Cremation, Caste, and Cosmogony in Karmic Traditions.

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Gange Farid million people. Muslim Saint, Sufi mystic. Ganja Hashish. Garuda Purana A class of literature that deals with the legends of gods, sages and kings of ancient times. A popular encyclopaedia of ancient Hinduism in all its traits - religious, philosophical, historical, personal, social and political. Ghat Cemetery. “Steps leading to water”, “crossing-point”. Gathas Hymns or songs, especially those of Zarathushtra. Ghati Bahuns Funeral and cremation priests at Pashupatinath. Gawo Jogpa Serpent divinity known as Vishnu among the Hindus, Muktinath. Ghee (ghui) Clarified butter. Guthi Group, conference, or meeting, often religious, and for the benefits for the community. Gompa Place of quite study, Buddhist “monastery”. Gopal Krishna Hindu temple in Faridpur, Bangladesh. Goraknath A Hindu God. Gotra Clan, an exogamous agnatic unit whose members claim to be descendants of one of seven mythical sages or rishis. Govindapur Village outside Faridpur, Bangladesh. Grihya Sutras The rules of Vedic domestic ceremonies. Guru Spiritual teacher. Halahala A fiery poison produced when the Devas and Daityas churned the ocean for amrit, which threatened to overcome everyone. Hanuman The monkey God. He is a noble hero and great devotee of Lord Rama of the Ramayana. Hari A name which commonly designates Vishnu, but it is exceptionally used for other gods. Harijan The name that was given to the Untouchable castes by Gandhi. It means “Children of God”. Harishchandra ghat The second most important cemetery in Varanasi. Hazrat Mainuddin A Muslim saint, Sufi mystic. Chishti Hirin Food to the dead. Householder Social status, a religious duty and social sphere, a part of a person’s dharma, or the duty of the Householder. Icosahedron A solid figure having twenty faces. Indra The god of the firmament, the personified atmosphere. In the Vedas he stands in the first rank among the gods, the king of gods. Ishan God of Yantra, also the sun, also meaning “god”. Jagadbandu Incarnation of Vishnu, born in Faridpur. Jagannath The Lord of the Universe. The Jagannath Temple of Puri is one of the four most famous holy pilgrimages of the Hindus. Jaisi Brahmans Cremation priests at Pashupatinath, less pure than the Upadhyay Brahmans (funeral priests) who may mourn the dead. Jajman A relationship. A jajman depends entirely on those who serve him, and they depend entirely on him. Jalahari A kind of copper cup that hangs right above the Shiva Lingam from which water drips from almost continuously. Janai Sacred thread worn by the twice-born castes. Jat “Class or caste”. Jathara Agni Ayurvedic concept of digestion, assimilation and elimination, fire in the stomach. Jiva The individual personality which undergoes rebirth, because the karma stored in the causal body needs a physical body to permit their expression. Jyotirlinga Luminous phallus or linga, the most important Shiva-lingas in the world. Kaita Kalibari Kali temple in Faridpur, Bangladesh. Kali The Black Goddess, one of the most powerful and fearful of the Hindu divinities. Kali Gandhaki River The “second” holiest river in Nepal, located in West-Nepal with mythological origin in Muktinath. Kaliyuga The fourth of the four ages through which the cosmos passes in cycles of 4,320,000 years. Kaliyuga is supposed to last for 432,000 years, and is characterised in lack of interest in spirituality among the populace, which leads to atheism, materialism, and the perpetration of various cruelties by stronger beings onto weaker once. Kalmochan Ghat Lit. “freedom from death”. Kalmochan ghat is located by Bagmati River where it 296
epresents the border between the kingdoms of Kathmandu and Patan. Kamadhenu The cow which grants desires. She was produced at the churning of the ocean. Kamala Incarnation of Kali. Kami Iron-makers, traditionally a low-caste group. Kandalas Term used to designate low-castes and outcastes, used among other places in The Law of Manu. Kapal kriya “Braking the skull”, part of cremation. Kapalikas Skull-carriers, a group of sadhus. Kapila cow Celestial cow. Karma The law of moral cause and effect, whereby people’s action are repaid through their own suffering. Karma caleko A state where the person has full responsibility for its ritual purity and its social and ethical actions, “activated karma”. Kartikeya Son of Shiva and Parvati. The god of war and the planet of Mars, also called Skanda. Kashi See Benares. Katto “Something not worth eating”, flesh or brain from the deceased which is ritually consumed. Khir Boiled rice and milk, used in rituals. King Ravon Mythological king in Ramayana. King Ram Mythological king in Ramayana. Kirhya Mourning rituals conducted as a part of funerals. Kirya basne Thirteen days of death pollution immediately following a death – a time of austerity and social isolation for the bereaved. Kirtan Devotional singing, chanting of God’s glories or meditation. Kore “Aura”, Zoroastrianism. Characteristics of a certain person built up through ages by being a member of a given group. Krishna The most celebrated hero of Indian mythology, the eight incarnation of Vishnu. Ksatriaya The second or regal warrior caste. Kumar River Local river in Faridpur, next to Ambikapur Shashan Ghat. Kumari Virgin Goddess living in Kathmandu. Kumbh Mela The most important tirtha in Hinduism located in the conjunction between Saraswati, Yamuna and Ganges, Allahabad. Laksman Son of King Dasa-ratha. Attached to Rama’s wife Sita, which gave rise to the reproach that the two brothers were husbands of one wife. Laksmi Goddess of good fortune, wife of Vishnu, mother of Kama. Lalabhaksa Hell A particular hell where, among other things, a man who forces his wife to drink his semen is sent. Liberation War Bangladesh 1971, independence from Pakistan. Licchhavi rule Dynasty in Nepal, c. 450-750 CE. Lila “Cosmic play”. The divine play of Rishis and deities, especially Krishna and Rama, is called lila, cosmic pastimes in which they are always in control. Linga The male organ, a phallus, often made of stone. The symbol under which Shiva is universally worshipped. Loki The god for wealth, local Hindu god in Faridpur. Magar Ethnic group in Nepal, Tibetan-Mongolian origin, Matwali. Mahabharata The Great Epic of India. Mahabrahman The Great Brahman, also called Mahapatra; “Great vessels”, funeral priests in Varanasi. Maha “Great”. Mahakali The God of Death. Mahalaksmi The goddess of wealth and prosperity. Mahapatra See Mahabrahman. Mahisa Struggled with Durga, often seen as the demon in the buffalo statue which Durga kills. Maneshor temple Temple in the sweepers’ para in Faridpur, Bangladesh. Sister of Kali. Maheshwar A glorious city at the dawn of Indian civilization. Manikarnika ghat The main cemetery in Varanasi and the most important place for Hindis all over the world to die and to be cremated. Mantra A mystic formula of Sanskrit syllables, words or phrases; it is made effective by repetition and mediation. 297
Page 3:
Death and Life-Giving Waters Cremat
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Preface Contents List of figures In
Page 9 and 10:
The origin of Pashupatinath and the
Page 11 and 12:
Fig. 5.1 Map of Bangladesh with Far
Page 13 and 14:
In karmic traditions, death and lif
Page 15 and 16:
constructions, it has often been ap
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Part 1: Cremating Death - Creating
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ethically conditioned (fig 1.2). Th
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The pervasiveness of karma linking
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Fig. 1.3. Pashupatinath temple and
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Fig. 1.5. Cremation priest lighting
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Fig. 1.7. Ghat management and servi
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theories of castes as an organisati
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Fig. 1.9. The sons collected the as
Page 34 and 35:
highly polluted that the people wou
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24 Fig. 1.12. Durga Prasad Sapkota
Page 38 and 39:
problematic (Levinson 1982:198), es
Page 40 and 41:
(seeds, food). In life a person bec
Page 42 and 43:
Fig. 2.1. Manikarnika Ghat, Varanas
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the dead, (they shall eat) their fo
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Fig. 2.6. The representation of cas
Page 48 and 49:
degrees of purity and pollution. En
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Fig. 2.8. Caste structure according
Page 52 and 53:
Nevertheless, it is preferable to b
Page 54 and 55:
the sacrifier is the sacrifice. Thu
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partly a process by which the gods
Page 59 and 60:
Chapter 3: Meditation upon death an
Page 61 and 62:
Being a part of a religious elite i
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The dangers of social interaction S
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Third party observing and legitimat
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Fig. 3.4. Tyaginath sitting next to
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57 Top: Fig. 3.6. The grave of Nara
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the Mahabrahmans mostly consume the
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Religion and ritual Studies of deat
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purest in common sense is not alway
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Fig. 4.3. Modes of fleshly incarnat
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e reincarnated into regarding spiri
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Fig. 4.5. Hocart’s and Dumont’s
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impure and still treated as a Brahm
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Part 2: The Sisters Kali and Ganga
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Ganga Brahmaputra • Faridpur Bay
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Fig. 5.4. Ambikapur Shashan Ghat. F
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Fig. 5.6. Channel from the pyre whe
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The head is always supposed to be d
Page 96 and 97:
Hinduism. She is employed as a care
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Only Hindus are cremated at the cem
Page 100 and 101:
According to Hazera, Badol cremated
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Fig. 6.1. Statue of Jagadbandhu. 90
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Fig. 6.2. Rajani receives the bless
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His disciples are like missionaries
Page 108 and 109:
In the Ashram all the expenses are
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Fig. 6.7. Burial in coffin. 98
Page 112 and 113:
Fig. 6.8. Private Kali temple in Ba
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Fig. 6.9. Jagadbandhu temple in Ban
Page 116 and 117:
The importance of the priest in rit
Page 118 and 119:
the rituals, and they have differen
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108
Page 122 and 123:
Fig. 7.1. The mighty Ganga. Fig. 7.
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Fig. 7.3. Tara. Fig. 7.4. Tripur-Su
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Fig. 7.11. Chinnamasta. 114
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immediate divine access and godly g
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Fig. 7.12. Pot-maker in front by th
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Fig. 7.14. The making of Durga. 120
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This image is the most important pa
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Fig. 7.17. Replacement of Shashan K
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Fig. 7.18. The Baishanti Durga puja
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tradition. The Bhaishanti Durga sta
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enlightenment and achieve liberatio
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132
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cloth. Although the Hindus in Farid
Page 148 and 149:
Fig. 8.1. A combined Kali and Saras
Page 150 and 151:
high-caste and priests as religious
Page 152 and 153:
1979:115-118). As seen in Faridpur
Page 154 and 155:
142
Page 156 and 157:
144
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Fig. 9. 1. Map of Nepal. Kaligandak
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The opposite approach is the histor
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Fig. 9.2. Manang and Gangapurna gla
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Fig. 9.5. Bone grinding. 152
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Only 20-25 years ago air-burials we
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was completed by the end of the 18
Page 170 and 171:
As a cultural construct water is al
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These sacrifices rebuild the deceas
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giving mother. A “spirit” is
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Gorakhnath promised the Nepalese th
Page 178 and 179:
“Shiva, the god of eroticism, is
Page 180 and 181:
Fig. 10. 3. Dagbatti - the lighting
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Fig. 10.4. Sexual engravings at the
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priori”, Jung argues; “The repr
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174
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are there in a quite objective sens
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Purana, “those who recite them wi
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forms of colour, 4) water with the
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Fig. 11.2. The spot where humans we
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Fig. 11.4. Bagmati originating from
Page 198 and 199:
186
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Fig. 12.1. Sadhu fasting for Nepali
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If the river could not cleanse itse
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The trust is not directly involved
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Fig. 12.6. The outlet of treated wa
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As an example, once a complete drun
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Fig. 12.10. Bagmati River with clea
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positive or negative feedback upon
Page 214 and 215:
this process happens slowly and pro
Page 216 and 217:
Fig. 13.1. Decaying corpse at Nire
Page 218 and 219:
achievement of a wanted state or co
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while unmarried girls and boys with
Page 222 and 223:
Logic of sin and pollution Cosmogon
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212
Page 226 and 227:
214
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less “true”, unimportant, or in
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From the present to the past, urban
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Dating traditions - the development
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The Muluki Ain aimed to arrange all
Page 236 and 237:
spiritual fold took them to the upp
Page 238 and 239:
choose one’s own path because onl
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esult of a variety of combinations
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practice, common people are ignoran
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procured for the people. The import
Page 246 and 247:
Fig. 15.1. Gundestrup cauldron with
Page 248 and 249:
236
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took place, at some time in history
Page 252 and 253:
Fig. 16.1. Maneckji Seti Agiary in
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stony desert. The polluted body was
Page 256 and 257:
Fig. 16.3. Zoroastrian ossuary from
Page 258 and 259: Fig. 16.4. Zarathushtra and fire-te
Page 260 and 261: Fig. 16.6. Inside a Tower of Silenc
Page 262 and 263: Fig. 16.7. Zarathushtra. 250
Page 264 and 265: meaningfully constituted and situat
Page 266 and 267: creative act in world-history - unl
Page 268 and 269: Alexander there offered sacrifices
Page 270 and 271: therefore concentrate on his docume
Page 272 and 273: Marshall suggested that the height
Page 274 and 275: Fig. 17.5. Dharmarajika: plan of re
Page 276 and 277: Fig. 17.6. Buddha from Building L n
Page 278 and 279: Fig. 17.8. The “smaller” Buddha
Page 280 and 281: is always explaining, instructing,
Page 282 and 283: Pakistan Fig. 17.9. Mohenjo-daro an
Page 284 and 285: Fig. 17.10. The Great Bath. From Ma
Page 286 and 287: This is problematic for several rea
Page 288 and 289: As mentioned before, Schutz has mad
Page 290 and 291: 278
Page 292 and 293: of birth and death. The soul is ete
Page 294 and 295: constructions are applied and mater
Page 296 and 297: many possibilities such an approach
Page 298 and 299: follows her husband purifies the th
Page 300 and 301: improper performances of funerals.
Page 302 and 303: 290
Page 304 and 305: 292
Page 306 and 307: kept perpetually ablaze for over a
Page 310 and 311: Manosha The patron saint of serpent
Page 312 and 313: Ratnasambhava The third dhyanibuddh
Page 314 and 315: Tirtha Spiritual ford, crossing pla
Page 316 and 317: 304
Page 318 and 319: very nice. The last son (or husband
Page 320 and 321: y putting faces on people who other
Page 322 and 323: Hence, I have a feeling that I am o
Page 324 and 325: Fig. 18.3. Ram Mani Gyawali, author
Page 326 and 327: 314
Page 328 and 329: When it again closes then Shiva bec
Page 330 and 331: or the opposite? Is the Aghori capa
Page 332 and 333: A man, after taking a bath in the P
Page 334 and 335: Vishnu said: Obeisance to you, O de
Page 336 and 337: The linga is pure, auspicious and i
Page 338 and 339: 326
Page 340 and 341: Cambridge. Barth, F. 1990. The Guru
Page 342 and 343: Art, Religion & Culture: 184-191. M
Page 344 and 345: Priest. Cambridge University Press.
Page 346 and 347: Insoll, T. 1999b. Introduction. Res
Page 348 and 349: Lahiri, N. 2000. Archaeology and id
Page 350 and 351: Ahmedabad. Mirza, H. K. 2002. Liter
Page 352 and 353: Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
Page 354 and 355: (eds.). Representing Hinduism: 51-8
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