Cremation, Caste, and Cosmogony in Karmic Traditions.

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The linga is pure, auspicious and imperishable. It is exceedingly blissful in nature (Linga-Purana I, 75:18, p. 371). By making the idols as follows and installing them with devotion one shall attain oneness with Siva. The unchanging lord is in the form of a Linga surrounded by great clusters of flames; the moon crested Isvara as seated in the centre of the Linga. The Linga should be made in the ether with Brahma with folded hands in the form of a swan standing on the right and Visnu in the form of a Boar standing beneath the Linga with his face turned down. Terrible great Linga is stationed in the middle of the great waters. By making idols of the lord as the protector of the holy centre, and Ksetrapala as lord Pasupati and by duly installing them with devotion, one in honoured in the world of Siva (Linga-Purana I, 76:59-63, p. 378). The water that is within and without the universe and the water that is within the physical body of all living beings constitute the great physical (watery) of Lord Siva. The nectar-like water of the rivers and the streams and the ubiquitous water of the oceans constitute the physical form of the consort of Uma. This body enlivens and sanctifies all living beings. It is stationed in the vital airs. It is of the form of the moon [the moon that is only a watery substance in the sky is in fact stationed in the heart of lord Siva] (Linga-Purana II, 12:30-33, p. 646). The ether, that is within and without the universe as well as that stationed in the bodies of living beings constitutes the powerful body of Siva […] (Linga-Purana II, 12:39-43, p. 647). The five Brahmans that cause welfare and sanctify all embodied beings are manifested in the Pashupatinath-linga. The qualities and the powers of this supreme symbol are described in Linga-Purana (Linga-Purana II, 14 p. 651- 653): Siva identical with the Panca-Brahmans [the five gross elements or the source of the entire universe], is the sole creator, the sole protector and the sole annihilator of all the worlds.They say that Siva is both the material as well as the efficient cause of all worlds. That Siva is said to be of five forms. The great form of Siva the greatest Atman, worthy of being refuge of all the worlds are five. They are known by the name Panca Brahmans. The first form of Siva Paramesthin is termed Isana. He is Ksetrajna the knower of the field and the enjoyer of Prakrti that is worthy of being enjoyed. What is called Tatpurusa is said to be the second physical form of the lord. That is identical with Prakrti as the residence of the supreme soul. What is called Aghora is the third important physical form of the lord. It is the physical form pertaining to the cosmic intellect and it has eight ancillary parts beginning with Dharma. What is called Vamadeva is the fourth important physical form of the lord. It pervades everything in the form of ego. What is called Sadyojata is the fifth physical form of the lord. It is stationed in all embodied beings in the form of the mind. The greatest lord Isana is the eternal Paramesthin. He is stationed in all living beings in the form of the senseorgan ear. Lord Tatpurusa is stationed in the bodies of the embodied beings in the form of the sense-organ of touch. The great lord Aghora is glorified by the learned as stationed in the eyes in the bodies of all living beings. Vamadeva is known as firmly established in the sense-organ tongue in the parts of the embodied beings. It is mentioned that Sadyojata is stationed in the bodies of all living beings in the form of the sense-organ of smell. It is said that Isana is stationed in all the bodies of living beings in the form of the organ of speech. Learned men say that the Tatpurusa is stationed in the bodies of all embodied persons in the form of the organ of actions, the hands. Those who know the truth say that Aghora is stationed in the bodies of all beings in the form of the organ of action, the feet. Sages say that Vamadeva is stationed in the bodies of all living beings in the form of the organ of action, the rectum. Lord Sadyojata is stationed in the bodies of all living beings in the form of the organ of generation. It is said by those who are conversant with the Vedic and scriptural texts. The sages and Devas mention that lord Isana is the lord of living beings, that he is of the subtle form of sound and is the cause of the firmament. Leading sages say that the lord Tatpurusa is the subtle form of touch and is the cause of the wind. Persons conversant with the Vedas say that the terrible lord Aghora in the subtle form of Rupa is the cause of the fiery element. Those who know the real principles say that the well-known lord Vamadeva being in the subtle form of Rasa is the cause of the waters. All those who know the real principles praise the great lord Sadyojata as the cause of the earth element in the subtle form of smell. Leading sages say that the primordial lord Isana is the wonderful entity in the form of firmament. The wise know that lord Tatpurusa is the Wind, in view of his pervading all the worlds. Those who knew the meanings of the Vedic texts speak of the noble-souled Aghora as having the form of fire worshipped by all. In view of this enlivening nature in regard to the Universe, the sages know the great lord Vamadeva as having the form of water. They mention him to be pleasing to the mind. Wise men know that lord Sadyojata is in the form of the earth. He is the preceptor of the world. He is the great sustainer of the universe consisting of the mobile and immobile beings. The entire unit of the universe both mobile and immobile is in the form of the five Brahmans. The sages who have realised the truth call that the Bliss of Siva. He who is seen in the universe in the form of the twentyfive principles is Siva and none else, who reveals himself in the form of the five Brahmans [i.e. he has become the constituent of the universe]. Hence, by all those who seek welfare, Siva the soul of the twentyfive principles, identical with the Brahmanas, shall be assiduously thought of. 324
Appendix E Descriptions of statues from Taxila Descriptions of figures 17.6 and 17.7 from Hargreaves (1951:718, 722): No. 121. Relief depicting the Buddha attended by Vajrapani and surrounded by women. The Buddha, haloed and moustached, is seated on a cushioned throne with turned legs. Over the cushion is a coverlet, with three lines of beaded ornament, which falls in front of the throne to the level of a small footstool. The Buddha’s right hand is raised in abhaya-mudra, his left rests in his lap, the first two fingers pointing downwards. On the Buddha’s left are four standing females, two younger ones in the upper background, two elder ones in the foreground. By the Buddha’s right shoulder stands a fully clothed and bearded Vajrapani, the end of his heavy vajra in his right hand. Below him is a middle-aged woman with two little girls, the taller standing by the edge of the throne, the smaller in front of it, her head level with the cushion. The skilful characterisation of the varying ages of the women is exceptional, and their coiffures exhibit great variety. The two younger women wear chaplets, but in the case of the older women these are replaced by light coverings, falling like veils behind the shoulders. All the women wear ear-rings, collars, necklaces, bracelets and, where the feet are shown, anklets, except the very aged female on the right who wears only bracelets. The attitudes of the women are varied; three carry offerings in baskets, another has a bunch of blossoms in her right hand and one young female and the two children clasp their hands in adoration. There are no details to assist in the identification of this scene and we can only recognise some of the many benefactresses of the Buddha or so many donors. Of phyllite. Height 19 in. No. 142. Image of the Bodhisattva Maitreya standing on a pedestal, the front of which is supported at the corners by Corinthian pilasters and embellished by four five-petalled eglantines. The figure wears two garments, one tied at the waist and falling in graceful folds to the ankles. The cord of this robe is clearly indicated beneath the upper garment. The latter, of lighter texture, is draped from the left shoulder so that it covers all the right side except the arm, shoulder and upper chest. The two ends are brought to the left shoulder, the front one concealing the left upper arm and hanging behind in stiff folds; the other end is brought from the back over the left shoulder, under the armpit and pulled across the back to the right side and then brought to the front over the right and left forearms to hang below the waist in a pleasing loop. The hair is tied above in a loop, as in the Apollo Belvedere; below, it is bound by strings of beads with a cylindrical clasp in front. Save for a moustache, the face is clean-shaven. The large, heavy ear-rings have a lion’s head ornament at the pierced lobe. The other jewels comprise a flat jewelled collar, a flexible shoulder chain, bejewelled at intervals, a similar necklace hanging to the right of the chest and a breast-chain passing over the left shoulder and under the right arm, to which two cylindrical amulet-holders are attached. In front of the body and over these, outside the upper garment, a necklace of thick, flexible chainwork terminates in an ornament on which two winged females, facing, hold between them, by cords, a cylindrical gem. On each arm is a trefoil armlet with straight base, the one on the left arm indicated under the tightly drawn drapery. The left hand is lost with the water-pot (kamandalu) it once held. From the mortice in the right forearm it is clear that the missing portion was originally a separate piece, a device economical of labour and material. The figure wears sandals with jewelled lacings. The urna is represented as a small circular projection. Of the halo only traces remain. Of phyllite. Height 40 in. 325
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Death and Life-Giving Waters Cremat
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Preface Contents List of figures In
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The origin of Pashupatinath and the
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Fig. 5.1 Map of Bangladesh with Far
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In karmic traditions, death and lif
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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
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highly polluted that the people wou
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24 Fig. 1.12. Durga Prasad Sapkota
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problematic (Levinson 1982:198), es
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(seeds, food). In life a person bec
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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
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degrees of purity and pollution. En
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Fig. 2.8. Caste structure according
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Nevertheless, it is preferable to b
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the sacrifier is the sacrifice. Thu
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partly a process by which the gods
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Chapter 3: Meditation upon death an
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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
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Hinduism. She is employed as a care
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Only Hindus are cremated at the cem
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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
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In the Ashram all the expenses are
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Fig. 6.7. Burial in coffin. 98
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Fig. 6.8. Private Kali temple in Ba
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Fig. 6.9. Jagadbandhu temple in Ban
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The importance of the priest in rit
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the rituals, and they have differen
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108
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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
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Fig. 8.1. A combined Kali and Saras
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high-caste and priests as religious
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1979:115-118). As seen in Faridpur
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142
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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
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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
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“Shiva, the god of eroticism, is
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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
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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
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this process happens slowly and pro
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Fig. 13.1. Decaying corpse at Nire
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achievement of a wanted state or co
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while unmarried girls and boys with
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Logic of sin and pollution Cosmogon
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212
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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
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spiritual fold took them to the upp
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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
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Fig. 15.1. Gundestrup cauldron with
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236
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took place, at some time in history
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Fig. 16.1. Maneckji Seti Agiary in
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stony desert. The polluted body was
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Fig. 16.3. Zoroastrian ossuary from
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Fig. 16.4. Zarathushtra and fire-te
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Fig. 16.6. Inside a Tower of Silenc
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Fig. 16.7. Zarathushtra. 250
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meaningfully constituted and situat
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creative act in world-history - unl
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Alexander there offered sacrifices
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therefore concentrate on his docume
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Marshall suggested that the height
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Fig. 17.5. Dharmarajika: plan of re
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Fig. 17.6. Buddha from Building L n
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Fig. 17.8. The “smaller” Buddha
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is always explaining, instructing,
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Pakistan Fig. 17.9. Mohenjo-daro an
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Fig. 17.10. The Great Bath. From Ma
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Page 292 and 293: of birth and death. The soul is ete
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Page 306 and 307: kept perpetually ablaze for over a
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Page 310 and 311: Manosha The patron saint of serpent
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Page 318 and 319: very nice. The last son (or husband
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Page 324 and 325: Fig. 18.3. Ram Mani Gyawali, author
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Page 328 and 329: When it again closes then Shiva bec
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Page 334 and 335: Vishnu said: Obeisance to you, O de
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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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Cremation, Caste, and Cosmogony in Karmic Traditions.

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