachana i
C haitanya th aru diki ghena u
( Samhita)
It is related in his A nakar Sariihita that obeying the direc
tion of Shri C haitanya he first became a convert to Vaisqavism
under Sanatana Gosvami. Referring to himself in
Sam hita he says th at shortly after his conversion to V aii)avism
he could in no way bring his mind to take the least interest in
a n y of the wordly affairs. With the lapse of time this tendency
became more and more marked. In course of time Nirguija
Brahm a made himself manifest to him, illumined his innermost
heart and pacified the storm of passion and desire. Ten years
and ten months after his conversion A chyutananda came to the
forest of D aydaka on the eastern bank of the Pr chi river and
visited there many Ris and Tapasvins who were at variance
with each other. About a week after he had reached the forest
of Datydaka, he was graced, at dead of night and in the midst
o f a dense forest, with the presence of Lord Buddha. Achyuta
nanda has described this celestial visit in his ^unya-Sariihita in
the following lines :
Pancha Sat dinare probes hai jau I
G ahane khatu prabhu niyogare thau li
N isi ardhabhageno padai taratam I
Ke paila na paila prabhu niyogena n
A badhan honti m onu dinam ane pai |
Aehi Samoyaku Se darSan kalu jai n
Koile mo pran pancha kahi $hila I
Niyog na ruche mote tum bheta naila
A eha suni charaner tale mu padili I
Nistarili nistarili bolin boili ||
Janaili chhamure sakal katha muhi |
Hasin uthile prabhu taha taha hoi n
Boile Achyut tumbhe suna gmbha bayl I

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Pancha SakhH Cult o f O rissa

Koliyuge Buddha rupe prakasila puni
Koliyuge B auddha riipe nija rup gopaya |
*

Tumbhe m or pancha atm a bata pancha prana i

Avatar sratyi jete tum bha pai puna ||
N irakar m ontre sarva durgati hariba i
A pane tarin se je pare taraiba ||
Buddha m ata adisakti sangha chhanti kahi I
N irakar bhajane nirmal bhakti pai it
A em anta kahi se dele m ontra niradhar I
A jna dele koliyuge kara ja prochar
Chinhiva kahile prabhu swayang Brahm a aehi |
M uhi aehi riipe achhi sarva ghate rahi
Jau Achyut A nanta yaSovanta Das i
Balaram Jagannath kara ja prokas l|
Ajna pai ambhi pancha jana je ailu I
M onyan na chalila vane probesilu
Ri tapi sannyasi namak Virsingha |
Rohidas Bauli kapil jete sangha
Sabha moqdaila je vasile sarva tapi i
Pacharile prabhunka ki ajna hoiachhi ||
K ohili mu Sunya m ontra antra karanyas |
Topi m ane jai jai phale je prokaS
Dekhile je sunya Brahm a svayam Jyoti hoi |
Ghate ghate vije aehi sunyakaya dehi |
Sthavar jangam kit patangadi jete |
Sunya kaya sunya m ontra vije ghate ghate |l
kayaku je nirakar yantrasar |
B hala daya kale dina janaxhka sadar |i
( Sam hita, ch. X)
For five or seven days 1 walked into the dense forest in
search of my Lord. One day at dead o f night when I was
deeply absorbed in studying, I was graced with his presence.
He said, Long and tedious has been the separation between
myself and the five souls of my life. I would not rest till I met

Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

187

you. Having heard this I fell prostrate at His feet, cried aloud,
Saved, Oh ! I am saved now, and informed him of all the
thoughts and ideas of my mind. H aving heard me the Lord
burst into a fit o f laughter and said, Listen Achyut, to what I
say. Tn the Kaliyuga I have m ade myself manifest again as
Buddha. It is desirable, however, for you in the Kaliyuga to
hide your Buddhistic frames of m ind away from public view.
You (five) are indeed my five souls, my five lives. Having under
gone incarnation I have found you back. All troubles and
calamities will now be put to an end by means o f N irakar
m antra. Having saved yourselves first by this, you will save
others afterwards. I tell you, take refuge in Buddha, in mother
A di-sakti or the first prim ordial energy and in the sangha. By
devoting yourself to the N irakar (Void) you will be chastened
and purified with an influx of transparent devotion. Having
said all this, He initiated me into the religion of N iradhar
(Void)* and instructed me to go back into the world and
propagate this religion in this Kaliyuga. The Lord said also,
Know that Buddha is none else but B rahm a Himself. A nd in
this form do I dwell inside all bodies :
Chinhiva kahile prabhu swayang Brahm a aehi i
M uhi aehi rupe achhi sarva ghate rahi ll
G o, you Achyut, A nanta, Jasovanta, Balargm and Jagannath,go and publish what I say to you. Having been thus ordered,
we five entered the forest where Rsis and Tapasvins, Sannyasins
an d the followers of Virsingha, Rohidas, K apil and the Baul
sect gathered together in an assembly and wanted to know what
were the directions of the Lord. I explained to them the Sfinyam antra, yantra and karanyas appropriate for the worship o f
or Void. U pon this all the sages assembled there blessed
the name of the L ord. They got the vision of Brahm a
who is devoid of all forms, residing as light inside all bodies.
The stationary and the moving, the insect and the fly inside
all these remain the Purus and the l^iinya-yantra.

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Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

Through the Nirakgr antra which is the essence of the Snnya

Purus, He has, out of grace, revealed all this.
F rom the above statement of A chyutananda 6ri N agendra
N ath Basu, Prachya Vidyamaha.ri.iava, have come to this con
clusion that the five great souls viz. A chyutananda, Jagannath,
Balaratn, A nanta and JaSovanta Dasas who have generally
passed for devout Vaisgava poets, were, in fact, the devout
Buddhists of Orissa in the sixteenth century A.D. Though they
were sincere Buddhists being votaries of B uddha, yet they found
it necessary to keep their Buddhistic frames of mind hidden
under the garb of Vainavism for fear of persecutions by the
Brahmins and the king. It is for this that we find the following
line in A chyutanandas Samhita, Kaliyuge Bauddarupe
nija rQp gopyait is desirable in the Kaliyug that the follo
wers of Buddha should remain in disguise.
All that can be said in defence of those who regard these
five pious and devout souls as five apostles of VaiSriavism, is th at
their religious lives an d views were m oulded and regulated to a
considerable extent by the preachings of the Vaipava masters.
The G audiya Vaisnava creed gained the upper hand in regula
ting their faith. Although the theology of Gaudiya Vait)avas
exerted a great influence on them, yet they interpreted the cult
o f R adha-K rna in a new way, and one quite different from
the Gaudiya Vainava point of view. The following extract
from the writings of A chyutananda and Jagannath will show
how this sect propagated its own doctrines quite differently from
those of G audiya Vaii)avism :
(a)
Jiva atm a Radhe boli param m urari |
(Sunya Sariihita, ch. II)
R ad h a is the Jivatm a and M urari the Paramatma.*
Gaudiya Vaii)avas never think that Jivatm a in its essence is
R adha. To them Jivatm a is a microscopic part of Krna and
belongs to His T atastha $akti. According to the view of
Gaudiya Vainavism Tatastha $akti can never in any circums
tances attain the state of R adha, Svarup gakti of Kfa.

Pancha Sakh& Cult o f Orissa

(b)

189

A nakar je i3ri Brahma Sam hita grantha mone k arasar |

Sri Krishoa chararie sarai) poSila din Achyut pam ar |l
(Anakar-samhita)
Only do think of the great Brahma-samhita which deals
with the A nakar. A nd with this advice to you all, the low and
sinful A chyutananda resigns himself absolutely to the grace of
^rikrishija. Here ^rikrt)a of A chyutananda is not Srikrjna
of G audiya Vaispavism. He is A nakaa Siinya Purus com
parable to Absolute Brahma of Upaniad, who is unlimited and
devoid of any frame and quality.
(c)
KrishQar krlda-ras eihi I
G upta Vrgdavan kahi 11
M athurapur m oha unya i
G opnagar sehu jana n
(Jagannathdas, Tulabhina, ch. IX)
Such is the meaning of the love sports of KfSQa. V r g d a v a n
is really a secret place. M athurapur means nothing but the
great Void, and this is also the meaning of Gopanagar*.
Thus Jagannath Das has openly declared that Vrijdavan,
M athura and other holy places should not be localised. In
reality they signify M aha-sanya or G reat Void.
From the above quotations it is evident that the interpreta
tion given to the cult of Radha-K rspa by this class of Vaistjava
poets of the sixteenth century A.D. does not tally wilh the
mythological accounts of the G audiya Vaisqavas. The above
quotations leave little room for doubt that Mali a-Siinya, the
G reat Void, was the highest goal of their religious aspiration.
They had their own scriptures composed by the highest and
greatest amongst them.
In view o f the above discussions let us now ascertain how
far justified it is to call those five illustrious ascetics of Orissa
either crypto Buddhists or veiled Vaiijavas. I n order to do
this I propose to present here the life-history of A chyutananda,
the vanguard of Pancha Sakha D harm a an d to analyse in brief
some of the works of this religious sect.

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Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

L ife o f Achyutananda Das : After a great deal of calcula

tion Paydit Vinayak MiSra arrived to this conclustion that
A chyutananda Das was born round about the year 1490 A.D.
According to the calculation of Sri A rtavallabh M ohanti, the
date of his birth was fixed in the year 1511 A.D. Paydit
Suryanarayan Das after quoting some padas (verses) from the
book, U daya K ahanI in concern with the birth of Achyuta
nanda Das, had established that he was born in the year
1489 A.D. Pandit Suryanarayan Das had also established the
dates of birth of other four religious leaders of Pancha Sakha
Dharm a. According to his calculation the date of birth of
Balaram Das falls on the year 1473, th at o f A nantaram Das on
the year 1475 and those of Jagannath Das and YaSovanta Das
on the year 1477. All these dates of birth of the five religious
apostles based on the calculations o f Pagdit Suryanarayan Das
have generally been accepted.
The birth-place of A chyutananda Das has already been
mentioned. He came of a poor family. His parents names
were Sri D inabandhu K huntiya and Smt. Padm avatl Khuntiya.
His grand fathers name was G opjnath Khuntiya. It is
presumed that A chyutananda was K hapdayat (Khhatriya) by
caste, and was unm arried.
From the auto-biography of
A chyutananda, which was inserted to his work, Sunya Sanihita
and was published by the Prachi Samiti, we come to know
that his father D inabandhu K huntiya was a great devotee of
Lord Jagannath at Puri. It is said that no son was born to
him even in his much advanced age. So D inabandhu prayed
for a son to Lord Jagannath, and out of grace of the Lord, his
son A chyutananda was born. W hen he was five yeais old,
A chyutananda was admitted into a village school. Besides this
we do not get any inform ation from his auto-biography about
his childhood. But it is certain that as D inabandhu was a
great devotee of Lord Jagannath, he would frequently visit Puri
and it is highly probable that A chyutananda also would
accom pany his father. At that time $ri haitanya M ahaprabhu

Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

191

accom panied by his faithful followers and disciples came from

Navadwip an d was residing at Puri. The devotion and the
religious ecstacy o f Chaitanyadev attracted all the people, high
and low, equally. Even Raja P rataparudra himself fell under
the spell o f his charming religious personality. A t this
D inabandhu could not resist the tem ptation of following the
religion of l^ri Chaitanya. At the biddings of his father
A chyutananda took refuge under the feet of Chaitanyadev who
directed his favourite disciple Sanatan Gosvaml to give initiation
to A chyutananda. Thus A chyutananda was initiated to
Vaisqavism at a very premature age when his knowledge had
n o t properly developed. So the selection of DikSa G uru was
not made out of the deep faith and eagerness on the part o f
Achyutananda. However, after initiation he came back to his
native village, Tilkana and gave up the family life and embraced
the life of a m onk. A t Tilkana he sat under a banian tree and
sank in deep meditation. After long days of m editation
self-consciousness dawned upon him. Being illumined with
self-consciousness he saw a glaring light descending before him.
That light took the form of a person and initiated him with
Bija-m antra. A chyutananda has described this luminous
G uru as an Absolute one who has no beginning or end. After
this celestial initiation A chyutananda became the votary of
Absolutism, the attributeless Supreme Being. Absolute is but
the synonym of what the Buddhists call Siinya. A chyutananda
has named the celestial guru as Jyotirananda. 1
After having been initiated by the celestial guru, Achyuta
nan d a came on a pilgrimage to the sacred places of Rameshwar,
C hitrakut, Ayodha, Dwarka, Kashi, Proyag, M athura, Vrndavan.
After the extensive tour over the different places of consecration,
he came back to Puri. By that time Balaram Das, A nantaram
Das. Jagannath Das and Yasovanta Das were present at Puri,
and were initiated into the Vaisoava faith represented by
1.

A uto-biography o f A chutananda.

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Sri Chaitanya M ahaprobhu. Having returned to Puri, Achyuta

n an d a joined with those four converted Vaisijava apostles and
brought about a new religious movement called Pancha Sakha
Dharm a. A chyutananda, though youngest of them, was the
vanguard of this new religious movement. In this new religious
movement all the faiths and religious practices of Vaigpavism,
Buddhism and Tantricism were assimilated. Thus the Pancha
Sakha D harm a became the meeting ground of the three main
religions that were current in Orissa at th at time. Pancha
Sakha D harm a of Orissa was the outcome of the merger o f
three different religious thoughts and theories.
Literatures o f Pancha SakhH Dharma :
Towards the end of the sixteenth century A.D. those five
religious poets o f Pancha Sakha D harm a composed innum erable
books on the philosophy and religion representing the views of
th at new religious movement. It is said that A chyutananda
alone wrote more than hundred books. Most of his books were
lost. By the extensive search the members o f Prachi Samiti
have recovered many of his books. Some of them have been
published and the rest are lying in manuscript-form preserved
by the Prachi Samiti. So far my knowledge goes, the book
named G opalanka Ogal (Songs in praise of Krna) is the
first work of A chyutananda and the book entitled A nakar
Saihhita is his last work. In between we find m any of his
works that are now available. Let us mention below some of
the names o f those available works :
Samhita
Ogal
Gopalanka

Gita
Chhaya
Kaivarta
Jyoti
Kaliyug
>
A nahata
Gurubhakti
9
Akalita

G adur
Avad
Jnanpradip

Brahmavat
NiSchal Jnan
Y antra-m antra-T a ntra Sam hita
N itya Ras
G adur
A nanta Got

Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

TattwabodhinI
Brahma Sankuli
H ari Vansa
Bhabanavar

193

Besides these he had composed innum erable short poems,

Bhajans etc. By writing various G itas an d Sariihitas Achyuta
nanda has left before us a landm ark o f his gradual spiritual
progress towards the path o f self-realisation and in the attain
m ent of maturity in religious thoughts. His writings have also
enriched the literature o f Orissa and have established the new
theory o f the Pancha Sakha Dharm a.
GopalaUka OgcllIn the eighth chapter o f GopalaBka Ogal
A chyutananda has described, We, the five apostles o f
VaiSQavism, are born according to the desire o f Krqa
only to express the m agnanimity of the love-sports between
R ad h a and Kli)a.
Gurubhakti GitaIn this book A chyutananda has put
great emphasis on the importance of Guru :
Bolanti G uru suna Vrajasuta, K ahiba tote bujhai i
Pratham are guru-vidya padvanti Brahma-bhag dure thoi it
G uru, the spiritual preceptor, says, hear me, Vrajasuta,
I shall explain to you in detail. Aim, at the outset, at a
knowledge of the guru keeping aside for a while the knowledge
o f Brahma.
In it he has m entioned in order the seventy names o f his
gurus beginning with M ahasunya an d ending with $ri
KTSOa Chaitanya M ahaprabhu. In the second part o f G uru
bhakti G ita we find support o f the Tantrik yoga conception :
Thoke Gopalanku tum bhe rahase misao t
Thoke Gopalanku tum bhe T antrare bujhao l|
Y antram an Gopalanku K ehu Sikhaiva t
M antram an Kehu Gopalanku bujhaiva l|
Y yotirananda m urati Keban G opala t
C hhaya m urati darsana kariba H jdam la it
,
Avad m urati K eba K ariba darSana |
*
13

194

Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

SamadhiniSchale Kehu K aribe ti puna ll

(G urubhakti G ita, part II, p. 48)
Here the conception of T antra as described by A chyutananda
is mainly in the line o f the Bhagavadgita. He has also
supported here the significance of Bija-mantra, yantra, hrdam iila
which are indispensable elements of Tantra-sadhana.
In the third part of this book A chyutananda has clearly
m entioned that Jn an and Bhakti are but the two inseperable
aspects of Sadhana. Sadhak, the seeker of the Ultimate Truth,
should tread on the paths of spiritual knowledge and devotion.
Otherwise, Supreme spiritual realisation can never be achieved :
Jn an bhakti ek dang
Sagun bhakti ek jan a i
Nirgup-saguijadi m ata
Bhakta-m anapka ek vitta I
M adhurye aisvarjya je aehi
Aisvarjye m adhurya misichi i
(G urubhakti G ita, P art III, p. 183)
Brahm a-Saftkuli A chyutananda has elaborately delt in
Brahm a Sankuli the process of Yoga-sadhana. The process o f
yoga-sadhana of the Pancha Sakha D harm a is based on the
same line as propounded by the N ath Yogins, the Buddhist
Sahajiyas and the Vaiijava Sahajiyas of Bengal. We find in
this book the instructions on Yoga for making the body
im mutable, as for example :
Y antra binyasi tantra kaha l
Yem ante rahiva ah deha ll
(Brahma-Sankuli, p. 4)
N o t only th at but also the yogic system involving the control
over the sun an d the m oon, is advised to be adopted for the
perfection of the body :
C h andra sQryanku kale goSthi i
Biama Brahm a agni u th i ll
Pralaya taku na badhai t
Teveti siddha anga hai n (Brahma-sankuli, p. 17)

Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

195

Thus we find, the ideal of immortality in the Siddha-deha as

propounded by the yogins of the above Siddha-schools exerted
considerable influence upon the Pancha Sakha D harm a of Orissa.
Those Siddha-schools held the realisation of the ultimate nature
of the self as well as of the supreme-self, either in the form o f
pcrfect enlightenm ent, which is great bliss as in the case of the
T antrik Buddhists or in the form o f perfect love as in the case of
the Sahajiya V a r a v a s , to be the final aim o f all Sadhana. O f
course there are the differences in outlook an d approach and
also the differences in practices, yet the general conception of
the final state is much the same am ong all the yogic schools
including the schools of the Pancha Sakha D harm a o f Orissa.
Achyutananda in this book, has also described how to
control the m ind. H e has said, it is useless to study religious
books whilst our m ind is completely under the influence and
control o f the lower attributes of ignorance and passion. These
attributes, as opposed to the third and highest attribute, Sattva,
i.e., the spiritualistic tendency, drag us dow n and hold us back
from the way of salvation. So having our m ind absorbed in
materialistic world we have no chance of finding the real nature
o f brahm a. To have an effective control o f m ind we should
first try to get rid of passions or lusts which have occupied our
m ind by substituting them with m editation o f Vairagya (self
disassociation), purity and bhakti (devotion).
By constant
practice of purity of thoughts we can make our m ind clean from
vicious thoughts. If we can always engage our m ind with noble
thoughts, noble ideas, noble purposes or m editation, prayer or
reciting mantras, then the m ind will become noble and pure.
Thus we should make our m ind a nest o f pleasant, loving,
noble, pure and holy thoughts and then we can be cheerful,
noble, pure and holy. Our cells of the body also respond to
our thoughts and moods of the m ind.
Thoughts are forces which work in our m ind and through
'm ind they influence our physical nature as well as our spiritual
nature. The noble, pure and holy m ind leads to the spiritual

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Pancha S a k M Cult o f Orissa

transform ation of life. Therefore the secret o f inner develop

m ent is purity , and ennoblem ent of thoughts, emotions and
actions. If we make proper and sufficient inner development
by m aking our mind pure and noble and by proper communion
with Lord, then we can be guided by the Holy Spirit from
within. F or this, our complete self-surrender to Lord is
necessary. His guiding force will then be the m oulding power
within us, the source of peace and spiritual strength. Its realisa
tion will give us freedom from fear and worry and will lead to
our spiritual unfoldment.
We generally follow our sense-nature and do not follow the
higher spiritual-nature within us. So our spiritual nature
remains undeveloped, latent and almost in a slumbering state.
As the sense-nature can connect us with the external things o f
the world, so our spiritual-nature can connect us with the Holy
Spirit within and extract love, strength an d divine force from
Him, if we know how to draw them. This slumbering spiritualnature may be awakened by our living a pure life, by commu
nion with the Holy Spirit, by deep prayer and selfless service.
Unless we have sufficiently renounced our selfish anim al-nature,
this slumbering spiritual-nature would not be aroused. W hen
the spiritual-nature withifl us is properly and sufficiently aroused,
then by its help we can cannect ourselves with Him in deep
prayer and draw love, strength and divine force from Him.
How to arouse this slumbering spiritual-nature ? In answer
to this question A chyutananda has pointed out that our m ind
has the power of arousing our spiritual-nature by keeping it
pure, elevated, calm, humble and devout. A mind, elevated
and tuned to a high m ood, can be a receiver o f the necessary
divine force. All true prayers elevate our mind and unfold our
spiritual-nature. If we can unite our m ind with God-m ind as
the clay when modelled, is united to the potters mind, then our
m ind would be in harmoney with Him. If we can surrender
or offer ourselves to G od with devotion, then our m ind would*
be in proper high, m ood, then our spiritual-nature would arise

Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

197

a n d connect us with God. A whole hearted devotion to God

is a potent factor for keeping the m ind in proper high mood
and arousing the spiritual-nature.
A chyutananda has classified mind into five categories :
(I) Kum on (evil mind), (2) sumon (noble mind), (3) bimon
(scattered mind), (4) m on (concentrated mind), and (5) anion
(dwindled mind). The philosophers also advocate that mind
has three states : conscious, sub-conscious and the super
conscious state. If the m ind be sufficiently purified, calmed and
elevated, then with the help o f concentration o f m ind or dhyan
we can reach the sam adhi or super-conscious state in which
our spiritual vision is opened. W ith repeated sam adhi when
m ind is sufficiently illumined, then it comes in commune with
Supreme Being. In this supreme elevated state, m ind dwindles
away and only the spiritual consciousness of the Sadhak remains
to realise the Supreme Being. According to A chyutananda this
is the real yoga o r commune with Absolute. A chyutananda
has also described this in his Jngnprodlp G ita :
M onku am on jebe kariparu tuhi |
Avidya modhye purichhi tode kara tuhi 11
Chadagakti chanchachade eh kalpanadi kari i
Kheduchhi m onrtipare mayanku abari l|
N irbikalpa nirm oha je sthirchitta hoi I
M ohanitya hole mon am on bolai it
(Jnanprodlp G ita, ch. IV)
We find support of this view of A chyutananda in the third
chapter o f Amarko G ita, and in the second chapter of G upta
G ita o f Balaram Das.
Balaram Das in his Amarko G ita has stated of piercing
o f six plexus (chakras) as is found in Tantrik yoga-sadhana.
Thus we find th at A chyutananda has laid great stress on
m aking the m ind the lamp of spiritual consciousness which
is the reflection of the last word of Lord Buddha. A t Kusinagar when Lord B uddha was about to leave his m ortal body,
then A n an d , his most favourite disciple, began to shed tears

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Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

profusely. A t th a t Lord Buddha told him, Be a lamp on

yourself (A tm adipo Bhava).
To A chyutananda religion is the spiritual consciousness. H e
has directed in the ninth chapter o f Tattva-bodhinF that the
path of salvation lies in the union of the individual soul with
the all embracing Soul. It is the hunger of the soul for its union
with Lord by breaking all the fetters of lower world. There
fore, self-realisation is the ultim ate aim of A chyutananda. $ruti
o f the H indu religion has also declared, Know thyself
(Atm anam viddhi) which is synonym to self-realisation o f the
Pancha Sakha D harm a cult.
Kaivartta Gita and Jfianprodip Gita :
In K aivartta G ita and Jnanprodip G ita and in many verses
o f A chyutananda, mention has been m ade of Pitida (microcosm)
and Brahm anda (macrocosm). In those books and verses he
has discussed elaborately the relation between the hum an body
and the universal body. The hum an body (microcosm) is an
exact counterpart o f the Universal body (macrocosm) in every
respect except its external form. W hen a m an is termed a
microcosm, it is not to be inferred th at he is merely a part o f
the world, but is in reality a miniature of the world, the
difference lies in m agnitude rather than in quality. Therefore
the hum an body bears the mysteries of the universe, which is
unknown to the m ortal m an. The yogis have tried to unravel
those mysteries by adopting the secret processes of K aya-sadhana
i.e., the yogic culture of body. The only aim of the Kayasadhana or the cultivation of the body through the processes
o f yoga, is to spiritualise the body. The most im portant thing
com m on to all yogic schools is the culture of the body or kayasadhana through the process of Hatha-yoga.
A bundant materials are on record to prove sufficiently that
H atha-yoga obtained popularity largely am ong the Tantrik
Buddhists of Orissa. According to Lam a T aranatha, Tantricism
which was only a popular form of yoga, was transm itted from
the time of Asariiga and Dharm a-kirti. W hile endorsing the

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199

above view D r. K ern writes, After Dharm a-kirtis time the

Hatha-yoga became more and m ore general and influential.1
The Oriya works o f Balaram Das, Jagannath Das, Achyuta
nanda Das etc., are permeated with a spirit of Hatha-yoga and
a t the sametime with a flavour o f em otional devotion. Balaram
Das, one of the five exponents of Pancha Sakha D harm a of
Orissa, have discussed about the theory and practices of Kayasadhana with reference to the hum an body in relation to the
universal world in his books Amarkosa G ita and G upta G ita.
O f course, K aya-sadhana is not the final aim of the Pancha
Sakha Dharmists. The process of K aya-sadhana is regarded by
them as an indispensable accessary to the realisation of Supreme
Lord of Puru as described by A chyutananda in his
Sam hita. It should be remembered here that the
element of yoga in its various forms is a common heritage to
T antrik Buddhism and ^aktaism or Saivaism of the Hindus.
Ga4ur G itaIn G adur G ita A chyutananda has sung in
praise of Supreme Being who has not been personified either as
Krishna or Buddha. To his religious perception that Supreme
Being is an all pervading consciousness having a luminious
body only to be compared with the Jyotirmoy Puru o f
U panisad.
TattvabodhimIn Tattvabodhini A chyutananda has com
bined the unmanifestation and manifestation of Supreme Being
into an ideal unity. He has vividly described that the Infinite
and the finite have embraced each other in the personality of
Supreme Being. Therefore, the best realisation of the Ultimate
T ruth consists of the spiritual realisation of the Infinite through
His Self-manifestation :
prokasa eba, m pa jaina miSiva |
Riipa sama kari thibu, sam ata upare sabu paibu n
(Tattvabodhini. ch. I)
& m ya Sam hitaA chyutanandas treatm ent of the doctrine
1 .

M annual o f Buddhism .

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Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

o f Sunya in Saifahita is some what different.

book he has m entioned :

In this
' '

B uddha m ata adiaakti sapgha chhaninta kahi l

( Samhita, ch. X)
Thus I say, take refuge in B uddha, in M ata A digakti i.e.,
the prim ordial energy (in place of Dharma) and in Saygha .
D harm a performs an im portant part of Buddhism being the
second o f the Buddhist Trinity. But A chyutananda has
ignored Dharm a. In his religion D harm a has yielded to the
supremacy of the prim ordial energy. In fact A chyutananda was
a follower o f esoteric Buddhism, though openly professing
Vaisgavism. Thus inspite of his profession as a follower of
$ri Chaitanya and disciple o f Sanatan Gosvami, he incurred
the severe displeasure and open hostility o f the BrahmaQ-papdits
o f the court o f R aja P rataparudra for his openly upholding the
doctrine of the Sunya. The references to Tantricism are also
found in many places o f his Saihhita where he had
alluded to Kam avija, Kam a-gayatrl, yantra, m antra, navikam al, chakras, maqdalas which are indispensable elements in
Sakti-worship :
Dvabiosa akara hrde sthapili I
N avi pare basi dhyan mu kali n
( Samhita)
NityardsIn N ityaras of A chyutananda R adha has been
depicted as the Prim ordial Energy. The eternal love-sports o f
R ad h a and K rishna have been displayed on the basis of esoteric
Tantricism. The evidences of the influence of T antra are found
enough in this book, specially in the eighth chapter of it.
Sarhhita,In his last book A nakar Sam hita we
find th at A chyutananda had reached the final stage o f his
spiritual realisation o f Void. In this book he has highly praised
the magnanimity of name. He has said :
G ita Bhagavata Purai} padiba kahiba chaturi aba I
Tattva A nakar nam Brahma-bhed na pai vayartha heba 11
(Anakar Saihhita)

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201

Unless you are bent upon the salvation of your soul, you
will read the G ita, the Bhagavata, the PuraOas and yet learn
nothing but tricks and cunning to impose upon the wordly
m inded people. All your painstakings will be fruitless. You
will know nothing o f the mystery of the conception of G odhead
as devoid of all forms and images, which means a complete
unification and identification o f the name and the conception
o f Absolute Brahm a.
The influence of name is so much th at without any forma
lities o f yoga, worship or meditation, it can reveal the mysteries
o f Absolute Brahma to the devotee who has taken refuge to
nam e only. Thus A nakar Saihhita bears the testimony o f his
final realisation o f Absolute Brahm a that cannot be explained
in word but to be realised with the m atured spiritual conscious
ness. A t the end of his work he refers to the scriptuies, the
main theme of which, he says, is to sing the glories of
Sri Krishna ; and his own A nakar Saihhita is simply an epi
tome of all these scriptures.
From G opalanka OgaV to 'A nakar Saihhita we trace the
gradual intcr-connected stages o f spiritual progress of Achyu
tananda and the final salvation of his immortal soul.
Isvardas wrote a book on the life of Sri C haitanya giving a
detailed account of his last twenty four years events at Orissa.
We get in many places of this book the references of C haitanya
as the incarnation of Buddha and at the same time he has
m entioned th at Lord Jagannath Himself has descended on the
earth in the embodiment of Sri Krishna Chaitanya. Thus he
has made an attem pt to impress upon us that Buddha, Jagan
nath and Chaitanya are identical with one another. It is written
in this book th at one o f the im portant members of the Pancha
Sakha cult nam ed A nanta Das was directed in his dream by
the Sun-god o f K onarak to take initiation from Chaitanyadev.
In the same way Lord Jagannath ordered Yasovanta Das in
his dream to take initiation from Sri Chaitanya.
' 1 In his book, History of Oria literature, Papdit Vi nay a

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Pancha SakhH Cult o f Orissa

M iira has mentioned that Balaram Das was initiated by C haitanyadev. In the K adcha of Govinda Das we find th at Chaitanyadev in his tour over South Orissa was accom panied by
Balaram Das. It is said that Jagannath Das was turned into a
great vaisqava devotee after coming in close contact with
Chaitanyadev at Puri.
Each member o f the Pancha Sakha D harm a has proclaimed
with firm faith that Chaitanyadev was no other th an the
incarnation o f Lord Buddha and Jagannath. To them there
lies no distinction among Buddha, Jagannath and Chaitanya.
They are but one, with only difference in names and
appearances. Though they were initiated into Vaiqavism o f
Chaittanyadev, yet they followed a different mode o f religions
life th at did not canform to that of Vaisnavism. This is why
they had to appear at the test to prove the efficacy of their
religion. Raja P rataprudra was a staunch Hindu. He wormly
received Chaitanyadev in order to arrest the spread of Buddhism
and to wipe out its existence altogether from the land of Orissa.
W ith the advice of his Brahm in courteers he took the test of
religious efficacy of Pancha Sakha Dharm a. Balaram Das*
Y asovanta Das and A chyutananda Das had to appear at the
test. All of them were acquited of the charges o f following
Buddhism after the test.
From the brief review of the religious and the philosophical
works of the Pancha Sakha D harm a cult, we may draw this
conclusion th at their religion was not confined within the
boundary of Buddhism or Vaisnavism or Tantricism or Vedic
injunctions. They have drawn inspirations from all these
religions and have assimilated them like the chemical mixture.
A nd thus have evolved Pancha Sakha D harm a, a new religious
movement of Orissa in the sixteenth century A.D.
After Sri C haitanya had passed away, the task of propa
gating his religion in Orissa devolved upon two great VaiSyava
apostles, Syam ananda Das and R asikananda Das. The expan
sion o f Chaitanyism in Orissa is due chiefly to the personality

Pancha Sakha Cult o f Orissa

203

and influence o f these two VaigQava worthies. Accounts o f their

lives and activities are to be found in almost all the im portant
Vaisoava works, but chiefly in B haktiratnakara, *6yamanandaprakaS and in Rasika-moQgala. Even to-day the peoples of
Orissa claim R asikananda as their great spiritual master who
had brought the light of Vaipavism to their ancestors. R aja
Vaidyanath Bhanja o f M ayiirabhanja accepted the tenets of
the Vaisoava faith at the time and became an ardent disciple of
Rasikananda. R asikanands labours did not end in converting
to his faith the chiefs and Rajas. The great body of the B uddh
ists who were persecuted by R aja Pratgprudra and were lying
scattered throughout the whole province, were also converted
to the Vaigqava creed by the proselyting zeal o f the two
devotees as Birbhadra, son of N ityananda, did in Bengal.
From the above brief survey of the history of the origin and
development of Pancha Sakha D harm a, a popular religious cult
of Orissa, we may arrive at this decession that this cult is the
outcome of a popular assimilation o f later Buddhistic ideas,
beliefs and practices with the beliefs and practices of Chaitanyaism, ^aktaism and Upanisadic thoughts. The idea of
(Void), as conceived in all forms of T antrik Buddhism, is almost
as conceived in many systems of H indu theology. In the
vernacular works of Pancha Sakha D harm a cult we find that as
a popular religious cult it owes some o f its elements to that form
o f later Buddhism and the most of its elements to the religious
systems other than Buddhism. Then how far will it be correct
to say that the nature of the Pancha Sakha D harm a cult is
essentially Buddhistic ? A nd how far will it be justified to hold
Achyutgnand Das, Balaram Das, Jagannath Das, A nanta Das
and YaSovanta Das as devout Vaisoava apostles ?
Buddhism, Vaigt)avisin, Jainaism, Brahmanism, ^aivaism and
j^gktaism are but the different fundam ental elements out of
which the Indian religious history is composed. O ut o f these
principal religious elements many popular religious sects like
B rahm a Samgj and Arya Samaj, were developed in m odern

204

Pancha Sakha. Cult o f Orissa

times. Thus were the outcomes of Sahajiya cult and Pancha

Sakha D harm a o f the mediaeval period. One of the masterfacts in Indian history, we should bear in m ind, is th at In d ia
is and always has been a synthesis. A t some intervals of time a
m ind more powerful than others descends on earth, breaks up
the elements of the established religions and recombines those
elements in an unexpected fashion. This is the whole of what
we call religious personality. The proof o f a m inds vigour
lies in its ability to work upon the materials it meets with. In
fact, religion is a great creation of individual genius and its
achievements appear to us unique and miraculous.
I f Sahajya cult o f Bengal and Pancha Sakha D harm a of
Orissa shared some elements o f beliefs and practices with other
religions, there is nothing to be astonished. The question is
not, where did they come from ? But what had they made out
o f them ? If there is the least bias in favour of one direction or
the other, it is just like a weight or one side o f a balance. Fair
measure does not come that way.

INDEX
A
A. S. A ltekar
A bhidharm a-K osa
A bhisam ayalankara K arik a
A bsolute
A bsolute R eality
A carya A bhayakara G u p ta
AcSrya H aribhadra
A carya M oksakara G u p ta
A chyutananda D as 177,180,

52
22
10
118
93
19
18
18
183,
190
A cintya
157
A cintya Bhedabhed
99
A dvaita A carya
63, 125
A dvaitaism
168
A dvaita V adins
98
A dvaya
154
A dvaya Jnana
93
A dvayasiddhi
37
A dvayavajra
1 4 ,1 8
A dya-Sarasvati K arik a
78
Agam s
170
A jan ta
15, 20, 55
A jna C akra
113
A kasantyayatana
4
A kiScanyantyayatana
4
Akinchan D as
69, 7 6 ,8 1 , 127
A ksaya-Sarovar
79
A kusala K arm a
6
Alaya-VijBana
9
A m a rk o sa G tta
197,199
A m itabha
13
A m itayus
13
A m rita-R asavali
76
A m rita-R atnavali 76, 7 8 ,1 3 5 , 144
A nahata C ak ra
113
A tiakar Sam hita 185, 189, 194
- ;
200

A nanda
112,166,197
A nanda Bhairava
61
A nandagarbha
176
A nangavajra
36
A n anta D as
183, 201
A natm a-V ada
6
A Bguttara N ikaya
175
A ntaryam i
94
A n u ttaray o g atan tra
84
A rada K alam a
4
A rdhanarisvara
146, 148
A rh at
13
A rtavallabha M ohanti
190
A rupa-dhatu
4
A ryadeva
9, 10, 12, 52
A rya Sam aj
203
A sanga 7, 10, 12, 25, 32, 34, 52,
177, 198
A soka
6, 15
A sraya
75, 82, 99, 159
Assaji (A svajit)
50
A $tasahasrika-Prajna P aram ita 18
Asvaghosa
4, 6, 7, 21
A tharva-V eda
24
A tm atattv a
7
A vadhutas
23
A vadhutipa
14
A valokitesvara
18, 20
A vatam saka Sutra
52
A vidya
97
Ayoni-mfmu?
157

B ahiranga V aibhava
B ahyartha-bhanga
Biihya-Parakiya
Baindava deha
B alaram a D as

96
9
128
141
183, 202

206

Index

Bam5k$yapa
28
B anaras
,
50
Baptism
120
Bauls
2 3 ,5 5
Benoytosh B hattacharyya
15
B haddiya (B hadrika)
50
B hagavan
166
B hagavat
76
B bagavadglta
194
Bhiigavat
70, 125
B hakticandrika
66
B haktiratnakara
203
B haktiyoga
115
B halluka
4 9,175
B hanja
176
B haraha
17, 176
Bhavabhakti 86, 89, 108, 110, 122
181
Bhlma-Bhoi
77, 142
Bhringa-ratnavall
13
Bhiimies
121
Bijmantra
16
Bimbisara
141
Bindu-sadhana
8
Bodhicarya Vatara
146
U
,
117,
Bodhicitta
B odhi-Sattvas
7, 12, 23. 53, 56
3
Botree
2
B oudha Sahaja Jana
B rahm a
51, 93, 166
198
B rahm ananda
114
B rahm arandhra
203
B rahm a-Sam aj
194
B rahm a-Sankuli
125
B hrahm a-V aivarta Purana
144
Brhad-aranyakopanisat
197
B uddha
11
B uddhabhadra
4
B uddha-C arita
179
B uddha G u p tan ath
53
Buddhism
44
Biihler (D r.)

. U . M s.
161
C aitanya C androdaya
71
C aitya C arita m rta 63, 67, 70, 72,
123,125, 137, 167, 168
C aitnyadeva 54, 57, 61, 125, 132,
182, 191,201
C aitanya-L Ila
75
C aitanyam angal
6 5 ,6 6
C aitanya T attv a
74
C ak ra
112
C andra-dw ipa
33
C andrakantipuragram
79
C andram ukhi
65
C aryatantra
84,119
C haitanya B hagavata
179
C haitanya D as
178
Chaityas
16
C handaiinl-K anya
127
C handidasa 61, 75, 92,124, 126,
138, 159, 160, 170
C h andragupta II
17
C h an d rak irtti
10
C h atu h stak a
9 ,1 0
Chen C hub
14
C hina
10
C hintaharam C hakravarti
24
C hittagong
18
C hrist
120
C hristian M ysticism
128, 159
Cinm oya V rndavan
92
C it
112,166
C itk an a
95, 168
C it-sakti
106
Cosmic Soul
115
C rypto B uddhist
9
D
D aksiijacara
D an d ak a
D ansila

1L9
185
18

Index
-

38
180
28
44
73, 103, 143
50
D cerpark
127
D eva-K anya
21
D evapala
18
Devikot
178
D hanti
23
D harm as
45
D harm a Cult
178, 184
D harm agita
6, 8, 53
D harm a-K aya
D h arm ak irti
32, 198, 199
D harm apala
10, 12, 17, 18, 21
47
D harm apSja-V idhana
87
D harna
87
D hruvanusm rti
21
D him an
87
D hyan
25, 147
D hyani Buddba
71,91
D ibyonm ad
120
D iksa (Initiation)
D iksa-G uru
8 1 ,1 1 4 ,1 2 2 ,1 9 1
10, 12
D ignaga
190
D nabandhu K huntiya
D inesh C handra Sen (D r.)
124
52
D m n lg a
14
D ip an k ar Srijnana
90
D ivine-grace
181
D ivya Sinha
92
D ivya V rndavan
19
D ohako$a
38
D om bi H eruka
120
Dvija
145, 161
D vipako-jjvala grantha

D irik a p a d a
D lru Brahma
D a ia M ahSvidya
D aeavataracarita
Dasya

E
E B. H avel
E kacakra
E k ija ta

20
62
34

207
F

F . W . Newm an
129
F a-H ian
8, 16, 17, 20, 55, 176
Fergusson
15, 179
G
G ad h ara Sam pradaya
G ad jat
G a ^ u ra GTtfi
Gain,] a
G aura-ganoddesa
G aura-pada-tarangini
G au tam a
G aya
G itgovinda
Godilvari
G okula
G okul Baul
G olok B rindavana
G opala
G opalanka Ogal
G opal-B hatta
G opal K ^atriya
G opi
G opin ath K aviraj
G opinath K huntiya
G oraksnath
G oudiya Vai^navism
G ourpriya
G ovinda A dhikary
G ovinda D as
Griinwedel
G uhya C hand ratilak a
G uhya Sam aja
G iihyasam aja T a n tra
G upta
G upta C handrapura
G u p ta GTti
G u ru b h ak ti G ita
G uru-vada

64
178
180, 199
14
66
67
3
21
124, 125
71
114
80
114
17
192, 193
125, 127
76
91
77, 80
190
177
2, 54
127
76
202
15
19
42
19, 24, 58,
147
22
92
184, 199
193
120

208

Index
H
>

H araprosad Siistri
H ath-yoga
H evajratantra
H eruka
H ilton
H inayana
H iuen Tsang
H ladini
H ladini Sakti

15, 32, 33,

45, 58
116, 119, 140, 160,
177, 198, 199
147, 153
19, 147
130
5, 12, 17, 22
11, 15,17, 20, 22,
43, 55
96, 116
60, 117, 141

I
I-Tsing
Id a
Indrabhuti
Indralinga
levar Puri
Iaw ara D as

22, 32, 176

112,139, 155
29,36, 84, 150
179
62
179, 201
J

Jabhanese
Jagadbhadhu B hadra
Jagaddal
Jagannath
183,
Jagannath D as
Jahnavi
Jains
Jajpura
Jalandharipa
Jalauk a
Jap an
Jatak
5, 7,
Jayadev
Jayananda
Jharkhanda
Jinam itra
123, 125,
Jiva Gosvam!
jiva-S akti

21
67
18
179
189,202
65
24
46
35
178
10
175
123, 126
65
19, 179
22
127, 156
68

Jivatm a
Jn ln a-m isra Bhakti
Jn5na M itra
Jnanasiddha
JSanasiddhi
Jnanprodip G ita
Junjiro T akakusu

94, 188
87
19
122, 150
36
197, 198
59

K aivalya
7, 12
K aiv arta G ita
198
Kale cakra
19
K ftlacakrayana
23
K aliipahar
42, 181
K alinga
127
X am adhS tu
4
K am agayatri
68
Kamak$ya
33
K am ala K au ta
171
K anchidesa
10
Kani$ka
6, 22, 56
K apila
4, i77
3
K apilavastu
110
K arm a-m 5rga
K arm am iera Bhakti 87, 106, 111
115
K arm a Yoga
17
K arn asu v arn a
127
K arn bai
55
K artab h aja
K aru n a
7 ,9 1
K aru nad h arai Snan
85,123
K asm ira
18
6
K atha-vastu
K avikarnapur
66, 71, 75
K ayasadhana
47, 1 5 4 ,18, 1S9
K ayavak-citta vajrad h ara
26
K ern (D r.)
41, 5 3 ,1 9 9
K esava B harati
63
Kevali
4
K handagiri
178
K hardah
68
K hecarim udra
139,140

Index
K onarak
201
K og^aSSa (K auycjinya)
50
K orea
10
K riy atan tra
84, 119
K rspacarya
35,37
Kr$qadas K aviraj
63, 67, 69,
70, 72, 123, 127
Kr<mSnanda Agamvagis
67
K gayik-vada
4
K$emendra
44
K ulai
67
32
K um arilabhatta
Kuii(jialini-Sakti
113, 139
K usinagar
197
L
Laksm ahira
Lak$man Sen
L aksm inkara Dev!
L alitavajra
Lam a T aranath

127
46, 123
29, 37
14
10 17,32,

Lavangacharitavali
Lem balo
Lflavajra
Locandas
Lohidas
L oknath
L uipa

77
178
38
66
127, 178
127
33

129
M achthild
115
M acrocosm
131
M adam e G uyon
75
M adana M ahabhava
62, 125
M adhavendra P u ri
M fidhurya 73, 103, 104,107, 135,
143. 17, 166
103
M adhurya-rati
93
M adhavacarya
93
M adhava Sam pradaya

14

209

7
M adhyam akarika
M adhayam ika
8, 9, 22, 23
M adhy am ikavatara
10
M agadha
17, 56
M aha bhava
103, 163
M ahachina
28
M ahadeva D as
178
M ahanam an
50
M ahanirviina
5, 12
M ahapanitilaka
19
M ahipala
14, 176
M ah lp arv ata
178
M ahasanghika
175
M ahasukha
147, 152, 163
M ahasukhakam ala
114
M ahasukhaprakasa
150
M ahasukhavada
11
M abasunya
193
M ah a T ara
18
M ahavagga
175
M ahavastu A vadana
13
M ahayana
6 ,1 2 , 17, 21,22,
54, 157
M ahayana-Sroddhotpada-Sutra 6
M ahayana-sutralam kara
7
M aitreyanath
9 ,5 9
M ajjhima
51
M ajjhim a-nikaya
153
M allikanath
177
M a g ju k a
178
M anindra M ohan Basu
2
M anipura cakra
113
M anjuries
122, 142
M anjusri
1 4 ,2 0
M anjusri-m ulakalpa
23 ,3 1
M an tra Sakti
114.
M antrayana
22, 23, 25, 30, 54
M arm a
141
M arm a Parakiya
72
M athew
120
M athura
20, 80
M ath u ra D as
82

Index

210

80
189
77, 168
M aya
M aya-sakti
68, 94, 96, 166
203
MayurabhaEija
130
M eister E ckhart
115, 118
M icrocosm
33
M inanath
127
M ira
127
M irabai
124
M ithila
M aha-vastu
7, 12, 14
M o k ja
112
92
M ona V fndavana
72
M ukta carita
M ukugdadeva Gosvami
69, 76,
130, 182
77
M ukunda m ukta vali
M ukundaram D as
77
M uladhara cakra
113, 146
M athuranath
M ath u rap u r

N
N . N . Basu 46, 58, 181, 184, 185
79
N id i
N 5gantak
177
67
N agarbhava
N ag srju n a
6, 7, 9, 12, 25 34,
52, 177
14
N ag-Tso
N alanda
10. 14, 19, 20, 22, 27
N altigiri
178
N arah ari S arkar
66
N arayandas
66
14, 18
N aroj a
160
N arottam
23
N athas
47
N a th C ult
N athism
28
62, 126
N avadvip
79
N ayikas
19
N epal
14
N ethan

N igam as
170
N igflijhartha Prakaeavall
144
N ikaya
51
N ilacal
104, 167, 168, 180
N im barkacarya
93
N irau y a B rahm a
185
N irm an a K aya
6 ,7
N irv ap a
4 ,7 , 8, 11, 12
N ityananda
62, 78
N ityanandadas
64
N ityaras
200
92
N ityerdesa
59
N irv rtti M arga
N risinhananda
80

t Obscure Religious C ults

O dantapura
O dantapuri M ahavihara
Oliver Lx)dge (Sir)
Orissa
Ouspensky

2
41
17
95
71
133

P
23, 33
P. C. Bagchi (D r.)
79
P adm a
91
P adm apurana
190
Padm avatl K huntiya
Pagsam -Jon-Zang 18, 19, 33, 182
P aharpura
18
Pala dynasty
1 4 .4 0
66
Panca-tattva
P ap d ita vihara
18
Parakiya
73, 74, 136
P arakiya culture
141
123
P arakiya Sadhana
P aram ananda
116
Param a-P rakrti
9
P aram a Purusa
9
P aram arth a
22, 166
P aram arth a satya
7
P aram atm a
94, 188

Index
P aram a Brahm a
99
Parinirvana
13
PS taliputra
6, 175
P atanjaii
111, 115, 116
Peshaw ar
20
Pinda
198
Pingala
112, 127, 139. 155
Post C aitanya Sahajiya C ult
2
Prachi
178
Prachi Sam iti
190, 192
Practical culture
138
Prajna
7 ,9 , 106, 147, 161
Prajna K aram ati
14
Prajna param ita
8, 10, 14, 20,
21, 25
PrajSapaya
'
147
P rakrti
5, 106, 148
Pranayam
119, 139, 140
Prapanchasar
116
P rapatti
90
P rataprudra 71, 180, 182, 191, 202
P ravartak
79, 82, 117, 159
Pravrajya
16
P ravrtti M arga
59
Prem a bhakti
76, 86, 87, 90,
108, 122
Prem a D as
69, 77
Prem anandalabari
135
Prem ratnavall
77, 78
Prem aeiddha
122
Prem a vilas
63, 64, 74, 138
Prem ayoga
111
Priti-sam darbha
156
Pundravardhana
17
Puri
71
POrnagiri
33
Puru$a
5, 106, 148
R
R . C . M ajum dar
R abind ranath T agore
R adha bhava

52
35
75, 167

211
R Sdhakrsna C hakravorty
76
72
R ad h a K upda
123
RSdham ohan T hakur
80
R adharam an
83
R ad harasakarika
Raga
88
73, 75, 83
Raganuga
160, 170
Raganuga bhakti
R aga sadhana
109,110,161
76, 83, 104,
Ragatm ika Bhakti
118, 167, 170
157
R agerm anus
81
R aghunatha
125, 127
R aghunatha B hatta
69, 71, 125
R aghunatha D as
127, 132
R aghunatha Gosvami
76
R ag-ratnavall
69, 132
R ai R am ananda
85, 161
R aja
5, 10, 175
R ajagrha
R aja yoga
115, 116, 119
75
R am ananda
67, 70, 127
R am ananda Roy
93
R am anujacarya
126
R am u
18, 19
R am pala
28
R lm prasad
178
R anapur
136
R asaratn asira
128
R asasara
80, 82
R asatattvasara
81
Rasik
69, 80
R asika D as Goswam i
203
R asika m ongala
2 2, 203
Rasik ananda D as
75
R asik Sadhaks
80, 137
Rativilas paddhati
178
R atnagiri
14
R atn ak rasan ti
143
R atnasara
24
[\g Veda
5
Rupa
4
RCipadhitu

212

Index
68, 70, 125,
127,1.58
130

R upa Gosvami
Ruysbrock

Samvit
Sam vrta Satya
Sam skara
S anatana G osvam i

S
2
S. D asgupta
33, 34
Sabaripa
Sadanandagram
79
Sadhak
79, 82, 159
171
S adhakaranjana
Sadhanam ala
15 26, 33, 34, 147
Sacihan-bhakti
86, 108, 122
Sadliarani
158
S ahaja
1 5 4 154, 155
Sahajabastha
100
Sahaja K aya
114
Sahaja m anus
92, 157
Sahajapur
79
S ahajayana
2, 29, 54, 68, 157
Sahajiyas
70, 72
Sahajiya Vaignavism
118
38
SahajayoginT
Sahaja T attv a G ran th a
137
140, 146
Sahasrar
113
S ahasrara cakra
167
Sakhi bhava
Sakhya
73, 103, 143
8
Sakyam upi
Sakya-sim ha
7
19
Sakyasribhadra
Sam adhi
197
153
Sam anjasa
Sam anya m anusa
.
. 157
Samanya R ati
158
Sam arasa
148 154
Sam artha R ati
.........' 157
H , 17
Samatat.a
Sarhbara
19
Sam bhoga Kfiya
.
< 6. 8
5
Sam jna
SSmkhya
4, 148
Sam khya yogis
12
Sam po K ham pa
182

Sandhini
Sangharam
Sanglti
^ankaracharyya
Santa
Santi D eva
S antipur
Saptagram
Saraha
S arahapa
Sarala D as
S aranagati
Sarovar
Sarvabhaum a
Sarvasti vada
Sat
Satapanni
Satguru
Sathi
S atkarya vada
Sattva
Sautrantika
Self-realisation
Sena-dynasty
Shelley
Shyama
Siddha
Siddha deha
Siddhanta D am bari
Siddha Tika
Siddhaikaviratantra
S iddha yogi
Siddhi
Siksa G uru
Silabhadra
'
Sirih atta
Sisudeva
Skandhas

96,166
. . 7
, .5
70, 125, 127,.
191
96, 166
15, 17
24'
9, 32, 99, 166
103
8
63
65,71
152
34
180
87
79
127
9
112. 116
16
121
127
4
161
8, 177
105
.,
40
. 96
,
.127
.82, 159
195
: 184
8.9
9
4.15,
79
81, 114, 122
10, 11

:33
178.
,. , . . . 5.

Index
18
Som apura
122
S raddha
92
Sree Sam pradaya
104
S ri C aitanya
S ridhanya K atak (A m aravati) 20
Srikhanda
66
Srikr$ria Prasanga
77, 80
Srim ad-bhagavata P a ra n a
93
Srinivas
81, 123, 125
Srivasa
125
Stavavall
72
St. B arnard
12
S t. C atherine
129
Sterling (M r)
181
S t.J o h n
129
St. Jo h n W oodroffe
134
St. Terisa
131,132
Stuti B hanjan
184
S ubhak ara G upta
18
S udarsana
85
Suddha adhvan
106
Suddha-bhakti
109
Suddha Parakiya
128, 141
Suddha sattv a
95, 96, 161
Suddha vidya
106, 107
Suddhadhana
3
Sudham rtakariikfi
136
Suflsm
159'
Sukhavati
1 3 ,5 9
Sukhavati Vyaha
13
Siinya
9 9 ,1 1 7
Sfmya P u ra g a
41, 46'
Sunya Sam hita 177, 183, 184, 199
Siinya V adins
9
Suprem e Being
111
Siiryadas Sarkhel
65
Suryanarayan D as
190'
Susum na
i 2, 135, 155
S iitralan k ara
6 ,7
SVa-bhava
88, 91, 106, 109, 119,
141, 152, 158, I60i 168
Svadisfchana-cakra
' 113
Svakiya
73, 123,136

.213

Svarupa
158
S variipakalpataru
138
Suariip D am o d ar 66, 69, 78, 132
Svarup D am o d ar's ad
70
Svariip S ak ti
68, 96, 118,
166, 170
Shyam ananda
123
Shyam ananda D as
202
Syam ananda p rak as
203
Sylvin Levy
7
T
14, 18
T ailo p a
20
T akshasila
161
Tam as
1 7 ,2 1 , 175
T am ralipti
32
T angyur
19
Tanhgyur
67
T an tra sara
23
T an try a n a
49,175
T apussa
21, 27
T ara
T arach aran C h a k ra v artty
65
T aran ath
19, 175
T arap ith a
28
T arkabhiisa
18
T aruoyam ritadhiirai Snan
85
T atasth a Sakti
166, 170, 188
T atha bodhini
198, 199
Taxila
6
T h e n gatha
153
Three stages o f Sadhana
159
T ib et
19
T ibetan T angyar catalogue..........33
T ilakana
"
178,'191
T i r t h i i n a t h ...............
179
T raik u tak a vihiira
18
T rikalajna
'1 1 3
Tri-kiiya
7
T rip u ra
19
T ripura Sundari
1
' 65
T rira tn a
15

214

Index

U dayagiri
U ddiyana
U ddka
U jjvalanilam ani
U ltim ate Reality
U nderhill
U nit soul
Upayaj
U jijisa-K am ala

178
29, 32, 33
4
68, 158
100
131
115
9, 164
114

Vaibhasika
8
Vaidhi Bhakti
83
V aidyanath Bhanja
203
V airocana
25
Vai$nava Sahajiyas 23, 24, 48, 55,
60, 68, 69
V aisnava tosani
65
V ajrapada, Sara-Sarhgraha
18
V ajrasattva
25
V ajratara
34
V ajrayana
11,15, 21, 23, 26, 54,
68, 85, 147, 175
V Skataka
22
V alabhi
22
V allabhacirya-Sam pradaya
93
V am acara
119
V anna
175
V appa
50
VaraSga Swami
178
V arendra
18
V asijtha
28
V asubandhu
10, 22, 52
V asudeva Ghose
67
V asudeva Sarvabhaum a
182
V asudha
65
Vassa
175
V atsalya
73, 103, 143
5
V edana
V edanta-Sutra
93
V ivekanada
11
18
V ibhuti C handra

Vidya
97
V idyapati
126V iharas
51
81
V ihari
Vijnana
5, 11
9, 10, 59, 146
VijBana-vada
10
V ijnaptim atra
10
V ijnaptim atrata Siddhi
17, 22, 27, 41
Vikram asila
14, 19
V ikram asila vihara
111
V ikshipta
192, 201
V inayak M isra
176
V iracarya
177, 178, 179
Vira Sinha
68,165
V irbhadra
75, 99
Visaya
158
Visesarati
56,
180
Vi$nu
70
Vi$pudas
178
Visjriugarbha
184
Vihpugarbha Purari
125
V isnu-Parana
113
V isudha cakra
97, 162
V isudha satha
21
V itpal
V ivarta Vilas
76,, 81, 127, 137,.
138,140
60,,116, 189
V rindaban
70
V rindavana lila
V rindavandass
C aitanyabhagabat
64.
76, 93Vyasdev
7.
V yavaharika Satya
Y
123"
Y adunandan
154
Y am al
19
Y am antaka
50
Y asas
18
Y aeobhadra
180
Y asom atim alika
178,183, 201
Y aeovanta D as
Y ogacaras
8 ,9 , 10, 22, 23, 5 *

ALSO 14JBUSHKD
Niyogi, P.
BRA HM ANIC SETTLEM ENTS IN A N C IEN T BENGAL
Crown 4to, 1967
...
30.00

Dasgupta, S. B.
ASPECTS O F IN D IA N R ELIG IO U S TH O U G H T
Demy 8vo, 1977
...
Creel, Austin B.
D H A R M A IN H IN D U ETHICS
Demy 8vo, 1977

35.00

50.00

De, S. K.
EARLY HISTORY O F VAISNAVA F A IT H & MOVE
M EN T IN B EN G A LDemy 8vo, R eprint, 1985
300.00
Das, R ashbehari
IN TRO D U C TIO N TO SANKARA
Demy 8vo, R eprint, 1983,
Sengupta, S.
M O TH ER C U LT
Demy 8vo, 1977

55.00

...

20.00

C hakraborty, S.
M YSTERIOUS SA M A D H IA Study on Indian Philosophy
Demy 8vo, 1984
...
80.00
Kundu, N . L.
N O N -D U A LISM IN SAIVA & SH A K TA PHILOSOPHY
Demy 8vo, 1983
...
50.00
Chattopadhyaya, D. P. & G angopadhyaya, . K. (Eds. & Trs.)
NYA YA PHILOSOPAY
(5 vols.) Crown 4to,
...
, set 220.00
Dasgupta, S. B.
O BSCURE R E LIG IO U S CULTS
Demy 8vo, R eprint, 1975

...

50.00

Lariviere, R ichard W. (Ed.)

STUDIES IN D H A RM A SH A STRA
Demy 8vo, 1984

...

75.00

...

40.00

Bhattacharyya, B.
STUDIES IN NIBAN DHAS
C row n 4to, 1968