Cremation, Caste, and Cosmogony in Karmic Traditions.

The next day Jagadbandhu arranged a court of justice,
and told that there is only one caste or community in this
world, which is the human community, and from that
day Jagadbandhu fought against untouchability. Thus,
the difference between people is only between those who
follow the Sri Hari consciousness (Jagadbandhu) and
those who do not (ibid:42-43); “He who is deeply
absorbed in the Sri Hari consciousness and who
continuously chants His Name, is definitely a superman.
No distinction can be made on the basis of caste or birth.
Superiority or inferiority of man has to be judged by the
intensity or the degree of his adherence…He alone is
untouchable who keeps himself away from the touch of
Sri Hari” (Dutta 1994:44).
Jagadbandhu – Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu – said; “Low
caste persons who worship the Godhead are better than
those Brahmins who do not worship” (Dutta 1994:44),
and he continued, “low-caste is not unsuitable for
worshipping Krishna, High-caste Brahmin is not suitable
for worshipping Krishna, He is great who worships,
worst is the non-worshipper, No scrutiny of caste and
community is Krishna worship” (ibid). These quotations
are frequently used by the Mohantas and have a
fundamental role in their identity as a group, not as a
schedule caste or low-caste but as a group higher than
the Brahmans, or even above the caste system. There
are, however, other reasons why Jagadbandhu started
including the outcastes into the caste system and granted
them equal privileges as humans and Hindus.
Jagadbandhu came at a time when people were
suppressed by the tyranny of Brahmans as well as other
forms of oppression. Christian missionaries tried to
convert the Buno-Bagdis into Christianity, which made
Jagadbandhu upset. The Buno-Bagdis lived in Faridpur,
and they were highly demoralised and accustomed to an
ugly life-style. Society did not accept them, and they
were alienated from mainstream Hinduism. Seven
thousand “Bunos” were converted by Rev. A. Chillas
Midd. When Jagadbandhu got this news he went to
Rajani, who was the leader of the community. The Lord
asked him; “Rajani, you are going to be Christian?
Why?” Rajani replied humbly, “Prabhu! We are
untouchables. Everyone hates us. We have no place in
Hindu society. We want to get rid of this unbearable
situation by adopting Christianity”. The Lord sharply
replied, “Who says you are base? You are men. You are
the creatures of “Sri Hari”. From today onwards your
clan will be known as “Mohanta” (fig. 6.2). Rajani
praised the lotus-feet of Jagadbandhu, and received a
new life, and all the Mohantas received the blessings of
Jagadbandhu and moved from the world of darkness to
the world of light. From that day they were no longer
untouchables, but earned a reputation as chanters of
Harinam and beaters of drums (ibid:50). Jagadbandhu
elevated Rajani Bagdi to the status of “Haridas
Mohanta”, and he was granted the privilege of giving the
lord water (ibid:45). The “Buno-Bagdis” and other lowcastes
were treated as equal in the Sri Angan Ashram,
and they were allowed to prepare the meal for the prabhu
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and worship in the temple. Thus, Jagadbandhu replaced
the lowest castes with the most respectable and adorned
position of the Brahmins (ibid:46).
Jagadbandhu did not consider anything impure, and he
said, “whatever I touch becomes pure and holy” (Dutta
1994:65), and this is per se a divine and holy capability.
His teaching was twofold; practice and singing. “Being
engrossed into the Ocean of His own thought, He
allowed His divine pen to reveal spiritually allegorical
truth for the benefit of His created beings. Most of the
contents are beyond human comprehension. Even then,
some portions of this holy book makes highly absorbing
and interesting reading – though not wholly intelligible”
(ibid:63). Lord Shri Chaitanya initiated kirtan – a
worshipping celebrated in songs and glorifications of
God, and this mode of worship was perfected by
Jagadbandhu, who is seen as the embodiment of kirtan
(ibid:16-17). The songs composed by Jagadbandhu are
perceived as super-excellent and uttermost holy
(ibid:61). To Jagadbandhu, kirtan was “not merely a
source of inspiration, rather it was the only method of
universal emancipation”, and he said, “if kirtan is
propagated, the creation would be protected”, and the
Buno-Bagdis saw the light and changed their way of
living under the influence of kirtan (ibid:72).
Jagadbandhu instructed his followers to perform kirtan
everywhere and at every time, “chant Kirtan with
dancing. All sins wash out if you can dance properly”
(ibid:95). Jagadbandhu died Aswin 1 in the Bengali year
1328 (1921 CE). In their confusion and lamentation after
losing their lord, the devotees started chanting
“Mahanam Kirtan”, and hoped that Jagadbandhu would
return to life when hearing the chanting, but the lord did
not wake up. On the 12 th day, Krishnadasji, a true
devotee, informed the others that he had got instructions
from Jagadbandhu in a dream that he would not return to
earth for the time being, and they should bury him after
having performed proper rituals. The kirtan stopped, and
there was a great sorrow among the devotees. After
discussions among the disciples, they came to the
conclusion that Jagadbandhu would return in the same
body one day, a promise also given by the lord himself.
So with a gap of three weeks, the chanting of kirtan
started again Kartik 2 nd in 1328, and this “Mahakirtan”
has continued uninterruptedly since then, it continues
today, and the devotees’ continued chanting shall bring
back Jagadbandhu (ibid:98-100).
Sri Angan Ashram and the disciples
The cult in the Ashram and Faridpur has to be
understood in relation to how Jagadbandhu is perceived.
Jagadbandhu is a type of Godhead which best can be
understood when compared to Christ because they share
many similar features, and indeed, the disciples
compared him with Jesus in Christianity and Mohammed
in Islam. Jagadbandhu was floating on the river when he
meditated sitting in the lotus position (figs. 6.3-6.4).