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The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana VyasaDRONA PARVA By Kisari Mohan Ganguli

4/25/2020

The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa
DRONA PARVA

By Kisari Mohan Ganguli

Published by Protap Chandra Roy (1842-1895)
Printed at Bharata Press, Calcutta - 1888
Volume 7

Read book online:

https://bit.ly/2Y5nzNu

Download pdf book:

https://bit.ly/2VBoeEP

The Drona Parva, or the Book of Drona, is the seventh of eighteen books of the Indian epic Mahabharata. Drona Parva traditionally has 8 sub-books and 204 chapters. The critical edition of Drona Parva has 8 sub-books and 173 chapters.

Drona Parva describes the appointment of Drona as commander-in-chief of the Kaurava alliance, on the 11th day of the Kurukshetra War, the next four days of battles, and his death on the 15th day of the 18-day war. The parva recites how the war became more brutal with each passing day, how agreed rules of a just war began to be ignored by both sides as loved ones on each side were slain, how the war extended into the night, and how millions of more soldiers and major characters of the story - Abhimanyu, Jayadratha, Drona, Ghatotkacha - died during the war.

About the Author and this book:

Kisari Mohan Ganguli (also K. M. Ganguli) was an Indian translator known for being the first to provide a complete translation of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata in English. His translation was published as The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose between 1883 and 1896, by Pratap Chandra Roy (1842–1895), a Calcutta bookseller who owned a printing press and raised funds for the project.

The "Translator's Preface" in Book 1: Adi Parva, Ganguli mentions the sequence of events that led to the publication. Sometime in the early 1870s, Pratapa Chandra Roy, with Babu Durga Charan Banerjee, visited Ganguli at his home in Shibpur in Howrah, Bengal, requesting him to take up the translation project, which he took up after initial reluctance and a second meeting, when extensive plans were drawn, and the copy of a translation by Max Müller was left behind, made some thirty years ago, which on study Ganguli found to be literal and lacking in flow. Thus he started tweaking the text line by line, though "without at all impairing faithfulness to the original". Soon a dozen sheets of his first 'copy' were typed and sent to noted writers, both European and Indian, and only receiving a favorable response from them that the project was initiated.
Ganguli wanted to publish the translation anonymously, while Roy was against it. Ganguli believed that the project was too mammoth to be the work of a single person, and he might not live to complete the project and adding names of successive translators to appear on the title page was undesirable. Eventually, a compromise was reached, though the name of the translator was withheld on the cover, the first book of Adi Parva, that came out in 1883, was published with two prefaces, one over the signature of the publisher and the other headed--'Translator's Preface', to avoid any future confusions, when a reader might confuse the publisher for the author.

However, by the time Book 4 was released, the withholding of authorship did create controversy, as "an influential Indian journal" accused Pratap Chandra Roy of "posing before the world as the translator of Vyasa's work when, in fact, he was only the publisher". Roy immediately wrote a letter to clarify, citing the preface, but the confusion persisted for many years amongst readers who overlooked the preface. Once the complete eighteen books were successfully translated, the name was no longer withheld from the publication. More recently, the scholars to correct this discrepancy were Ronald Inden and Maureen Patterson, compilers of the University of Chicago's Bibliography to South Asian Studies, K. M. Knott in the Janus Press Edition of the first two books of the Mahabharata and A.C. Macdonnell.

The Ganguli English translation of the Mahabharata is the only complete edition in public domain - to date. His translation was reprinted by Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers.

- Wikipedia

Image:

The Pandavas' nephew Abhimanyu battles the Kauravas and their allies, from a manuscript of the Mahabharata Date: approx. 1800-1900
Medium: Opaque watercolors on paper

Place of Origin: India Himachal Pradesh state former kingdom of Kangra
At one point in the great battle of the Mahabharata, the Kauravas gather their army into a large, impenetrable circular formation. When Abhimanyu plans to break into the formation, the Pandavas and their allies promise to follow him, providing assistance and protection.

Once Abhimanyu penetrates the enemy force, however, King Jayadratha and his army prevent the Pandavas from coming to their kinsman's aid. Abhimanyu, though he fights valiantly and slays many opponents, is eventually killed. Here he faces a force that includes the Kaurava brothers Duryodhana, Duhshasana, and Vrindaraka, as well as such allies as Karna and Drona. At the right-hand side of the page the Pandavas face a group of warriors led by King Jayadratha, who is seated on an elephant. Jayadratha was able to hold the powerful Pandavas at bay through a favor he received from the Hindu god Shiva.

Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art
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The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana VyasaUDYOGA PARVA By Kisari Mohan Ganguli

4/25/2020

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The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa
UDYOGA PARVA

By Kisari Mohan Ganguli

Published by Protap Chandra Roy (1842-1895)

Printed at Bharata Press, Calcutta - 1886

Volume 5

Read book online:

https://bit.ly/2VBhdUv

Download pdf book:

https://bit.ly/3eNVxMs

The Udyoga Parva or the Book of Effort, is the fifth of eighteen books of the Indian Epic Mahabharata. Udyoga Parva traditionally has 10 sub-books and 199 chapters. The critical edition of Sabha Parva has 12 sub-books and 197 chapters.

Udyoga Parva describes the period immediately after the exile of Pandavas had ended. The Pandavas return, demand their half of the kingdom. The Kauravas refuse. The book includes the effort for peace that fails, followed by the effort to prepare for the great war - the Kurukshetra War.

Viduraniti, a theory of leadership, is embedded in Udyoga Parva (Chapters 33-40). The Sanatsujatiya, a text commented upon by Adi Shankara, is contained within the Udyoga Parva (Chapters 41-46).

About the Author:

Kisari Mohan Ganguli (also K. M. Ganguli) was an Indian translator known for being the first to provide a complete translation of the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata in English. His translation was published as The Mahabharata of Krishna-Dwaipayana Vyasa Translated into English Prose between 1883 and 1896, by Pratap Chandra Roy (1842–1895), a Calcutta bookseller who owned a printing press and raised funds for the project.

The "Translator's Preface" in Book 1: Adi Parva, Ganguli mentions the sequence of events that led to the publication. Sometime in the early 1870s, Pratapa Chandra Roy, with Babu Durga Charan Banerjee, visited Ganguli at his home in Shibpur in Howrah, Bengal, requesting him to take up the translation project, which he took up after initial reluctance and a second meeting, when extensive plans were drawn, and the copy of a translation by Max Müller was left behind, made some thirty years ago, which on study Ganguli found to be literal and lacking in flow.

Thus he started tweaking the text line by line, though "without at all impairing faithfulness to the original". Soon a dozen sheets of his first 'copy' were typed and sent to noted writers, both European and Indian, and only receiving a favorable response from them that the project was initiated.

Ganguli wanted to publish the translation anonymously, while Roy was against it. Ganguli believed that the project was too mammoth to be the work of a single person, and he might not live to complete the project and adding names of successive translators to appear on the title page was undesirable. Eventually, a compromise was reached, though the name of the translator was withheld on the cover, the first book of Adi Parva, that came out in 1883, was published with two prefaces, one over the signature of the publisher and the other headed--'Translator's Preface', to avoid any future confusions, when a reader might confuse the publisher for the author.

However, by the time Book 4 was released, the withholding of authorship did create controversy, as "an influential Indian journal" accused Pratap Chandra Roy of "posing before the world as the translator of Vyasa's work when, in fact, he was only the publisher". Roy immediately wrote a letter to clarify, citing the preface, but the confusion persisted for many years amongst readers who overlooked the preface. Once the complete eighteen books were successfully translated, the name was no longer withheld from the publication. More recently, the scholars to correct this discrepancy were Ronald Inden and Maureen Patterson, compilers of the University of Chicago's Bibliography to South Asian Studies, K. M. Knott in the Janus Press Edition of the first two books of the Mahabharata and A.C. Macdonnell.

The Ganguli English translation of the Mahabharata is the only complete edition in public domain - to date. His translation was reprinted by Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers.

- Wikipedia

Image:

After the Pandavas complete their exile, they ask the Kuru brothers to let them return to their kingdom according to the terms of exile. The Kurus refuse. As war discussion begins on both sides, Sanjaya meets with Pandavas and Krishna (pictured above) in an effort to avoid war. This meeting is covered in Sanjaya-yana book of Udyoga Parva.
- Wiki
Rare Book Society

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Hinduphobia - "Use of the term “Hinduphobia” 1883-1997 - by Malini Ma

5/20/2019

Hinduphobia explained, origins,
by (Malini Ma)

#hinduphobia

"Use of the term “Hinduphobia” 1883-1997

HHR February 12, 2020 Analysis/Insights, Archives, Hindu Phobics, World Focus Use of the term “Hinduphobia” 1883-1997

(Origin Dates of Hinduphobia changed now to 1883 from original title of this post mentioning 1914 as origin date . We will keep on updating as more information is discovered of the use of the term – editor)

“Tell Churchill”, said Sardar Patel, “to save England first before saving India.” Someone asked, “But who will tell him that?” “Well I am telling him, that it is time somebody told him that the world is changing rapidly.

The Naked Fakir has got freedom now”. – Sardar Patel (Saggi, 1955,p.9)

Image result for hinduphobiaHinduphobia is a modern term for a far more ancient practice. Hindu Human Rights have traced historical roots in their articles for religious persecution of Hindus since Islamic and British colonialisms.

The experiences of Hindus may have other terms to describe them. This list is an evolving document, set up to clarify the historical context for the usage of Hinduphobia, so to assist researchers, writers and Hindus themselves to understand the reasoning for today’s emphasis on long overdue removal of this form of systemic oppression and social injustice from academic, media, political and social discourse.

Some materials here do not contain the term and are included for interest on historical context. This is to help readers to identify stereotypes, tropes, themes, patterns of representation and political devices, many of which have barely changed since their publication dates.

From this preliminary study, the term is as if common parlance being casually employed by the York Newspaper of Yorkshire, England of 20 March 1883. It is a critique of the media responses within Europe to minor political changes from which are expected “terrible things”.

Modern cases of Hinduphobia occurred with Indian migration into America and Britain. In Hinduphobia by Dr. Sudhindra Bose (1914), he attends a House Committee in charge of an exclusion bill which would impact 4, 974 Hindus from America over fears they might compete for both education and labour with the American colonial class.

With involvement of Britain, the concern of Dr. Bose extends to systemic oppression that forbids opportunity to intelligent Hindus without the means to afford the expense of British university.

Image result for speech at the Constituent Assembly ProceedingsBy 1946, Hinduphobia is used in speech at the Constituent Assembly Proceedings in the context of Mr. Jinnah’s attitude to Hindus, as well as perhaps tongue in cheek reference to the Constituent Assembly demonstrating ‘Jinnah-phobia’ by waiting beyond practical benefit for him to participate in the building of an Independent India, a liberty to which he had not availed himself.

Within the following year is the publication of Casey, the Governor of Bengal who applies Hinduphobia to the attitude of Muslims toward Hindus.

Casey is cited then in 1947 again, and is more often again, without referencing here. In his work it is again regarding the Muslim and Hindu communal conflict to which he responds with a short ‘Australian’ viewpoint of the situation, concluding that Pakistan is only likely to lead to serious incidents of violence and ultimately would not assist each to learn to live together as they inevitably would have to with or without Pakistan.

Sardar Patel is then cited fairly frequently from his 1948 speech, and not all citations are listed here. This is directed at Winston Churchill with scathing criticism over his self-serving manner toward Hindus, as indicated in the opening quote.

In 1958 is one citation without further material titled, “Kingsley Martin’s Hindu Phobia: Ten Years of Nehru’s India”. This text was unavailable, however a reference with a section describing Kingsley Martin on Kashmir can be accessed here at page:

It also references an interesting comment by the PM of Pakistan on 22 March 1958 that:

“We have constantly maintained, and in this we have been supported by the entire free world opinion, that the dispute should be Image result for Kingsley Martinsolved by a reference to the people who should express their preference for Pakistan or India in a plebes- cite under the aegis and auspices of the United Nations. We are prepared to withdraw our armies from the state and thus pave the way for a plebiscite in Kashmir should India agree to do the same.”

Interestingly, western critics [Vasabladet] then supposed it was not wrong to generate a state purely on the grounds of religion, accusing the Central government of infantilising Muslims as backward.

Yet today the very scent of a Hindu Rastra elicits Hinduphobic stereotypes equating the concept with Nazism. It is this type of double standard that typifies the morphic nature of the same attacks across time ‘but different.’

“The conflicts between India and Pakistan,” says the paper, “have their origin, inter alia, in religious differences; and in the Indian Parliament it has been repeatedly and vociferously declared that India never has, never will and never can accept the idea of a state based on religion.”

“Why not?” asks the paper, “is it because Mr. Nehru contends that thinking in terms which bind nationalism to religion belongs to the middle ages and can have no relevance in our times ? Perhaps Europe is regarded by him as mediaeval and backward, for here we actually have had examples of religious differences leading to frontier delineation.”

Pakistan did not withdraw its armies and therefore a plebiscite was not held, although the article makes numerous claims, the matters of which are revisited time and again, against the Indian government, regardless of who is in power. Kashmir is a problem that continues to be central to Indian experiences of Hinduphobia, especially the genocide of Hindus from Kashmir in 1990. The provision of arms from America is discussed too in this document along with very similar claims being made then as today regarding the alleged ‘abuses’ by India against Kashmiris all of which Pakistan reports as if unbiased advocate.

Image result for Ram SwarupAcademic Hinduphobia receives some attention from Historian David Knopf by 1986 with a point of contention over the west’s warm reception of Islam versus Hinduism in literature.

Again, in 1991 we see Ram Swarup employing it in political context. During the latter 1990’s Hinduphobic media stereotypes and tropes are well established, mirroring almost identically the picture of today, albeit with Congress at the helm.

Throughout the materials it is visible that actors may change over time however the discourse remains a replay of the same power dynamic between Islamic, western and Hindu actors where each group has variable degree of loyalty to its own or disdain toward the ‘othered’ and the allied anti-Hindu actors of India and Pakistan employ or establish themselves within the western media, academia and politics, especially in America and Britain, to ‘rewrite the same history’ and continue ‘Hinduphobic business as usual’.

York Newspaper. (20 March 1883). Hinduphobia.
India’s Decision Tonight. (1942). Aberdeen Press and Journal. Aberdeenshire: Scotland.

Bose, Subhindra. (1914, May). Hinduphobia. In The Cosmopolitan Student. V.5. p.40.
Indian Constituent Assembly Proceedings Resolution. (Thursday 19th December 1946).

Mr Debi Prosad Khatan (Bengal: General) […] Similarly, we shall have to lay down other principles, appoint an Advisory Committee to deal with the rights of minorities, how to safeguard their interests and do any other things that are desirable and endeavour, in my opinion, to lay down for the purpose of framing the constitution.

He fears that if we put forward the objective now, Mr Jinnah and his party may not come into the Constituent Assembly. I very humbly differ from his opinion. We have so often approached Mr Jinnah. Have we ever succeeded in melting his heart for the purpose of joining us sincerely and honestly for the purpose of obtaining Independence?

Even when the Interim Government was formed, he would not accept the invitation of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru to join the Interim Government but stated to the contrary that we was accepting the invitation of the Viceroy.

When the Congress time and again approach him to reach a settlement, he asked Mr Churchill – his friend – to get himself invited to London for the purpose of clearing up certain misunderstandings. I call them misunderstanding – between the Congress and himself.

Even now as we are proceeding with the work of the Constituent Assembly for the purpose of shaping the destiny of our country, he is spending time at Cairo for the purpose of spreading a disease which I may call Hindu-phobia, that Hindu Raj will extend to the Mid-East.

I am not sorry or surprised that he is engaged in the propaganda at Cairo. If he thinks that the Hindus are strong enough to extend their dominions to the Mid-East, it is all the more reason for him to come back to his own country and join us in framing a constitution for attaining independence with due regard to the interests of all minorities consistently with peace and progress.

I hope, Sir, we shall not suffer from a disease that I may call Jinnah- phobia and always out of fear of Mr Jinnah and his Muslim League, make ourselves absolutely helpless and delay the framing of our much needed constitution. We should muster up courage.

Casey, R.G. (1947). An Australian in India.

Image result for Casey, R.G.It has been well said that you might solve one minority problem, on paper at least, by the creation of Pakistan, but only at the expense of creating other minority problems, only just less real than the one you solve. In other words, by the creation of an autonomous Pakistan you place something like 50 millions of non-Muslim (mainly Hindu) population at the mercy of a Muslim- dominated government, and so create another minority problem that does not now exist.

While Mr. Jinnah claims the right for Muslim majority areas to secede from the rest of India, he denies the 50 million non-Muslims in his Muslim majority areas any alternative but to live under a Muslim-dominated government. He says he will give such Hindus adequate “safeguards”, but at the same time denies the efficacy of safeguards for the Muslims of India generally as any substitute for Pakistan. The Hindus in Pakistan must be content with something that is not good enough for Muslims in India.

The Muslim League have worked themselves up into a state of mind that can only be called Hindu-phobia. Not that there is not some justification for this. The Caste Hindus have dealt with the Muslims with the minimum of warmth and generosity – or even fairness. When and where the Hindus have been in the saddle Muslims have had the rough end of the stick. The Caste Hindus have given the Muslim little evidence that they believe in a fair deal – and they deny them a fair deal.

It may well be asked at this stage: “ What is it that is bothering the Muslims? What is the reason for their intensity of feeling toward the Caste Hindus?

There must be something of real importance to explain the Hindu-phobia of the Muslims, which makes them so passionate and so uncompromising; so, determined not to be dominated by the Caste Hindus.”

It is essential to answer these legitimate questions, if the present state of high tension in India is to be understood, and if disaster is to be averted.

I believe that the present state of mind of the Muslims can be analysed into two principal factors – one that can be called “the memory of past humiliations”, and the other “the lack of present economic opportunity”. Each of these needs some explanation.

Image result for jinnahFirstly, it has to be realised that for the last fifty years at least the Caste Hindus have been the “haves” of India, and the Muslims have been the “have nots”. By this I mean that in all intellectual pursuits, in wealth, in education and in the ability to lead reasonably comfortable and sophisticated lives, the Hindus have been on top and the Muslims some distance below. (p.73-74)

[…] When the city Muslim thinks of Pakistan, I believe he thinks largely in terms of the mills and shops and business houses being owned by Muslims instead of by Hindus, with the increased opportunities for employment that would result.

Mr. Jinnah and the leaders of the Muslims League, of course, understand all this perfectly well, although they do not describe it in the terms that I have used. They put it on a much higher plane, they speak in terms of two races, the Hindus and the Muslims, and the wide gulf that separates their history, traditions and ways of life, with the consequent impossibility of their history of their living together in any contentment. But many Muslims have described it to me in the simple and more understandable terms that I have used, and which I believe represent the basic reasons behind the movement.

Image result for The Muslim League 40sBut the fact remains that, Pakistan or no Pakistan, Hindus and Muslims have got to continue to live together in the same villages, towns and cities in which they are now closely integrated. Pakistan would not result in the village store being owned by a Muslim.

The only way that the Muslims can advance themselves economically is to achieve education and to learn how to compete successfully with the Hindus, which means a vast amount of hard work and the passage of time. It cannot be achieved quickly or by political means.

All that can be achieved quickly or by political mean is to ensue that they (the Muslims) get a fair deal from the point of view of education, percentage of jobs in Government service, and the like. It is for these reasons that I lay such stress on the devising of adequate and watertight safeguards for the Muslims in an all-India Constitution.

Let us look at Pakistan again. Let us say it would contain 60 million Muslims and 40 and 50 million Muslims (mostly Hindus). This would leave the large balance of 30 or 40 million Muslims outside Pakistan, i.e. in the Hindu-majority Provinces and in the India States.

This means that each side would have a formidable body of hostages in the camp of another. It would not be unreasonable to suppose that if there were to be discriminating treatment by the Muslims against the Hindus in Pakistan, that this would be quickly followed by reprisals against the Muslims in the Hindu-majority areas. One thing might very well lead to another – such matters frequently tend to become cumulative, and competition in discrimination might well result, with unfortunate and unpleasant results for both sides.

But unless the Muslims discriminate against the Hindus in Pakistan, how is Pakistan going to result in rapid and increasing economic opportunity for the Muslims?… Are the Hindus in Hindu- majority provinces going to take this lying down, or are they going to retaliate? The example could be repeated in almost countless other directions… (p.77-78)

I realise very well that a solution of the problems of the Muslims of India has got to be found. But I am very sure that Pakistan is not the solution.

I do not believe that, even today, the bulk of the Muslims have given anything like enough thought to the demand for Pakistan. I do not believe that they have analysed the economics of Pakistan objectively.

They accept the fact that Mr Jinnah says he wants Pakistan, and their deep faith in his leadership leads them to accept the idea. (p.80)

So far as the Congress is concerned, it is to be hoped that they will realise that unless they show the maximum of generosity and liberality to the Muslims, they will lose them, and India will be split in two. Any attempt to force unity on India on terms that are not acceptable to the Muslims may well mean that India may dissolve in civil war on the withdrawal of the British power. (p.84)
Casey on Economics of Pakistan. The Modern Review for July. (1946) Vol.80. p.14

The cry of Pakistan is raised in the towns and cities among the relatively small number of Moslems who think politically and who are mortally afraid that as a community the Moslems will be swamped by the more astute, better educated, wealthier and more numerous Hindus.

“The Muslim League have worked themselves up into a state of mind that can only be called Hinduphobia. Not that there is not some justification for this. The Caste Hindus have dealt with the Moslems with the minimum of wealth and generosity – or even fairness. When and where the Hindus have been in the saddle, the Moslems have had the rough end of the stick. The Caste Hindus have given then Moslems little evidence that they believe in a fair deal – and they deny them a new deal.*”

*Needless to say, this is a typical false statement incapable of being substantiated. Ed. M.R.
Is Congress a Hindu Body? The Modern Review for July (1946). Vol. 80. p.p. 14-15.
[About Hinduphobia– not citing the term]

Image result for congress party nehruStrenuous and persistent efforts have for some year’s past been made in India and abroad to paint the Congress as a Hindu organisation. The propagandists were mainly Conservative Britons and their Indian catspays of the Muslim League. The Indian National Congress has always been a national organisation of the Indian masses.

Any person, belonging to any community or professing any religion, is eligible for membership provided he subscribe to its political creed, namely, attainment of Indian independence by non-violent and peaceful means, and pays a subscription of four annas per annum. An influential section of Muslims have all along been in the Congress, even Mr Jinnah was one of its leaders for a number of years. The first President of the Congress was an Indian Christian and the second one was a Parsee. The longest term of Congress presidentship has been held by a Muslims.

Vital facts like these are deliberately suppressed for misrepresenting the Congress as a Hindu body. The estrangement of the Muslims from the Congress is solely due to British patronage. Recognition of the Muslim claims even to an absurd length through the League and a blunt refusal to recognise them when the Muslims come through the Congress is the foremost reason which has added weight to the League. As soon as this patronage is withdrawn and the Muslim community finds that their claims are duly recognised when pushed forward through prevalent democratic institutions, the League will crumble.

After the interim government proposals of June 16 were scrapped in spite of Mr.Jinnah’s declared eagerness to work it, the League leader has been lashed to fury and in his usual manner has attacked the Congress in the following words:

As regards the resolution of the Congress, I most empathically repudiate its bogus claims that it represents India and its claim to ‘national’ character.

The Congress is a Hindu organisation and it does not represent any other community except the Caste Hindus. It certainly does not represent the Muslims and the mere fact that it has a handful of Muslim henchmen for the purpose of window dressing cannot give it the national character which it claims, nor the right to represent Indian upon which it keeps on harping.

This has been established beyond doubt in the recent elections, the results of which it show that the Muslim League carried away a total of 90% of the Muslims seats in the various legislatures, and out of the remaining 10%, the Congress share does not amount to more than 4%…The Congress therefore has no right to represent or speak on behalf of Muslims and its refusal to accept the proposals for the formation of Interim Government is based on sinister motives. First, they wanted to break the parity between the Muslims and the Caste Hindus. It was accepted by them at Simla.

It is not yet definitely known who were the persons that had pulled Mr. Jinnah’s strings from behind. It has been naturally apprehended that they belong to the Civil Service. The role of the diehard Civil Service in India, most of whom are Churchill’s men, in obstructing all efforts of Indian national progress is well known. In addition to manning the Secretariat, they now hold the gubernatorial guddee of eight out of eleven provinces of India.

Their mind has been spoken out by one of Churchill’s henchmen, Mr. Casey, who now speaks with ‘authority’ about Indian affairs. In a serios of articles contributed from Melbourne and published in the U.S.A., in the Christian Science Monitor of Boston, Mr. Casey makes the following significant observation of the Hindu colour of the Congress.

The articles appeared immediately after the publication of the Cabinet Minster’s Declaration. In passing it should be noted that Mr. Casey was a nominee of Mr. Churchill and his stupid and self-opinionated administration – which favoured all reactionaries – has virtually ruined Bengal without redemption.

Patel, Sardar. (June, 29, 1948). An Unashamed Imperialist.

Dehra Dun. [Speech] in Life and World of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.

Image result for sardar patel speechThe Right Hon’ble Winston Churchill, His Majesty’s Leader of the opposition and Britain’s war-time Premier, while bemoaning the disappearance of the title of the Emperor of India from the Royal Titles, has indulged in a characteristically ignorant but extremely prejudiced out-burst against India and its Government. Mr. Churchill’s disastrous record in relation to India both as member of Government and in Opposition is well known.

His intervention has every time been exercised to the violent prejudice of this country and, in the ultimate analysis, to the detriment of his own. Mr. Churchill is an unashamed imperialist and at a time when imperialism is on its last legs, he is the proverbial last ditcher for whom obstinacy and dogged consistency gain more than reason, imagination or wisdom.

Many an attempt to build friendship between India and Britain has been wrecked by his refusal to face facts and attempts to mould them to suit his own predilections. It is well-known Image result for churchillthat when the Cripps’ offer was made, it was he who prevented negotiations from achieving success. It was he who every time thwarted the attempts of Mr. Roosevelt to see that justice is done to India’s legitimate aspirations and its free and willing co-operation enlisted in the war effort.

At the time of Lord Wavell’s Simla Conference, it was he who was responsible for its breakup and failure. If any of these attempts had succeeded, the history of India, and of the relationship between Britain and India, despite the bitterness and intensity of freedom’s struggle, would have been different. We might have avoided the evil of partition and the disasters that attended it.
Fortunately for Britain the cup of disasters was by then full and the British electorate decided to change the pilot.

Through a realistic policy followed-by the Labour Government and the bold, imaginative step taken by one of Britain’s statesmen, Lord Mountbatten, and the atmosphere of friendship and cordiality which he helped to create, the mischief done by the Churchill regime has been to a large extent undone. But it seems Mr. Churchill is still seized by his favourite disease Hindu-phobia and is determined to wreck all that good work by his most unwise disregard of the proverbial virtue of silence.

Sardar Patel. (29 June 1948). Lest We Forget Sardar Patel. The Modern Review for October.
“It seems Mr. Churchill is seized by his favourite disease of Hindu phobia and is determined to wreck all good work by his most unwise disregard of the proverbial virtue of silence. While he refers to Kashmir as being four fifths Muslim he has omitted to mention that Hyderabad if four fifths Hindu and a creation of the eighteenth century is transformed into an ancient state…I am glad to know that H.M.G. have refused to treat the Hyderabad question otherwise than as one of domestic concerns of the Indian Dominion. I would like to tell H.M.G that if they wish India to maintain friendly relations with Great Britain, they must see that India is in no way subjected to malicious and venomous attacks such as these.”

Pyarelal. (1997 [1956]). Mahatma Gandhi: The Last Phase.

There were three sides to the communal triangle – the Congress, the Muslim League and the British Power – representing the forces of nationalism, communalism, and imperialism respectively, engaged in a final struggle for survival.

Inside this triangle and cutting across its sides was another triangle representing the economic struggle that was in progress at the same time. There were three parties to it too. First, there was the British power and the landed and other interests in India. Secondly, there was the middle class, struggling for freedom from dominion from above but parasitic in relation to those below. And thirdly, there were the masses ground down by two centuries of exploitation under foreign rule, conscious only of their misery and filled with a yearning for a better state in which independence connoted to them.

The discontented Muslim masses were susceptible to an appeal to their communal sentiment. That sentiment might have had a basis in reality for some time in the historic past. But, as Mr. Casey, one time Governor of Bengal, observed, the grievance had long since ceased to be operative and now rankled only as a memory. The Muslim League assiduously worked it up to create a state of mind that could only be called, to use Mr., Casey’s expression, “Hindu-phobia”. Observed Mr. Casey: “The Hindus, even if they wanted to, are (were) no longer in a position to inflict social indignities and humiliations on the Muslims.”

Pyarelal. (1997 [1956]). Mahatma Gandhi: The Last Phase.

[Not Hinduphobia – details on communal schism]

The communal problem was the creation of the reactionary forces represented by the British Imperialism in alliance with the conservative and bourgeois sections in India. They captures communalism in their struggle for political power, to disrupt the nationalist movement which threatened their security.

What could be easier, for instance, than to tell the disconnected Muslim masses that their misery was due to the Hindu money-lender, or the Hindu zamindar, who were to them a reality, and to gloss over the tell-tale fact that the bulk of the Muslim League big guns were themselves remnants of the old feudal order – titled and landed gentry.

And so, Jinnah, onetime ardent Home Ruler, as the exponent of communalism found in the British Tory diehard and the British Indian bureaucrats and conservative landed and other vested interests, representing the old feudal order, his best allies, and felt it necessary to invoke the Islamic State inspire of his liberalism. He even attended the Friday Muslim prayers dressed in a sherwani in place of his usual Bond Street sartorial outfit…[…]…

The phenomenon of mass rivalry between Hindus and Muslims and the movement for separation of which Jinnah and the Muslim league became the mouthpiece (as an ex-Governor of the Punjab, Sir John Maynard, writing in Foreign Affairs, London testified) began under British rule. “It is of course true,” wrote Sir John, “that British authority could not have established and could not now maintain itself but for the fissiparous tendency, of the Hindu-Muslim is one manifestation. It is also true that the mass rivalry of the two communities began under British rule.

Persecuting rulers made their appearance from time to time in the pre-British era…but the Hindu and Muslim masses… worshipped peacefully side by side at the same shrines.” (pp.69-70)
[Muslims were resentful — 1871 –toward the British after losing their position in the administrative affairs of India due to their reluctance to educate themselves and learn English.

Hindus were more educated and therefore more prominent in the Nationalist movement of the mid-80s. British saw growing numbers joining Congress and decided to “win back Muslim’s loyalty”. Lord Minto and the formation of the Muslim League soon followed by 1906.]

[There were at that time only 10% of Indians literate meaning that Lingua Franca debates were unnecessarily controversial for laypersons couldn’t write in either Persian or Sanskrit ]

Nehru, Jarwaharlal. (1989) Jawaharlal Nehru: A Bibliography.

[Citation Only]
Martin, Kingsley. (1958). Ten Years of Nehru’s India. in New Statesman. 55; 12 April 1958). p. 467-73

Later reprinted in: Organiser v. 11, no. 32, 21 Apr 1958, p. 13 under title Kingsley Martin’s Hindu Phobia: Ten Years of Nehru’s India.

Lal, K.S. (1973). Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India (a.d 1000- 1800).
In brief, till about the end of the thirteenth century, Muslims in India were only like ‘salt in a large dish’. The main reason for this phenomenon was that during the whole century there was little Muslim territorial expansion. To what had been acquired by 1206, nothing substantial was added till about 1300, and all the energies of the Sultanate were concentrated on preserving their acquisition rather expanding territorially.

Such a situation was discouraging both to proselytisation and even immigration. Even in the capital city of Delhi and its environs the Muslims were few, a fact which probably made Barani suffer from an incurable Hindu-Phobia. From the time of Alauddin Khalji, however, Muslim population in India began to grow a little faster due to the spreading of the Muslim rule to almost the whole of India after 1300, and it is rightly claimed that the establishment of the Vijayanagar Empire in the South was effected with a view to preserve Hinduism from the onslaughts of Islam. But contemporaneously the Bahmani kingdom of the South was also founded and it took to proselytising work usual with a Muslim regime.

By the close of the fourteenth century, the situation was like this. Kashmir’s introduction to Islam

had started since the days of Mahmud of Ghazi. In 1315, one Shah Mirza arrived from Swat, helped oust the ruling Hindu dynasty and himself ascended the throne in 1346. But in Kashmir, till the coming of Timur at the end of the fourteenth century, the population of Muslims was insignificant. Sindh and Punjab were being effectively Islamised by rulers and Mogol invaders. In Gujurat, Deccan and Malwa also, because of the campaigns of local Muslim rulers against Hindu chiefs, the number of muslims had risen.

Kopf, David. (1986). A Macrohistorical Essay on the idea of East and West.
Even Dr. Godbole, Forster’s chief Hindu character, and the novel’s mouthpiece of Hinduism, is, in Chaudhuri’s view, “not an exponent of Hinduism but a clown.” On the other hand, the book’s most rational Indian and chief Indian character, Aziz, is a Muslim. Lawrence Brander, who has also written on Forster, made the following comparison about Hindus and Muslims in Passage: The first two parts of the novel are Muslim and Forster gets inside his Muslim characters with ease, for the Muslim is completely our brother, an exaggeration of our best selves. The difficulty comes in the third part when he deals with the Hindus.

Hinduphobia was, of course, a more characteristic response of the British who from the time James Mill published his History of British India in 1819, were continually articulating their ambivalence about their Indian connection. In Germany it had been otherwise. Then in the period following World War I, the Germans began to stress the life negational aspect of Hindu thought. The influential sociologist, Max Weber, was convinced that among Orientals, Hindus were exceedingly other worldly in their religion.

They saw life as an abode of transient and meaningless drives from which an individual spent a lifetime achieving liberation. In the West, on the contrary, since the Protestant Reformation, people worked to better themselves and the world around them; to improve the world was worthwhile because it was a manifestation of God’s purpose. Weber’s dialectic between East and West was between the alleged gnosticism which rejected the world with a passion, and the Protestant Ethic which passionately transformed the world into an instrument for human salvation.”

Swarup, Ram. (2 January 1991). Ram Swarup on Indian Secularism: Seeing through Indian Secularism.

During the Emergency period, some followers of the Jama’at-e-Islami found themselves in the same jail as the members of RSS; here they began to discover that the latter were not monsters as described by the nationalist and secularist propaganda. Therefore, they began to think better of the Hindus. This alarmed the secularists and the interested Maulvis. Some Maulvis belonging to the Jama’at-ul-Ulema-i-Hind met President Fakruddin Ahmad and reported to him about the growing rapport between the members of the two communities.

This stunned the President and he said that this boded an ominous future for Congress Muslim leaders, and he promised that “he would speak to Indraji about this dangerous development and ensure that Muslims remained Muslims.” Different political parties have a vested interest in Muslims retaining their Hindu phobia.

This phobia is a treasure trove of votes for them, or at least, this is what they believe. It is unfortunate that the Muslims have not thrown up leaders who stop playing the anti-Hindu game of some Hindus. It can bring no religious amity. What Islam needs is an introspective leadership, a leadership which is prepared to have a fresh look at its traditional doctrines and approaches. It must give up its religious arrogance and its fundamentalism, its basic categories of believers and infidels, its imperialist theories of Zimmis and Jizya, its belief that it has appeared with a divine mission to replace all other religions or modes of worship.

Secularism Turned Pretext for ‘Hindu-Bashing’. (15 Jan 1993). Sunday Observer.
…[…]…In the name of this secularism, the Hindu-bashing continues unabated. This has resulted in the insecurity of Muslims and frustration of Hindus. It is disgusting to see that after December 6, 1992 there seems to be a mad race among Congress, Janata, and the leftist parties to woo Muslim votes under the fake cover of secularism.

…[…]…The secularism, as practiced by Indian politicians, is not based upon a high principle. It is based purely on vote-arithmetic. It is, as is said, kisa, kursija (an issue of chair). It is an issue of ruthless, shameless, and naked greed for political power. it is an issue of the bankruptcy of the character of our politicians who while talking f national integration, work for continues vertical divisions of India along religious lines so that they continue to get the Muslim “vote bank”.

The compulsion of vote-arithmetic and Muslim “vote bank” have encouraged politicians to support unjust demands of Muslims fundamentalists. It is clearly evident from their resources the Shah Bano case and the announcement of the death punishment by an Iranians Ayatollah to Indian Muslims Salman Rushdie for his book Satanic Verses.

The happenings in the Kashmir Valley during the last few years is nothing but the continuation of the partition story of India. Until India learns to firmly handle those Muslims whose loyalty to Islam rather than to Mother India, the work of the Muslim fundamentalists to participation and repartition of India will continue unabated for decades and even centuries to come. Unfortunately, our politicians would rather get the Muslim “vote bank” than take action against the anti-national elements who continue to work for fragmentation of India. Just for the sake of power, the Congress party, which is never tired of lecturing on secularism, has not hesitated to join hands in Kerala with the Muslim League, the party which was mainly responsible for the dismemberment of Mother India. Can there be a better example of hypocrisy and lust for power?…

The secularism which has degenerated into unabated Hindu-bashing; the secularism which has encouraged Muslim belligerency and Hindu militancy; the secularism which has continued vertical division of India along secular lines; the secularism which has prevented national integration; the secularism which is based purely on vote-arithmetic and Muslim vote-bank’ that secularism needs rethinking.

Let the next general election in India be fought on the issue of secularism. It is time for the people of India to decide what kind of secularism they want in the country.
Media Claimed Biased Against Hindus “Pseudo-Secular” Bombay. Sunday Observer in English 15 Jan 93

[Excerpt] For many years Western media has depicted Hinduism as exotic, mysterious, complex, and Hindus as eccentric, other worldly, passive, disorganised and spiritualists. In many cases that mysteriousness has been the result of a superficial knowledge of a culture very different from the West. However, in some cases, where a fairly thorough knowledge of Indian culture was attained the sense of mystery has not been removed but has been more firmly established at a deeper level. As a result, books, journals and newspapers are loaded with articles and commercials that reinforce the negative image of India.

Now the media is busy smearing Hindus, the Hindu renaissance and the attempt to construct Ram Janmabhoomi Temple at Ayodhya. I was intrigued to read The New York Times, Washington Post, Philadelphia Enquirer, Boston Globe, Christian Science Monitor, Time and Newsweek that the Ran Janmabhoomi movement is inspired and manipulated by Hindu fundamentalists.

A casual reader of these newspapers could see words like “Hindu militants”, “Hindu Fundamentalists”, “Hindu Warlords”, “Hindu Extremists”. “Hindu Bigots”, and “Hindu Fanatics”.

Image result for hinduphobiaThis journalist euphemism, an ‘psycholinguistic programming’ is misleading, unfair, and potentially dangerous, because it distorts reality and creates a psychologically programming effect on the readers.

It creates an impression that Hindus around the world are fanatics and fundamentalists who use violence as a problem solving technique.

It must be that the media take pleasure in spreading persistent, pervasive lies about Hindu renaissance and the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple movement. What else could explain the credulous acceptance of lies, half-truths ad distortion of news about the Ram Janmabhoomi Temple movement. The inconsistencies, half-truths, deceptions and outright falsehoods about the reports were obvious from the beginning. These reports are highly responsible for what the westerners think and do. It is profoundly disturbing to note that the picture that continues to emerge from the media on Ram Janmabhoomi movement, which is passive, peace loving, tolerant Hindu comes out as aggressive, militant, fundamentalist and the violent, militant non-compromising Muslims as the victims. The hysteria emanating from the journalists are so persistent that the innocent readers think Hindus are behind every unrest in India.

Image result for hinduphobiaThis distorted reporting is not only patently false, but helps the Muslims to continue their absolutistic, terroristic and irrational behaviour. Muslims in India see their success in manipulating the western media as encouragement for extremist violence. Whether it is in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Libya, or Syria, Muslims indulge in violent confrontation to achieve their aims rather than come to terms through peaceful negotiations. The Muslim and their Arab sponsors have devised a cunning strategy with the pseudo secular Indian and western media. The entire strategy of the Muslims is keyed to manipulate the Indian and western media, who will focus on the ‘events’ and not the history, on he recorded story, not the reality of the situation in India.

This type of reporting provides selected information, encourages readers to change their attitudes and values and establish emotional responses and direct behaviour on that basis. Public are nota ware that they are being psycho-programmed and thus controlled. Further, people prefer the continued state because it is easy and convenient.

Image result for hinduphobiaPseudo secular journalists use loaded words. These words have power and consequences. Virtually every work used in reporting is derived from prior assumptions that have been deliberately shaped by the media. So, every word journalists use is intended to manipulate the mind and the future control of behaviour. False facts, lies, distorted truths, manufactured events, are all intended to convey a hidden agenda. Words, phrases and symbols, are skilfully used to confuse and disorient the readers. Sometimes, data, information, and knowledge are refined and modified to make general statements which send a subliminal message to the readers.

This distortion of reality and manipulation and invention of events validate the western belief that Hindus are irrational, emotional and disorganised. I know the western media is biased. In Columbia, El Salvador and Bolivia (all Christian countries) more people are murdered by Right-Wing Christian extremists and hard liners. Western press do not describe them as Christian fanatics, Christian fundamentalists or Christian militants. Western media have a vested interest to protect them.

But what I could not grasp is that Indian journalists are also masters of deceit. Pseudo secular Indian journalists are targeting Hindus because Hindu organisations are helping the innocent Hindus to get out of the well-designed mousetrap of their secular radicals, communists, Christians and Muslims.

The missionary school trained Indian journalistic elite have complete control over the media and they are able to generate enough anti-Hindu phobia in the west. Indian journalists team with the foes in India and abroad to undermine Hindu society, which kept India together for thousands of years. Indian journalists’ real formula is to destroy Indian culture which will bring headlines in foreign capitals.

Their active complicity and support for the western media play a major part in the media bias in the west. …[…]…

Like the conspiracy theorists who lame Jews for all the world’s problems, India’s alienated intellectuals and journalists with extraterritorial loyalty substitute empty rhetoric for significant content and obscure the principle of fairness.

True Secularism said to Require Rewrite of Constitution. Bombay Sunday Observer in English 15 Jan 93, p. 23 (ibid.p.81)
[Not on Hinduphobia, on Kashmir]

…[….]…There is another important reason for the rise in recent Hindu militancy. This is the general belief in India that Pakistan is behind the sectarian killings that have racked the provinces of Punjab and Kashmir for the past decade. International pressure on Pakistan to dissociate itself from such sectarian violence would reduce tensions.

Another sore point are the victims of the sectarian violence in Kashmir. The government of India has, for strange electoral reasons, decided to ignore them.

The Indian government should be asked to provide a human settlement for these Hindu refugees who have been languishing in camps in Jammu and Delhi for the past three years. If the government cannot guarantee reasonable protection even after three years of turmoil, it should provide compensation for the loss of property and jobs.

By Malini

References

Bose, Subhindra. (1914, May). Hinduphobia. In The Cosmopolitan Student. V.5. p.40.
Casey on Economics of Pakistan. The Modern Review for July. (1946) Vol.80. p.14
https://archive.org/…/dli.bengal.10689.18…/page/n15/mode/2up
Casey, R.G. (1947). An Australian in India. London: Hollis and Carter.pp.73-74, 79.
https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.71706/
Is Congress a Hindu Body? The Modern Review for July (1946). Vol. 80. p.p. 14-15.
https://archive.org/…/dli.bengal.10689.18…/page/n15/mode/2up
Khatan, D. (1946). Indian Constituent Assembly Proceedings Resolution. Thursday 19th December 1946. Re: Aims and Object cont.
https://archive.org/…/n…/mode/2up/search/%22Hindu-phobia%22… p. 262
Kopf, David (1986) “A Macrohistoriographical Essay on the idea of East and West from Herodotus to Edward Said,” Comparative Civilizations Review: Vol. 15 : No. 15 , Article 3.
Available at:
https://scholarsarchive.byu.edu/ccr/vol15/iss15/3
Media Claimed Biased Against Hindus “Pseudo-Secular” Bombay. Sunday Observer in English 15 Jan 93 p. 21. In Defense Technical Information Centre. (1993). JPRS Report Near and South East Asia: India, Secularism Reconsidered. US: Foreign Broadcast Information Service.
https://archive.org/detai…/DTIC_ADA343163/page/n81/mode/2up/
Nehru, Jarwaharlal. (1989) Jawaharlal Nehru: A Bibliography. New Delhi: Vikas Publishing House. p. 439.
https://archive.org/…/N…/mode/2up/search/%22hindu-phobia%22…
Patel, Sardar. (June, 29, 1948). An Unashamed Imperialist. Dehra Dun. [Speech] in Life and World of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.128756/…/n201/
Patel, Sardar. (June, 29, 1948) cited in Banerji, Chandikaprasad. (1968). Lest We Forget Sardar Patel. The Modern Review for October. p. 272.
https://archive.org/…/dli.bengal.10689.1…/page/n271/mode/2up
Pyarelal. (1997 [1956]). Mahatma Gandhi: The Last Phase. Vol. IX, Book One. Pt.4. Ahmedabad: Navajivan Publishing House. p. 69-70. https://archive.org/details/mahatmagandhilas09pyar/
Pyarelal. (1997 [1956]). Mahatma Gandhi: The Last Phase. Vol. IX, Book One. Pt.4. Ahmedabad: Navajivan Publishing House. p. 68. https://archive.org/details/mahatmagandhilas09pyar/
Saggi. P.D. (1955). Life and Work of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. Bombay: Overseas Publishing House. p.9. https://archive.org/details/lifeworkofsardar00sagguoft/
Secularism Turned Pretext for ‘Hindu-Bashing’. (15 Jan 1993). Sunday Observer. In JPRS Report, Near East and South Asia, India: Secularism Reconsidered. pp.62-63. https://archive.org/detai…/DTIC_ADA343163/page/n81/mode/2up/
Swarup, Ram. (2 January 1991). Ram Swarup on Indian Secularism: Seeing through Indian Secularism. Indian Express. In Elst, K. (1991). Ayodhya and After: Issues before Hindu Society. New Delhi: Voice of India.p.n246. https://archive.org/…/AyodhyaAndAfterKoenraadEls…/page/n245/
Lal, K.S. (1973). Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval India (a.d 1000-1800). p.122-123.
https://archive.org/…/in.ernet.dli.2015.129758/page/n120/mo…
Occasional Notes. (Tues 20 March 1883). York Herald. UK: Yorkshire.
https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/…/188303…/011/0004
(Read 463 times,

Hanumanji

12/27/2018

Rare Book Society of India

December 20 at 7:00 AM · Digital Rare Book:
Le Ramayana: Poème Sanscrit dē Valmiky
Translated by Hippolyte Fauche
Published by A. Lacroix, Paris - 1864

Volume 2
In French

Read book online:
http://bit.ly/2CqjqIE

Download pdf book:
http://bit.ly/2EwMrUK

Hippolyte Fauche, born in 1797 and died in Juilly (Seine-et-Marne) on February 28, 1869, is a French Indologist and translator.

Eugène Burnouf's pupil, he is known for his translations of Sanskrit, notably those of two great epics of India, the Rāmāyana and the Mahābhârata, the Kâlidâsa theater and the Gîta Govinda by Jayadeva.

Image:

Opaque watercolour painting of Hanumān, returning from his journey to the Himalayas, carrying the mountain of healing herbs, the Sanjivini parvatam, to restore to life Lakṣmaṇa and Rama’s allies fallen on the battlefield. Tufts of grass can be seen on the flanks of the mountain. On its summit is a temple with a golden roof adorned with four golden kalashas (water pots) pinnacles. Hanumān has a green complexion except for his reddish face and sharp fangs which protrude from his mouth. On his head is his tirukkorampam, a golden fillet with flower-shaped decorative elements; he wears a golden kavacha (armour) on his chest, with a short lower garment tied at the waist by a sash.

Company School
1830 (circa)
Thanjavur

Image and text credit:
© 2017 Trustees of the British Museum

Cultural Misappropriation of ‘Vaishnava Tantric Bauls’

8/23/2017

Be inspired, be a Baul but learn what the teachings are and stop making it up as you go. Be inspired but really you do not have to copy everything Babu Kishan does, you do not need to copy his story, contact his friends, go where he goes, tell his friends you are related either a brother or sister? Babu Kishan is unique and has been a Baul all his life and teaching Baul all of his life, he is the real thing and in today’s world one does not have to dress the part to show one is Baul. The New Bauls are riding the wave of Baul that was created by Babu Kishan and his family, Purna Das Baul, Laxshman Das Baul and Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, going back thousands of years in their ancestral chain.

Many people will say, why is Babu Kishan not teaching as much? He has lived through war, terrorist attacks, and other disasters. The biggest disaster was the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, he was there and saw the worst aftermath in Banda Ache that any person can imagine. Although he grew up going the burning grounds of Tarapith with his Maha Tantric Grandfather Nabani Das Khyapa Baul, nothing can prepare one for the devastation of the amount of human destruction he saw in 2004. He evaluated his life and completely changed his world. It has taken him a very long time to put his life back together again, he is strong and healthy now.

Canada and the Punjabi community has taught him some very important lessons that will never be forgotten and this has rounded out his life, Canada has rounded out his life and healed all the trauma of the past. The Punjabi community here in Vancouver has been really helpful and accepting of Babu Kishan. His creativity is stronger than ever. He is a stronger deeper Baul (Baul signifies a (Tantric technique Master, in the world and not of the world, one who experiences all of human and spiritual life) than one can imagine and has experienced many things others never experience in one life, he has lived many, many lives in one life. You must go through to come out the other side.

This lineage is indigenous to this area of Birbhum the land or Rarh (Red Soil) and they have been doing the Hari Krishna Maha Mantra chanting and dancing going from village to village for thousands of years. They are not from anywhere else. They are from the soul and soil of Birbhum and they are the Lineage of Baul and hold the secrets of what and who Baul is and these secrets are not given out.

Babu is legendary and from a legendary family. He has performed on the biggest stages in India and around the world, I mean he really has. His Mother, Grandmother and ancestor women are Legendary and they have brought Baul to all stages and stadiums in India around the world. If I were to list what a big stage or a stadium I would need a whole chapter to give examples.

His mother Manju Das is the most legendary ‘Baul Women’ ever of our modern time, no one can close or even compare and she was an #1 Indian singer, she learned Baul singing and sang it the way it is to be sung. She traveled around the world for more than 50 years. Her pictures with Indira Gandhi and many Presidents and Prime Ministers of India including just about every famous singer in India were not a quick photo opportunity. She was best friends with Indira Gandhi. Manju knew the whole family personally including Sanjay, Rajiv, Sonja Gandhi ect... these were not just photo opps, they were best friends and long long time associates. There is no need to copy Manju or anybody in this family and then write that it was you are the one who played on the biggest stages, internet is insanity.

If you mention Legendary Baul women and do not mention Brajabala Dasi who was the Guru to all Baul Women you are cheating. If you do not mention Radharani Dasi she was also, a Guru to many. There are so many it is a sin to make up stories about Bangladeshi and Pakistani Women as Baul Women, you see this is what happens when you have outsiders culturally appropriating a whole lineage of Baul. All will be qualified who is who and who is writing about Baul. Babu Kishan Knows the story of everyone and who is saying they are Baul. He will tell all and he holds no punches back about his own family. This needs to be clarified for once and for all.

This family of Bauls starting with Nabani Das Khyapa Baul were state singers for the Freedom movement of India, their story is huge and historical. Babu Kishan recalls hundreds of times he sang and played his khol at Rajiv and Indira Gandhi’s feet. He sat at Indira Gandhi’s feet at her last speech, days before she was assassinated, he went to her funeral, he remembers, they stayed at Pranab Mukerjee’s (The last President of India) house in Delhi because his mother is related to Pranab’s late wife whom he called Aunt Gita.

There is no need to follow Babu Kishan’s style unless you say that you follow him and are a student of his. We have seen everybody taking his writings and stories and writing the same story but taking his name out of the story. He was the first and only Baul in the history of Bollywood because Baul had never been involved in Indian Cinema until Babu Kishan. I mean if you were a Baul and did sing a song or two in a film you followed Babu Kishan, you were inspired by him. Of course you followed him. Are you an Indian Music Composer?

Did you personally go to the Ramakrishna Mission but yet you mention Baul and how you are related to the Ramakrishna but you were not, until I write about it?

Did you get your degree in Indian Music and hang out with all the legendary Indian Composers, singers and artist of India? Did you write all the Baul poetry you are singing today? Was it your ancestors, your Grandfather, who was best friends with Rabindranath Tagore?

Yet you do not talk about this lineage it is left out of your writing but you talk about Baul as if you were the Baul associated with Tagore you were not. Tagore only associated with Nabani Das Khapa Baul, he liked Lalon Fakir (Shah’s) poetry Lalon was not a Baul and Baul does not consider him a Baul.

Baul has great appreciation for Lalon Fakir note his name is not Baul it is Fakir (they are not the same). Baul considers Lalon a fabulously great poet but was he a Baul sadhaka or Baul singer? No he was not, Babu Kishan was one of the first people who composed music for Lalon poetry before that there was no tune to the poetry. We will write more about his little forgotten history and will show by old recording of Babu Kishan’s that people are singing his Lalon songs.

When you do not acknowledge this lineage and yet talk about Baul and Tagore right there you have misappropriated Baul because it was Nabani who initiated Tagore into Baul giving him the name Ravi Baul that is history yet and yet it is written like a generic story. The story only comes from Babu Kishan and his family so if you are using their stories and taking their names off, this is a perfect example of the misappropriation of this lineage of Baul.

There are many stories to be told but there is not the time nor space in this article. Did you know Allen Ginsberg no you didn’t so don’t say Baul was associated with Ginsberg, that Bauls name is Babu Kishan. Did you receive a Padma Shri and a zillion other awards for you Baul singing, no you did not, then do not say Baul received a Padma Sri. By the way that Paul has a name it is Purna Das Baul he is a renowned Legendary Lineage Baul.

Why say it was just Baul as if to claim it was part of you and your story when in actual fact it was not even related. Probably call yourself a Yogi or Yogini and stop using the name Baul, why tag on to something that you are not part of, making up lineages and stories? I have no idea?

Are you the Grandson or daughter of Nabani Das Baul? At least know the true stories of your made up Guru who is just a Baul singer but not a lineage Baul and was particularly jealous of this lineage. And for the ones who are now stealing Baul songs and saying they are the writer at least know the only reason you are singing the song is because it was recorded at Hindustan Recorders decades ago. It is not that difficult to find the truth and the truth will be told in time.

Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul was and is a 'PAID qualified' Lecturer on his “ONE and ONLY Lineage of Baul. A lineage Baul spoke Sanskrit and can lecture on Sanskrit. There is no other lineage of Baul! It comes down to Cultural Appreciation vs Cultural Misappropriation and or Cultural Appropriation and it is getting a bit tiring having to qualify all the ignorance on the internet.

Many scholars since the 1970's have written their PHD thesis with the help of Babu Kishan aka Krishnendu Das and many only know him as Krishnendu Das. He used to give information to them and help because many were not fluent in Bengali. He knew them personally and much of what they have written is wrong in many cases and he has personally spoken to them about this but they never changed their writings. Each and everything will be qualified one by one in his new Book on his one and only Lineage of Baul. No one ever said, Lineage Baul until Babu started to talk about Baul, now we have fake copy cats and it is getting annoying. Be a Baul but stop all the lying and fake stories. As Babu says learn to sing first.

'Babu Kishan' is his Indian Cinema Name. Most people who knew him as ‘Krishnendu Das’ to this day do not know about his Bollywood name.

He is the author of 3 books on Baul, dating back to the 1980's, all out of print. George Harrison and Ravi Shankar sponsored his last book in 1986. He was great friends with both and has many stories to tell.

A new book should be release at the end of 2017 or early 2018 that will be about the Historical Authentic Lineage of Baul originating from Birbhum Bengal India. It is taking longer than expected and may be broken down into two books.

He is not only a authentic Lineage Baul who is a Pandit of Indian Music MA of India Music from Calcutta University with 35 years as a music composer in Indian Cinema, Music Composer but a Scholar of Indian Philosophy, Sanskrit and a Baul Poet. Just remember when one says, "Baul" it means one is a genius, not regular, the highest level one can reach, even Ramakrisha knew this and he said, he wanted to be born a Baul in his next life. This is rare today if not impossible.

*No one in this world would know about Baul without this Lineage of Baul who brought Baul to India and the world some 80 or 90 years ago. Babu Kishan has been instrumental in doing this, he is the one who made the contacts, wrote the letters, do you know how difficult this was to do back in the 1970's, 1980, 1990's... there was no such thing as the internet of the internet Bauls that today make up stories lying about lineages and who they are.

The biggest heartache is after all the work Babu Kishan has done to open the door of Baul for others to see all the fake stories about lineages and how other new Bauls are taking claim they are the ones who brought Baul outside of India, fooling people into thinking they are Baul singers when he can't even listen to their voices because they are completely out of tune, people in the west have not got a clue what is real or what is not real. He see's them singing his own songs, his own poetry with his own tune, taking claim as if they are the ones. Please first learn who wrote the songs this is part of being a Baul, at least develop your intellect and have respect.. be honest.

The Nabani Das Baul, Brajabala Dasi Lineage inspired many greats in India these incredible beings are the only pioneers who brought Baul to India and the world. They are legendary!

They are the indigenous Baul's who are the only lineage of Bauls, don’t be fooled there are no other Baul lineages. Do you think all these people listed below were mad, there is a reason that they were inspired by this lineage of Baul. All Bauls have always followed this lineage.

If not for Baul Saint Nabani Das Kyappa Baul, Purna Das Baul and Maju Dasi, Lakshman Das Baul and Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul there would be no one in this world who would know anything about Baul. Babukishan should be given an oscar or an equivalent reward because if not for him no one would know anything about Baul. He created most of the relationships and maintained them for his Baul family, he has never asked for acknowledgement but I am saying after hearing what he has done for Baul.

This lineage are the pioneers who brought Baul to the world. Today some 07 or 80 years later some Bauls are trying to do what they have done and that is a good thing they have been inspired by this lineage the oldest living lineage of Baul, however, the copying and deleting of this lineages names and then just listing them just as ‘the Bauls’ who were associated with Allen Ginsberg, Bob Dylan, George Harrison is complete disconnect and distortion of the truth, this is called Cultural misappropriate and Cultural Appropriation. I have seen article after article on the net saying Bauls even received a “Padma Shri Award”, no Bauls did NOT. Only ONE Baul did and his name is “Sri Purna Das Baul”, so please use the names of the Baul and when saying Bauls were associated with Tagore, it was only Nabani Das Khyappa Baul. When you are saying as I have seen written that you are the only Baul who took Baul out of India.

Please have some respect and correct your writer rather than ignoring. Baul was not associated with any of the below, it was only this family of Lineage Bauls who were, this the oldest living lineage and the Bauls who brought Baul to the world. Please do not use what they have done and then generically say Bauls did it, they have a name please give credit to the name just as you would to any poet, singer or artist. Baul was never a huge group of people, they were a small group and this lineage has already been preserved, funding for the already preserved songs in the hands of this family perhaps needs some help with translation but others but I have no idea how others will preserve Baul when it is in the hands of this family? What are they going to preserve?

If you were the Prime Minister of India and were once a Chai Walla, would all chai walla's take credit and say Chai Walla's are Prime Minister of India?

This lineage and family are the only Bauls who have associated with the listen of famed Bengali’s below.

I t should read Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das or Purna Das Baul & Manju Das or Nabani Das Baul & Brajabala Das associated with:

Allen Ginsberg,
Bob Dylan,
George Harrison
The Rolling Stones,
Indira Gandhi,
Rabindranath Tagore,
Jawaharlal Nehru,
Tara Shankar Bandhypadhya,
Kavi Nazrul, Bidhan Chandra Roy,
Pankoj Mollick,
R. C. Boral,
S D Burman,
RD Burman,
Bimol Roy,
Sakti Pado RajGuru,
Uday Shankar,
Nitish Mukherjee,
Nitin Bose,
Shantidev Ghosh,
Ajit Ganguly,
Deben Bhattacharya,
Pahari Sanyal,
Timir Baran,
Allauddin Khan,
Dr. Amartya Sen's Grandfather Kshiti Mohan Sen,
Ram Kinkar Baij,
Sita Ram Omkarnath,
Ravi Shakar,
The President of India Pranab Mukerjee,
Sonja Gandhi,
Rajiv Gandhi,
Dr. Ananda Shankar Roy,
Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi,
Tv Producer Abhijit Das Gupta,
Jyoti Basu W Bengal former chief Mininster,
Diretor General of India Radio.
Dr Bhupeen Hazarika,
Mithun Charabhorty,
Bapi Lahari,
MF Huissen,
Chuni Goswami,
Shyam Benegal,
Amitabha Bachchana,
Satyajit Ray,
Mrinal Sen,
Zakir Hussain,
Ratan Tata
and many, many more.

Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul is the only BAUL who has worked in Indian Cinema and Bollywood for 35 years in a big big way. He has, recorded composed and produced most of his father's music without taking credit or any payment, he did everything for his Calcutta family for free and gave them everything.

Baul is now close to extinction and please be warned that the new Baul singers who cut the names of the history of Baul off, taking the songs and the stories that belong to this family then warping it into their story without even acknowledging where they got the idea of Baul from. Creating new stories and making themselves look exotic but they have no roots in the original Baul are Tourist Attractions. It is great teach about Baul, tell about Baul, Sing the Songs of Baul but in context, in truth, stop making up stories and saying Baul is from Bangladesh it is not, not even when Bangladesh was part of Bengal. Baul comes from Birbhum (period). Stop making up lineages and saying you are from a lineage when everybody who knows, understands that is a lie.

It should be noted: that just because one calls themselves a Baul and uses this lineages's songs does not mean they are a Baul. Today with the internet anybody can be famous, making up a lineage, it is so simple, all the leg work had been completed decades ago, before the internet. And Westerners please please at least take the time to do some research.

It should also, be noted those that who are now fundraising in the name of Baul saying they are going to preserve Baul honestly what are you going to preserve when you do not even acknowledge the truth about lineage and who wrote the songs of Baul. Baul has already been preserved long ago and recorded with all the major record companies in India, including Hindustani Records that is why the new Baul singers have songs to sing but they should give credit where credit is due rather that making up different poets names and adding it to themselves singing the songs. It is understood everybody is trying to do something and good on you but you copy and take what does not belong to you. The door was opened long ago to understand but you decided to make new stories and copy everything Babu Kishan has spent a lifetime to preserve, going where he goes... this is weak to say the least.
In time this will be qualified in the Media and addressed.

Babu Kishan will be speaking about this in the coming year, giving context and his opinions on the using and abusing of his lineage.
There is a huge disconnect between the real Baul and these new age singers who are making up lineages and completely changing the narrative of Baul, this is not helpful.

Baul is open to all and believes in UNITY however, we live in a different time, and now at this particular time Baul does not need the narrative to be changed and culturally misappropriated, or taught out of context, we only have a short time to get the narrative straight, there is no need for new Baul singers to make a new narrative and distort Baul stories. It is time to set the record straight and qualify what and who is Baul.

Baul does not have it roots in Buddhism, Baul goes back before Buddhism to a time of Radha and Krishna to a time of Shiva. They include Buddhist thought but the new Bauls singers teachings on this are completely misguided and wrong.

Babu Kishan is the first authentic Baul to lecture and teach his authentic Baul tradition he has been traveling and teaching since 1971 around the world.

He also, lectures on Sanskrit Classical and Oral Sanskrit
Indian Philosophy & Indian Music, Folk, Classical, Baul and Indian Cinema Music & his personal stories and experiences.

BA Indian Philosophy Calcutta University MA Indian Music & Folk Music Calcutta University

Was a monk in the Ramakrishna Mission for 12 years

Born into the one and only Baul Lineage into the lap of Nabani Das Khyapa Baul in Suri Birbhum Bengal initiated into Tarapith and Tara Ma where Nabani his grandfather was a sadhak there as he was blessed and initiated by Bama Kepha

In the 1980's he represented Calcutta University around India, regarding Indian Philosophy, Sanskrit and Baul.
@ Universities around the world.

UCLA,
Columbia,
Chicago University
Boston University
Pennsylvania Music College
Baltimore Music College,
Philadelphia Arts and Music College
Kansas University
Music St Louis University
Washington and Lee University Virginia
University of Washington
University of Toronto
University of British Columbia
SFU (Simon Fraser University)
Harvard University
Mumbai University
Whistling Woods Film Institute in Mumbai
San Francisco College of Arts
Berkeley University Music School
Red Wood University
San Diego University
University of Victoria
Cambridge and Oxford in UK
Berlin Music College
Stuttgart University
Bremen University
Germany Hamburg
University Cologne
University University
Germany Zurich
University Geneva
University Brussels
University Rome
University of Fine Arts
University of Honk Kong
University of Bangkok
University of Singapore
Delhi University
University of Mauritius
University of Johannesburg South Africa
Calcutta University
Vishva Bharati in Shantiniketan Birbhum

and many others.. since 1971

www.babukishan.org

Written By Trishula Das a western Canadian writer fighter student of Baul. A Vedic Astrologer, who found myself learning and defending the preservation the history of Baul accurately. Why? because I am the biggest supporter of my husband Babu Kishan and have spent 24/7 for 14 years immersed in Baul Bhava and Baul Rasa Lila mysticism.

I found myself writing about Baul through the eyes of Babu Kishan and during the past decade I have read just about everything written about Baul I am shocked to see many people change their story as I write about Baul. I write something then they copy it but taking the names off and adding new names (a complete Cultural Misappropriation).

It has been an interesting eye opener watching what Babu Kishan does the New Age Bauls will copy. I write lineage, then Lineage becomes the thing, others will create lineages that I can guarantee 100% are not a lineage and never were. I write about the Universities Babu Kishan taught at since the 1970’s then guess what, now the thing is to contact and list Universities?

I write about all the stages he has performed on, guess what? It has become quite a joke. It must be Babu Kishan because he finds the same thing living here in Vancouver, if he wears a certain hat then all the Indian men will wear that hat. What he does it seems people copy and I am not just saying that, others say it all the time, they all laugh about it. With this in mind if I could only get Babu Kishan back teaching, he obviously has some power to influence what people do.

This is real Baul other people are inspired and want to follow like a Pied Piper that is why Nehru, Indira Gandhi and her two sons had this family sing before any speech, real Baul has a magic. Real Baul has the power to draw a crowd, this has been proven over and over through time. They are not drawing a crowd by showing how exotic they look, they are drawing a crowd by their technique of thousands of years of practice in a Guru Shishya Parampara Sampradaya.

If he films in a certain way, they copy him, he made a movie called “Canadian Dream” hard to believe but at the same time a Punjabi guy copied and called his movie at the very same time “Canadian Dream” we were so puzzled but the guy said, he wanted to ride off of Babu Kishan’s name and his promotion? What he does people seem to follow so I guess I should just get over it.

But when I see people singing his songs, his poetry or his Grandfathers poetry I really am in a fighting mood, because this is stealing or being blatantly dishonest putting other poets names on a known Nabani Das Khyapa Baul song? If you are a Baul Master you would know this because these are the things a Baul Master would know. This is not Mastery this a Cultural misappropriation.

#baul #baulmusic #birbhum #kalokata #kirtan #bengal #baulofbengal #shantiniketan #bengalfolkmusic #sufi #baulsufi #babukishan #baulguru #rabindranathtagore #tagore #statesman #timeofindia #articleonbaul #tantricbaul #vaishnavabaul #baulofbirbhum #folkmusic #mysticbaul #baulsinger #baulperformer #baulgaan #baulsangeet #baulsadhana

Bhakti Yoga Kirtan The Vaishnava Bauls of Birbhum Bengal

2/28/2016

Rabindranath Tagore gave (Sri Nabani Das Khapa Baul) the name Khyappa Baul and named him 'Mirror of the Sky'. To this very day villagers in Birbhum remember a legendary Tantric Vaishnav Baul Saint Avadhut named Nabani Das Khyappa Baul.

Khyappa or sometimes spelled Kheppa and (Kheppi for women) means sat chit ananda (eternal conscious and blissful), highly mystical, fully awake, aware, divine ecstatic love, wild, free bird, blissful, divine consciousness, magical, mysterious, out of body connected to the divine at a very high level, khyappa is not something that can be faked. It is not a name for everybody it was a name designated for a Avadhut, however, today everybody is calling themselves khyappa as many are calling themselves ‘Baul’ and ‘Baul Guru’.

Rabindranath Tagore the great Bengali Noble prize winner for literature and the writer of the Indian, Bangladeshi, and Sri Lankan national anthems, loved Nabani and Nabani is the only Baul who inspired and associated with Tagore. The Pous Mela in Shantiniketan was created by Rabindranath Tagore in honour of Nabani Das Baul to bring together intellectuals, poets, and creative artists from around the world.

To the untrained eye and ear wandering and singing a song does not make one a Baul. Rabindranath honoured Nabani because he was an ecstatic mystic full of wisdom, he admired his poetry, his tune and his depth in sadhana as a Tantric Yogi and Baul Avadhut. Rabindranath respected Nabani's ancient lineage and its richness, authentic cultural significance and tradition of wisdom, along with the energetic live wire shaktified pure ecstatic love that Nabani embodied. Tagore also, gave land and a special place for Nabani Das Khyappa Baul to sit and be at Tagores own Vishva Bharti University, they spent much time together and it should be noted that all of the old pictures and the ones at The Royal British Museum in London of Nabani were pictures taken by Tagore himself.

Tagore appointed Nabani Das Baul as a Professor of Baul music and dance at the Tagore Vishva Bharti University in Shantiniketan. Nabani is the first and last Baul to teach at Vishva Bharti University. One of Nabani's students was Indira Gandhi, her father Jawaharlal Nehru had the greatest respect for Nabani. The Indian Independence movement was in full swing. Nehru appointed Nabani a state singer, where Nabani along with Nehru and his contingent traveled all over India, playing for people, sharing the magic of Baul and Nehru's political messages.

Like his grandfather, KD Babukishan also traveled with his parents around India as state singers for Indira Gandhi, with whom Babu's mother was best friends until Indira Gandhi's assassination. Babukishan recalls going to Delhi for Indira Gandhi's state funeral with the Gandhi family. There were millions of people it was an epic historical event the fall out from her death or I should say her murder was catastrophic. They also were state singers for Rajiv Gandhi until Rajiv's assassination  . Often times after a day of work Babu would sit with Rajiv Gandhi and unwind after their travels through out India. Babukishan has traveled India so many times with different people including Sitaram Das Omkarnath, his father, his mentor and great friend the Supreme Court judge who was a master Jyotishi who predicted Babu would meet me one day, and he also predicted that Sri Purnab Mukerjee the now President of India would rule India one day. Purnab Mukerjee and Babu's family were very close as his mom Manju and Pranab's wife the late Gita Antie were relatives. I met her in at the Mukerjee house in Delhi in 2007.

Guru Shishya Parampara Sampradaya Lineage. Bauls are Tantrics, Indian musicians who know the Tantra of Sound, Mystical Bards, Guru's, Pandits, Acharya's who are simply called Baul. There are some Bauls who are not from this lineage or a lineage period and it is very interesting how they are changing the face of an ancient living lineage that they do not even understand. Real Bauls are mysterious you will never figure them out all one can do is taste their rasa it is impossible to catch a Baul they are here one minute and gone the next, they do not want to be seen and certainly do not want to collect devotee's but there is something to learn from them if one is patient.

Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, was wise enough to know what the scholar Sri Chaitanya had figured out 500 years before, that Bauls were able to draw people together through their energetic shakti and ecstatic charismatic chanting, singing and dancing. Dry scholarship and talking doesn't necessarily awaken people to a new movement. Sri Nitanyanda of Ekchakra Birbhum was a Vaishnava Baul and the ancestor of this lineage, he was elder to Sri Chaitanya. It was Nitanyanada who taught his Baul tradtion of kirtan, singing and dancing to Sri Chaitanya.

Sri Chaityana started his Hari Krishna movement based on the ecstatic 'Hari Krishna Hari Ram' singing and dancing of the Vaishnava Baul of Birbhum. The Bauls would start with the Hari Krishna chant early in the mornings as a wakeup call announcing their presence to the villagers of Bengal, inviting them to listen and learn about spiritual life.

Baul is a rare, esctatic, super charged high speed internet, direct blissful Yoga and sweet heart-opening devotional singing and Baul Kirtan is full of ecstatic energy that turns even the hardest of hearts to honey, bringing the rasa of ananda (bliss) alive.

It is a secret esoteric path meaning a Baul will never tell you anything directly you will learn through sadhana and being with a Baul over a lifetime that one may learn and grasp a drop, all the rest is just mere speculation. You will be tested every step of the way of this magical journey and be put off as the path is not straight it is crooked to prevent the people who just want to buy something and then say, they are an Indian musician or Yogi or this or that. Today everybody wants everything right here and now that is not the path of Baul because it is a super advanced path a way to easily reach God/dess but as we know nothing is really easy. It is not a beginners path and very hard to understand because of the language translation from a certain type of Birbhum Bengali to even Bengali or Hindi let alone English. I have to translate backwards in certain ways let alone the Sanskrit parts?

The path of Love, The path of poetry, deep soul music, trance dance and sadhana. The path of ecstatic union. The path of everything. The path of humanity. The mysterious mystical inner path. The path of GRACE and Divine Love. The path of the Avadhut. The Mystic Tantric Path. The path of higher deep Yoga. The path beyond the Path. The bliss permeated Path. The path of Soul mates. The path of the Divine Feminine. The path of Shakti Maa.

Baul is the path of everything in the universe, the path of poetry all Bauls produce some kind of poetry this is how they distill their teachings in simple poetic songs that hit the heart of everything the universe consists of, there is nothing that is excluded.

Bauls play a one stringed trance inducing instrument called an ‘ektara’ also called the ‘Gopi Chand’ or ‘Gopi Yantra’ which is the Bauls symbol of peace and unity for all. A Baul plays a variety of instruments including a rare one or two stringed instrument called a ‘Gubgubi’ which Nabnai himself named the Ananada Lahari meaning ‘waves of bliss’. Baul is a Guru Shishya Parampara Sampradaya, they are sadhu's and belong to sadhu sangha which are called Akaras. There used to be 22 such sanghas, now there are only 2, they are almost extinct.

There is a lot of misinformation about the Bauls today, misrepresentations abound among a new generation of Baul singers, scholars, writers, documentary film makers, information found on wikipedia, Gurus from other sects including Osho who wrote many books on the Bauls and was deeply inspired by Nabani Das Khyappa Baul. All of them have completely missed the point of who these sweet devotional people are. They repeat the same thing over and over and it is not accurate. Many fakes are changing this beautiful tradition, they dress the part, singing out of tune trying to copy what can not be copied. Baul is only achieved through sadhana. The fake Bauls say they are sadhakas to attract students, some say they are sexual tantrics as sex always sells. This has gone on for a long time. Unaware foreigners attracted by sexual tantra of the west, and Indians attracted by the dream of sexual freedom, flock to Shantineketan. Yet the real Bauls are now almost extinct, and those that still remain, live marginalized in poverty.

Bauls have been described as mad, Sai, Shah, Fakir, Dervish, Aula, Muslim, afflicted by the wind, illiterate, beggars and folk singers, yet they are none of the above. They accepted all but that does not mean they became the other, it does not mean they became Islamic or Buddhist. Baul is a sect unto its own and they are Sahaja Baul which are some of the first Sufi"s on the planet, Sahaja = Sufi Vaishnava Baul (Hindu Sufi).

Sahaja is the same as Sufi “Sahaja simply means natural and spontaneous. It not only implies natural spiritual levels, but on the mystic level of the miraculous. It means that easy or natural state of living without planning, design, contriving, seeking, wanting, striving or intention. It is that nature which, when once established, brings the state of absolute freedom and peace. Sahaja is a natural state which balances reality between the pairs of opposites and maintains harmony of the Cosmos.

Thus ‘sahaja’ expresses one who has reverted to his natural state, free from conditioning. It typifies the outlook which belongs to the natural, spontaneous and uninhibited man, free from innate or inherited defects.
As such even nakedness of the sadhus is considered to be ‘sahaja’. By his own demeanor Datta shows man’s instinct for naturalness and primordial perfection not only of the physical and spiritual level but at the mystical level.
A parallel is made to plants and trees which do not grow according ‘svadharma’ or rules and obligations incurred at birth.

Nature only has ‘svabhava’ meaning its own inborn self or essence as its guidance. In other words ‘what is to come must come of itself’ to manifest in a state of absolute freedom. Taoism speaks of ‘sahaja’ as a highest virtue – the loss of the peculiar naturalness or unselfconsciousness. I have personal experiences with Taosim and my Master named his place of practice the same word as Sahaja but in Chinese.

One finds this state in an innocent child which is always in its ‘sahaja’ state unless interfered to by society. In his semi-naked state an sahaja avadut is just as unconscious of others nakedness as he was of his own.

“The person who has conquered the baser self and has reached to the level of self mastery: he is at peace, whether it be in cold or hot, pleasure or pain, honoured or dishonoured” – Bhagavad Gita. “ This is Sahaja the Bhagavad Gita and Vaishnavism is Sahaja in its pure unorthodox sitting on a throne form. It should be noted pure Gaudiya Vaishnavism always honored this family of Bauls. There are perhaps hundreds if not thousands of pictures of this family preforming for them raising huge amounts of money for them. There has never been any debate about them not being ancestors of Sri Nityananda of Ekchakra? Their story has never been told and now with the internet many are making up stories.

It is important to understand that Baul arrived before both Buddhism and Islam. Bauls are considered to be original Sufi before Muslim existed and Sufi in this context is Hindu or more appropriately called Sanatan Dharmic Sufi. Some say they are the very earliest Indian Sufi's but I do not like to use the word Sufi because there is so much debate about where Sufi is from and the Bauls of Bengal are not Islamic they sing some Islamic Sufi songs because they love all but that does not make them Islamic or Muslim. However, I must make it perfectly clear Sufi pre-dates Islam and Sufi in the context of Baul is not Islamic it is Sahaja (Sahajaya) Baul Sahaja is Sufi.

The Bauls were not British educated English speaking Christian Bengali's who learned Sanskrit after the fact. Vaishnava Bauls learned Sanskrit in the oral tradition by hearing and remembering from birth, which creates a person with a photo graphic memory. Bauls are the original Das and Dasi singers and dancers of Bengal, the original kirtanists from the red soil called Rarh. Many of their Kirtan's have been taken by the Orthodox New fundamentalist Vaishnava and claimed as their own? They use a degrading language to describe the Bauls and many other sects to raise themselves up higher than any other religion in the world this surely anyone can understand is most certainly not othodox is shows a lack of confidence and heart towards others. Yet they have no clue where their information and kirtan came from or the true stories.

Babukishan is a master of India music classical, folk bhajan, kirtan, all music and his job for years was working for the biggest music companies in India categorizing all of the music of India, his description of kirtan is completely different from what is going on in the west. The west is chanting, kirtan is the telling of the stories of Krishna, Ram Shiva and Kali telling their stories in reverence and chanting. Kirtan is worship with reverence it is unheard of in his tradition for people to fall asleep on the floor.

It should be noted that Babukishan has recorded and produced the first recorded Hanuman Chalisa in India that is one of the most successful recordings of the Hanuman Chalisa played in all the temples in India the singer the late Hari Om Sharam. Babukishan has also, produced and recorded music by some of the Islamic Sufi greats including, Abida Parveen, Munni Begam, Allan Fakir, Nusrat Fateh Ali, Karim Khan, Majid Shola, and many more so he understands what is Muslim Sufi and what is Baul Sufi from experience not from books. He has recorded more Lalon Fakir songs than anybody and loves his poetry but still does not consider him to be a Baul. Babukishan has also, produced and recorded the biggest kirtan, bhajan singers in India including ...

Bauls were the biggest peacekeepers accepting all people. It should be understood that Baul is the path of the Avadhut always exploring and learning. They have many teachers but only one Guru. Understanding the history of Bengal is very important to understanding Baul. When Bengal was in strife under Islamic invasion they accepted Sufi into their fold. When Buddhists flowed into Bengal and were challenged by Brahamins, Bauls were the only people who gave them refuge and accepted them saving many from persecution. Baul is a sect onto its own based on Sanatan Dharma with a sprinkle of Sufi and Buddhist practices. Please understand that it is also, said Sufi is based on Sanatan Dharma and was in India way before the Muslim's existed. Bauls have always been natural Indian Tantric Sufi's. A Baul will also say Buddha actually followed Shiva. Many of Baul practices are some of the earliest known before Buddha and before was Sufi attached to Islam in modern thought.

Stories abound about Bauls being from Persia, Uzbeckistan or Bangladesh, but many of these speculations are coming out of Bangladesh which is a Muslim country. They have somehow appropriated Baul culture and use this as a way to raise huge amount of money, apparently in order to preserve Baul Tradition as their ‘National heritage’. Baul tradition was born thousands of years ago and is indigenous to and originates from Birbhum Bengal. There were no Bauls in Bangledesh, even when Bangaldesh was Bengal they were not from the place now called Bangladesh. Baul has always been based on Sanatan Dharma, the eternal dharma of India as found in the Bhagavad Gita, Upanishads, Puranic and Vedic wisdom. There were no Bauls in Bangladesh prior to the 1970's because Babu's mother Manju was a well know family in that area before it became Bangladesh.

Vaishnava Baul is the lineage of Krishna & Kali Kirtan. The Vaishnava Bauls are the original Kirtanists from the land of Rarh (red soil) which is Birbhum.

Kenduli Birbhum Bengal is the home of the Joy DEV Baul Mela. JOY Dev wrote the Gita Govinda about the love between Radha and Krishna.

This story comes from the oral tradition of the oldest living Baul lineage as told by Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul, a ‘Lineage Baul Guru’ and the only Baul Guru Scholar from inside the tradition of the Vaishnava Bauls of Birbhum Bengal. Babukishan has lectured all over the world for decades at the University level and has done Baul preformances on some of the biggest stages in the world since the 1970's.

Baul is not only an ocean of devotion but is also, an ocean of Indian Philosophy, Yoga, Tantra, Vedic, Puranic, and Upanishad wisdom. The title 'Baul' implies one is a Guru, Pandit, Acharya, an authority, they were the Shastra before books, they are oral storytellers, spiritual Bards, Bhakti Yogi's, Masters of Nada Yoga, and Vayu Dharma. However, being an oral tradition did not mean they didn't read Bengali and Sanskrit manuscripts and Shastra.

KD Babukishan was born in 1962 in Suri Bhirbhum W Bengal into the lap of Nabani Das Khappa Baul and his wife Brajabala Dasi. KD Babukishan is the birth son of Purna Das Baul and Manju Dasi, however and for whatever reason he was left right after his birth to be raised by Sri Nabani, his Sad Guru and grandfather. Nabani and Brajabala raised their little grandson who was born premature with crooked limbs, it was thought he would die the next day. They named him Krishnendu (Krishna in Bengali). The name Babukishan was given to him by Mahesh Bhatt a Hindi film Director and Suraj Sanim one of the biggest Hindi film writers.

Nabani was an adept sadhaka at Tarapith who had traveled as a sadhu tantric all over India living in the Himalaya's into Tibet he has lived in caves and was a great Yogi Tantric. Nabani took his sick tiny premature grandson with crooked limbs to Tara Maa right after he was born praying and begging for his life. Ayurvedic medicine, prayers and mantra were used to heal baby Krishnendu and his limbs were straightened through daily Ayurvedic massage given by Nabani and Brajabala Dasi. It should be noted that Nabani was a healer and he had healed thousands of people eveywhere he went, taking their karma and transmuting their karma.

Nabani knew the Tantra of alchemy and traditional herbs, he was a close friend of the famed Ayurvedic doctor and healer Dr. Kali Goti who also helped with healing Babu. Nabani was an adept at manifesting siddhi's, he knew all the Guru's, Saints, Siddhas, Yogis, Naths, Swamis, Sadhus, Sadhakas of the time and had them all give dharshan and blessings to his little baby Krishnendu. Babu went everywhere with Nabani and was a regular at Tarapith learning tantric and Baul sadhana. hanging out with the Gurus and Tantrics one could say he owes his life to Tara Maa and Kali Maa. The village Rakha Kali Maa temple where he played, was right beside the Ratha Yatra Cart with Radha and Krishna. The village favoured many gods. Babu saw and experienced a world that does not exist today, those times are gone. I specualate that perhaps this was Babu's karma and a continuation of his past life.

Nabani's samadhi was in 1969, when KD Babukishan was only 8 years old. He thought Nabani was his father, until he learned his real father was Nabani's eldest son Purna Das Baul who had since had two other sons that were raised outside the Baul tradition, in contemporary Calcutta. Most people on a path would agree that our family is not who we are. Guru is our real family if we are lucky to have one, Babu was lucky to have Nabani who left him his spark. Losing Nabani was to be the greatest loss of little KD Babukishan's life and the greatest loss to the whole Baul community. Nabani was not an ordinary Baul he was an extraordinary genius. Babukishan was by his side when he went into samadhi.

On his grandfather’s passing, KD Babukishan recalls: suddenly my grandpa reached out and gave me his hand at the same time a huge thunder cracked and filled the air with energy, my grandpa ' Boro Baba's' whole body turned a blue whitish an electric current shocked me and ran through my body at the same time automatically the tulsi plant fell over and the Bhagavad Gita sitting in the tulsi plant hit Boro Baba on his head, he was gone. He held my hand so tight I felt an electric current run through my body my third eye opened, I saw the universe my Boro Baba had given me what is called a Bramhma darshan. I felt a huge force of power and light in my body, I couldn't break free of Boro Baba's grip.

The Baul kirtan for Nabani went on for weeks, they chanted HARI KRISHNA HARI RAM for 8 days in a continuous flow, and then 6 more weeks taking breaks for some food and rest. Thousands of people came to pay their respects. Nabani was a famous father figure, Baul Guru of Birbhum, a state artist and the whole state of Birbhum was closed. He was burried in traditional Baul way, sitting in a padmasana.

Some time after his grandfather’s death, his Grandmother sent him to live in Calcutta with Purna Das Baul and Manju Dasi, his birth parents, as she felt he’d be better off there and that he needed to be educated. KD Babukishan's went from the highest energy and biggest love bliss to a material life in Calcutta and a family where he didn't fit in. He recalls how his mother Manju used to bribe him with cookies to call her Maa.

Those days were hard for a little boy, suddenly surrounded by strangers, in the strange city, and before long, they packed him off to Ramakrishna Mission, where he remained for the following twelve years. Living there was tough, but the Swami’s there respected the Bauls, and often told him the story how Ramakrishna loved the Bauls, and said many times how he wanted to be born a Baul in his next life.

The family sometimes let him stay with them and even travel with them, touring with his father. When he was nine, they went to London and Europe on his first of many overseas trips. They went to perform at the fundraiser for Bangladesh in 1971, 1972, and 1978. There was a big group of Indian musicians who played at Hyde Park at the concert sponsored by the Beatles and The Rolling Stones. That is where he first met and became lifelong friends with George Harrison and the Rolling Stones. Later in 1986, George Harrison along with Ravi Shankar helped him publish his 3rd book on Bauls, now out of print. During that trip they traveled to Mick Jaggers place in Nice, France and where his father recorded with them for the album Jai Bangla. Mick Jagger was their limousine driver, and drove them from the airport to his place. In 2004 Babukishan returned the favor picking up Mick Jagger from the airport when The Rolling Stones performed in Mumbai.

Just as he was in the process of becoming a sanaysin, his father pulled him out of Ramakrishna Mission to work as his tour manager and it should be noted that Babukishan composed most of his fathers music as Krishnendu Das he was also, the youngest music composer in India at the time and was given awards for being the youngest and has a 40 years of award winning music composer. There were many good times and many difficult times with his Calcutta family and he left them for Mumbai after somethings that Babu didn't agree with but always supported them.

The easiest way to pronounce Baul is (Ba–oowl). Bauls are known as 'wind catchers' , the Masters of Pranayama which they call Vayu Dharma. Baul comes from the words Vayu (air) and Tula (to raise the vital air). Ba stands for Va in Bengali language. Bauls practice various yogic tantric techniques and their singing and mantric chanting. The aim of the Baul is God Realization & Self Realization in the human body, humanity is first and foremost to the Bauls – to be a good human, to realize God within this body temple.

Bauls are considered to be Sahaja which means natural and spontaneous. It implies natural on the spiritual level and on the mystical level of the miraculous. It means that easy natural state of living without planning, design, contriving, seeking, wanting, or striving for attention.  It is that nature which, when once established, brings the state of absolute freedom and peace. Sahaja is a natural state which balances reality between the pairs of opposites and maintains harmony of the Cosmos.

Thus ‘sahaja’ expresses one who has reverted to his natural state, free from conditioning. It typifies the outlook which belongs to the natural, spontaneous and uninhibited man, free from innate or inherited defects.
As such even nakedness of the sadhus is considered to be ‘sahaja’. By his own demeanor Datta shows man’s instinct for naturalness and primordial perfection not only of the physical and spiritual level but at the mystical level.
A parallel is made to plants and trees which do not grow according ‘svadharma’ or rules and obligations incurred at birth.

Sahaja is: “The person who has conquered the baser self and has reached to the level of self mastery: he is at peace, whether it be in cold or hot, pleasure or pain, honoured or dishonoured” – Bhagavad Gita. “

Sahaja is NOT,  licentious, loose, lustful, lewd, salacious behavior as described by the orthodox Vaishnav coming out of Bengal. Shaja is a Sanskrit word and those translations are completely wrong, To be sahaja is to hear, see, smell beauty in all things. To be a sahaja is to love (prema) unconditionally from the soul spontaneously and naturally. It is a feminine way of being the "path of Radha" the inner soul, it is an elevated way of being. It is to move ones focus inward and not get stuck in rhetoric and the mind or of knowledge. It is about having knowledge but not getting caught and hung up on knowledge.

Bauls practice techniques similar to Daoist Qigong they are Masters of energy work and mysticism. They are visionary and communicate inward, it is a inner path. Inner ritual, Radha and Krishna reside in the alter of the heart this is where the Rasa Lila takes place. As an example of outer it would be the temple and book business and even sometimes even murti's although I know they worship murti's and at all temples around the world as I have been to every type of temple, church and even mosques with Babukishan.

FAMOUS BAULS

Purna Das Baul is the first famous Indian Vocalist to come to America. First arriving in 1967 on a tour from San Francisco to New York staying in Woodstock NY at Bob Dylan's home as guests of Sally and Albert B Grossman (Bob Dylans manager). The recorded music from that time is called 'Bauls at Big Pink'. Purna Das Baul and his brother the late Laxshman Das Baul who was a much loved Baul a Bob Marley of the Bauls appeared on the cover of Bob Dylan's Legendary album John Westly Harding, Bob Dylan was a super fan of Lakshman Das Baul. Sally Grossman has remained a loyal a very dear friend of the Bauls and Laxshman Das Baul since 1967. At 81 years of age Lashman Das Baul passed away in April 2015 ending a legendary period of Baul history.

The Bauls at Big Pink produced by Al Aronowitz the father of Rock Journalism and another beloved friend of Babu's who passed in 2004, Garth Hudson and Robbie Robertson of the Band 1967 / The photo of Nabani Das Khyappa Baul was taken by Rabindranath Tagore. The Bauls on this album are Purna Das Baul and Lakshman Das Baul

Baul Samarat (King of the Bauls) Purna Das Baul at 82 years old has recieved the highest awards as a vocalist in India including many President Awards, Padma Shri and a rare award from the JAGANATHA TEMPLE called 'Nada Brahma Award' which only 3 have received including the much celebrated Ravindra Jain and Lata Mangeshakar. This family of Vaishnava Bauls are celebrated at the Jaganatha Temple in Orissa they know they are ancestors of Nityananda, Jai Nitai.

Allen Ginsberg's had always honoured Nabani Das Baul as his Guru who he first met him in the early 1960's while traveling in Bengal. Ginsberg became a very dear friend of KD Babukishan whom Babu visited every year in America from the 1980's until Ginsberg passed, they are both poets and have a love for Nabani Das Baul. Ginsberg is the one who insisted to Sally and Albert B Grossman (Bob Dylan's manager) to bring Nabani to America, however, in 1967 Nabani's health was failing and he sent his two son's Lakshman and Purna Das Baul.

Kshiti Mohan Sen was a well-known scholar of ancient and medieval India and close associate of Rabindranath Tagore served as the Vice Chancellor of Visva-Bharati University in Santineketan for years. Kshiti Mohan Shastri described Nabani Das Baul "the last real true Baul" he wrote a book on Baul and regarded Nabani as the greatest ocean of intelligence he was as a huge admirer of Nabani. Kriti Mohan Sastri is the Grandfather of Armarta Sen a Professor, Economist and Philosopher living in New York.

KD Babukishan walks between worlds in a true tantric form with one foot in the spiritual world and one foot firmly on earth, in the world but not of the world. He is a highly awarded Bollywood Indian Cinema Music Composer, Indian Music Producer, a Master of Indian Music, Classical, Folk, Bhajan, and Kirtan composing scores for 150 films, Film Designer, Film Maker, he has recorded and worked with the who is who of Indian music and Western music.

KD Babukisha was raised a Baul and spent 12 years as a Ramakrishna monk in Calcutta, BA in Indian Philosophy, MA of Indian Music from Calcutta University, Poet, the first Baul to be educated in the oral tradition and outside. A Sanskrit Scholar from the Oral Tradition, Sanskrit Education at the Masters level and because of his love of Sanskrit he spent countless years learning from Dr. Roma Chowdhri who was like a mother to Babu she was a legendary world renowned Bengali Sanskrit scholar who dedicated her whole life to Sanskrit.

Baukishan now lives in Vancouver Canada with me Trishula his Moner Manush wife and partner of almost ten years, traveling back and forth to India. Babu's life changed dramatically when he was in the 2004 Tsunami in Indonesia where he witnessed, tens of thousands of souls leaving Bhumi Maa all at once, one of Maa's biggest smashen grounds. He has lived through the 1971 war between Bengal and Bangladesh, he has lived through many many terrorist attacks in Mumbai and lived many lifetimes in this one lifetime. Babu's main cause has always been to preserve his Baul tradition and it has been proven a difficult task it seems that over many decades his dream, all of his time and energy have been thwarted by his Calcutta family and many other road blocks, but he never gives up.

"The way my braid is, that’s how it will stay.
I’ll get into the water, I’ll splash water around, but I won’t get my hair wet.
I’ll swim about this way, and that way.
I’ll dive into the water, and won’t listen to what people say.
I’ll enjoy myself but not suffer because of it.
Gosain Rasaraj says: “Listen, my friend , that beauty leaves me speechless".
I won’t be chaste; I won’t be unchaste.
I won’t leave my Lord".

Famous Baul song (poetry) by Rasaraj Gosai (Nabani Das Baul's elder brother)
Not getting ones hair wet mean remaining unattached, Bauls songs are metaphorically coded. It is really hard to translate Bengali or Sanskrit into a one worded English translation and sometimes even impossible, there is assumed one knows all of Yoga and Tantra because each song is many discourses all in a simple song and sometimes you do not need to understand, you can listen and just get in it on a very deep level, the songs awaken a person to understanding. It is very subtle but a memory deep within your heart will understand.

The Joy Dev Baul Mela is held here the Vaishnava Bauls attend ever year to do puja to the great poet (kavi) Joy Dev. The bridge going across the Ajoy river is named Nabani Setu after Nabani Das Baul. The mela is completely different today, the Bauls have been marginalized and pushed out by the new kirtan singers. The Bauls honour Joy Deva and the love he had for his soul mate Padmavati because Bauls believe in Soul Mates as Radha and Krishna live and dance in their hearts, this is the real Rasa Lila dance.

   Copyright all rights reserved 2017 - 2030

Meaning, PLEASE do not copy and paste, then cut the names off I have seen others use my writings and change their story to fit this story?

#baulsofbengal #babukishan #sufi #birbhum #tantra #nabanidasbaul #ramakrishna

December 19th, 2015

12/19/2015

New article on ️Baul's

December 19th, 2015

12/19/2015

What is Bhakti Yoga by Trishula Das

9/9/2013

What is Bhakti Yoga?

Bhakti Yoga is feeling everything, emotion, it is attachment to your beloved whether that be Krishna, Kali, Ganesha, Durga, Radha it is talking to Devata as a friend, lover, father, mother... it is not about being indifferent to what is going on in the world. You get to choose, it is about Loving so dearly that you express everything inside of yourself without holding back. There is a certain amount of insanity in Bhakti Yoga. Bhakti is not about suppression, repression, or playing pretend when really inside something else is going on, yes Bhakti is pure Love and Devotion and Love has different expressions it is not all fluffy, Mother Theresa Loved but if you have read about her, she was tough and spoke her mind.

Have you ever been to a Mandir in India and there is someone standing up at the front talking to Krishna or Maa, talking, crying holding there hands up arguing. This is Bhakti, be human is Bhakti praying, confiding, chanting, singing the stories of Devata.

Bhakti is about relationship. Yes I have seen people even talk angrily at Devata, that does not mean one does not have love and compassion, if you saw a child crossing the road about to be hit by a car... what would you do stand there and say, this is God's will... NO any mother that loves her child would scream and run to save her child and after she saved him LOL most mothers would say or scold don't you ever do that again... and cry OMG.

Bhakti Yoga Love, Compassion and Devotion does not mean to loose your head or be perfect all the time, Jnana Yoga the Yoga of the intellect go hand and hand with Bhakti and if someone tried to run your kid down with a car I know this mother would not stand there and say. Oh Well I love you and have compassion for you driver, this is life, Bhakti means you are actively involved in Your LOVE and Compassion and you still have discernment, intellect Jnana Yoga.

Goddess Kali will destroy what is not right, what does she want.. (KALI WANTS THE TRUTH)...

I am a Kali Bhakta her Love is not simple or easy.. it is the Love of a Mother that burns...it is the Love of a Warrioress the not speaking up, the not turning your back when you see something not right, the fearless Goddess and yes she the Goddess of Sacred Rage.

What is Bhakti Yoga?? by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

5/30/2013

Babukishan aka Krishnendu Das Baul..and his Grandfather (Guru) Sri Nabani Das Kheppa Baul.. Lineage Vaishnava Baul of Bengal the original Hare Krishna singers and dancers of Bengal.

BHAKTI YOGA is often associated with chanting or praising the benevolence of gods. It is communing with God through devotional acts, prayer, offerings, music, praise, and or dance with the aim of awakening love in the heart and opening oneself to God’s grace. It is the path of spiritual or divine love and devotion. In this, the arms, legs, voice and body movements act as the hands of love. Bhakti may be directed towards God or Goddesses or even one’s spiritual preceptor.

Bhakti practice focuses on the faculty of feeling. It addresses the emotion of selflessness and dedicated service to all living beings. It is showing one’s love by worship and by subordinating oneself. In the words of Sri Swami Sivananda “Bhakti is not mere emotionalism, but is the turning of the will as well as the intellect towards the Divine. It is supreme love of God. It leads to immortality or God-realization”

Bhakti margha is the path of devotion leading to Yoga with God. It is Union through Devotion. Bhakti yoga is a major branch of the yoga tradition, utilizing the feeling capacity to connect with the ultimate Reality conceived as a supreme Person – Uttama –Purusha. Bhakti margha is embodied in Patanjali's Yoga Darshana in the second limb, niyama -observances, as devotion - Ishvarapranidhana. Bhaktivada is the gospel of bhakti. Bhakti Sutra are Aphorisms on Devotion by the Sage Narada. The collective discipline of love and devotion is extolled in the Bhagavad-Gita, the Bhagavata-Purana. Both Vaishnavas and Shaiva scriptures are replete with bhakti margas. The entire Chapter 12 of the Gita is dedicated to the Yoga of Devotion; the worship of Saguna and Nirguna Brahman.

Bhakti is a word derived from the verbal root bhaj. In connection with yoga and as being one of the recognized forms of it, the general signification of bhakti yoga is devotion, affectionate attachment.

Basically Bhakti means Bhakti means, “love of God” or “love of Truth.” The first manifestation of this is desire for something more in life, for an ideal or Ishta. In Tamil ‘ishtam’ means something you like or have passion or desire. Just as it is available in the Jnana path, bhakti yoga practice also systematically channels desire and emotion towards highest ideals. Over time, one movers beyond Murtis and images to begin asking “Who am I”, “Why am I here” and with grace end with ecstatic Yoga with the Divine.

Bhakti yogi is one who practices bhakti yoga; bhaktim is devotional service. He is the Cosmic Magnet of the all-embracing heart. Bhatyaa means in full devotion. Bhaktiyogena means ‘by devotional service.’ Bhaktimaan is a devotee. ‘Bhaktiman me priyah’ in Gita 12.17 means ‘the God-lover, the one who has love of God, is dear to Me.’ ‘By bhakti he comes to know Me: ‘bhaktya mam abhijanati’ – Gita 18.55.

Jnana-knowledge and bhakti are not two separate things but viewed as different aspects, as the power of the sun is one thing, though viewed separately as two separate things as heat and light. They are interdependent; there cannot be knowledge of God’s true nature through mere intellectual reasoning without embracing the spirit of devotion. This is because Divinity is seated in the heart of all creatures and the Self is that which is dearer than a son, dearer than wealth, closer than anything else. There cannot also be bhakti without knowledge. In the Gita, Sri Krishna states that among the devotees, He is the Jnani. The bhakti marga is there the preparatory stage. But it is also an end in itself.

Those who pursue action receive the fruits of action through Me, and those who pursue knowledge receive the fruits of knowledge from Me. Hence even those who serve Me through the Yoga of Devotion (bhakti yoga) pass through stages to acquire spiritual knowledge and are eventually liberated through My grace. If
liberation come to those who perform the Yoga of Devotion, how much more certainly does it come to those who acquire a correct intuitive knowledge of the nature of the Self in this very life: Shankara, Gita Bhasya XI.1.

Generally Bhakti is of two kinds: Vaidika bhakti and Prema bhakti. Vaidika bhakti conforms to the injunctions in the scriptures to chant God’s name, to perform rituals, to pray, make pilgrimages worship with the aid of enjoined materials etc. Prema bhakti is the earnest pursuance of these means leading to ultimate Yoga with Divinity.

In Prema bhakti, there is no place for any kind of earthly attachment. One gives the body and soul to God in entirety. It is unconditional love of and for the Supreme. In Prema the Jiva merges with the Paramatma. The bhaktas wholehearted offering is graciously accepted by the Lord and absorbs the devotee to become His own. Prem means highest form of love; Prema means Divine Love. Prema Yoga is Yoga of Love. Prema samarthya is the power or capacity for love. In the Shaivite tradition, ‘Premamayi’ is a reference to virgin Gauri aspiring Lord Shiva while he was in deep meditation. Premamayi Radha means ‘O Radha, full of Love.’ Radharani is the sum-total of prema-bhakti.

Hara Hara Mahadeva
(draft Bhakti Yoga – Premam ©) by Yogi Ananda Saraswathi

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Trishula Sandra Das
Bhakti Masala Blog

Practitioner of Jyotish, Yoga Tantra, Ayurveda, Shakti Sadhana, Bhakti Yogi for 40 years.

~ VedicAstrologer ~

~ Researcher East & Western Wisdom, Past Life Regression, Mysticism ~

~ Mind Body Soul~
Believer in Love, Humanity, Peace, freedom & Soul Mates

~ Baul Scholar ~
~ Qigong Master ~
~ MOTHER ~
#Bhakti #BhaktiYoga

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