Posted: 17 years ago

Baul- The Folk Music of Bengal


Baul is one of the few widely known and appreciated types of folk music in Bengal. Baul is not only a kind of music, it is basically a Bengali religious sect. The members of the sect are themselves called Bauls, and the songs they sing are named for them, Baul-gAn (Baul songs). It has been suggested that, etymologically, the word derives from Sanskrit word "Vatula" means "affected by the wind disease, mad". On the other hand, it might be derived from Sanskrit word "Vyakula" means "restless, disordered".

The Baul costume consists of a half-dhoti and an alkhalla ( saffron robes). Another noticeable identifying signs of Baul is their hair style. They don't cut their hair, so a manner has been devised for coiling it neatly atop the head in a bun. They also wear a kind of necklace made of beads formed from the stems of the basil plant (tulsi).

Among the three B'sof Bengali folk music - Baul, Bhaoyaiya and Bhatiyali- Baul is distinguished from the others textually as religious music. The texts of bhatiyali and bhaiyaiya, though they may concern of Radha and Krishna, are mainly about the problems of love in separation or unrequited love. In Baul-gan, however, though songs of similar nature occur, they are thought of as allegories on the state of separation existing between the souls of men and the spiritual ground.

The instruments, extensively used by the Bauls are Gopiyantro, khamak, dotara, ghungur, nupur and duggi. Gopiyantro, often called "ektara" means one string and that is the most popular instrument for a Baul singer. The ghungur or nupur are always used in conjunction with gopiyantro or khamak. The baul singers also use "dotara" ( two strings) as their paraphernalia. Kartal/mandira and premjuri are used as the adjunct idiophones by the singers.

Some exponents of Baul music

Lalon Phakir(1774-1890) is the most famous Baul of all ages. The attitude of the Bauls regarding caste has been nicely put by him, "What form does caste have ? I have never seen it, brother, with these eyes of mine!"

Purno Chandra Das is the most widely known Baul today. Like Purno, his father, the late Naboni Das Khepa, was the best-known Baul of his generation. From his early childhood, Purno travelled widely with his father, learning his songs and performing with him. At age seven he won a gold medal for his singing at a music conference at Jaipur, the pink city of India. Although Purno Das has become widely popular as an entertainer, he is criticized both by his peers and by some of the urban elites for his lifestyle and for having transplanted Baul-gan to new performance context.

Another exponent of this area is Yotin Das Baul. He is originally from the Dinajpur area of North Bengal but he spends much of his time on the road, performing at various village festivals. His manner of performance is more sedate and mellifluous. That's why he is not that famous as he deserves on the basis of his repertoire and musical competence.

Sonatan Das Thakur Baul, another Baul artist was born at Khulna, Bangladesh. Sanatan is particularly appreciated for his attractive dancing which, like his singing, has more conscious artistry about it than that of most Bauls. He is one of the few Bauls who is occasionally asked to perform on All India Radio Calcutta.

 

Posted: 17 years ago

The term Baul means mad, from the Sanskrit vatula: one beaten by the winds, and is a name which arose out of the Baul's deliberate pursuit of complete spiritual freedom, free of any social or religious convention.  Bauls have wandered Bengal since the XVth century, travelling from village to village, playing music and dancing to accompany their ecstatic songs of longing and praise for God. They wear long patched robes made of scraps gathered from Hindu, Muslim and Buddhist practitioners as they travel the roads of Bengal performing and begging for their livelihood.

 

Baul songs are usually of two kinds: dainya and prabarta. These are also known as raga dainya and raga prabarta. These ragas are not the ragas of classical music but of BHAJANS (devotional songs). Baul songs are inspired by VAISHNAVISM, with the songs expressing love or longing for the divine. This sentiment is especially noticeable in raga dainya.

Baul songs may be sung at Baul AKHDAs or in the open air. At the akhda, the songs are sung in the style of hamd (song in praise of God), GHAZAL or nat (song in praise of the Prophet MUHAMMAD (S)), in a mellow voice and to a soft beat. Baul songs at open-air functions are sung at a high pitch, to the accompaniment of instruments such as the EKTARA, DUGDUGI, KHAMAK, dholak , SARINDA , and DOTARA. The common TALs are dadra, kaharba, jhumur, ektal or jhanptal. The singers dance as they sing. Baul songs sung in the akhda are not accompanied by dancing. Bauls may present songs singly or in groups. There is usually one main presenter; others join him for a chorus or dhuya.

Some people have suggested that Baul songs have been influenced by CLASSICAL MUSIC. However, Baul songs belong essentially to the devotional folk genre which long preceded classical music.

Baul songs generally have two tunes, one for the first part of the song and another for the second. Towards the end, part of the second stave is rendered again at a quick tempo. The first and middle staves are very important. The first stave is often called dhuya, mukh or mahada. In songs with a fast tempo, the first stave is repeated after every second stave. Some songs have ascending and descending rhythms, while others are accompanied by dancing, believed to have originated from the rural PANCHALI.

Some Baul songs have been influenced by the KIRTAN, reflecting the Vaishnava influence. Baul songs, however, have also been heavily influenced by SUFISM. Baul songs are common to BANGLADESH and West Bengal, but differ somewhat in tune and theme. In Baul songs from West Bengal there is a strong influence of SAHAJIYA Vaishnavism, whereas in Bangladesh the influence of Sufi ghazals is stronger.

Baul songs are elegiac in tone, reflecting the pain of deprivation or longing. They are inspired by the idea that the human body is the seat of all truths and by the search for a guru and a maner manus, or ideal being. Every song may be interpreted in two ways: in terms of human love and in terms of divine love. Bauls refer to these two ways as the lower stream and the upper stream.

In the past there were no fixed tunes for Baul songs. Subsequently, Lalon's disciple, Maniruddin Fakir, and his disciple, Khoda Baksh, attempted to put these songs into a particular musical frame. ....

At times Baul songs reflect the influence of BHATIYALI tunes. MAJHIs (boatmen) also sing these songs while plying their boats. Baul songs are not confined to Bauls, as non-Bauls too have adopted them because of their profound themes.

 

Posted: 17 years ago

The Bauls of Bengal

The Baul songs are a very specialised branch of Bengali folk songs. Baul song has a kind of hippie-like attraction to it. It is unique in itself, yet it seems to hold in it a lot of elements of the other branches of Bengali folk musical tradtions as noted above. Because of its unique appeal or affliction, we have presented it as a distinct folk practice.

The word Baul means "afflicted with the wind desease", minstrels, uncaring travellers, selfless wanderers, lost in search of their souls, street walkers, ones with no fixed address, ones who find happiness in richness of their minds, etc. Much of the Bengali society looked upon the bauls as strange people who forsake all comforts and binds of the family life and chose streets as their home and austerity as the way of life. Customs and traditions they leave behind on the wayside.

The Bouls are the folk heroes of Bengal. "The popular romantic imagination everywhere seeks expression through its chosen bards: we have our Bob Dylans and Leonard Cohens, the Bengalis have thier Bauls. These wandering minstrels carry with them from village to city the soul of Bengal, perhaps of India, and every Bengali knows it even if today he is becoming uncertain what that soul really is" [Charles H. Capwell and others]. The Baul tradition cannot be characterised by any known or distinct doctrine. According to Edward C. Dimock, Jr. the term baul encompasses "a wide rage of religious opinion, traceable to several Hindu schools of thought, to Sufi Islam, and much that is traceable only to a man's own view of how he relates to God. All Bauls hold only this in common: that God is hidden in the heart of man, and neither priest nor prophet, nor the ritual of any organised religion, will help man to find him there. The Bauls feel that both [hindu] temple and [muslim] mosque stand across the path to truth, blocking the search. The search for God is one which everyone must carry out for himself."

Capwell thinks that "the Baul tradition is a fusion of elements from Buddhism, Saktism (worshippers of goddess Kali - the source of all energies), Vaisnavism (worshippers of Lord Visnu) and Sufi Islam, may well have its roots in the tantrik Buddhism of Bengal in the 9th and 10th centuries. At that time, Buddhism was first taking root in Tibet while it was dying out in India, and much Buddhist literature that might otherwise have disappeared in oral tradition. Within this literature are collections of songs written in the newly arisen vernaculars of northern India rather than in Pali and Sanskrit, traditional languages of Buddhism. One of the oldest of these collections - an anthology of caryagan - contains the earliest significant examples of the Bengali Language. The texts are strikingly reminiscent of songs like gosdi ebar porebi phyare; that is, they transmit the insights and mysticism in the homeliest of metaphors. The structure of the poems - couplets with a refrain - suggests that their musical form might also be similar to that of Baul songs today. For, in the Baul songs, a refrain generally recurs at the end of each stanza, the stanzas are roughly divided into two musical phrases, the first of which tends to hover around the lower tetrachord of the basic octave range, while the second reaches up to the higher tonic before descending again to the refrain that cadences on the lower tonic. This is a common Indian musical structure, and the division of the stanzas into two phrases of lower and higher ranges is clearly analogous to the similarly arranged structure of sthayi and antara phrases in kheyal ciz or an instrumental gat.

"Since the music of the caryagan was not notated, it is impossible to know how closely it might have resembled contemporary Baul songs, if at all. Even though the old poems are each preceded by the name of a rag, the significance of these names has been lost during a thousand years of musical evolution. Today's Bauls, untrained in the rag music of India, do not classify the tunes they learn in oral tradition; nevertheless the resemblance of some tunes to classical rags is unmistakable."

Before Rabindranath Tagore, the Bauls were not regarded well by the Bengali society, for most considered them vagabonds and beggars as Bauls lived itinerant lives wandering from door to door in rural Bengal mostly subsisting on meagre foods offered by householders. Tagore, who in his youth knew Lalon Fakir - one of the greatest Bauls that ever lived, was much influenced by the Baul music and philosophy in his poetry, music and thought. He "changed all that as he did so much in Bengali society, by acknowledging his debt to what the Bauls stand for and to their music. Many of his own songs he categorised as Baul; and in most of his plays there is a Baul character - an unspoiled man who sees clearly and deeply, his vision uncluttered by the swirling bits and irrelevant particles of life. The Baul is also the man who can express what he sees with equal clarity, his imagery and metaphor drawn from everyday things, the river of life, the marketplace of the world, the once majestic house of the body crumbling into decay" [Dimock].

Baul songs are usually solo songs although often accompanists and members of the audience (normally, handfull of villagers gathering around the Bauls) to join in the refrain and repetition phrases of the verse. Instruments used by Bauls include the following:

    Khamak - A rhythmic instrument with one or two strings attached to the head of a small drum. The strings are plucked with a plectrum and they are alternatively tightened or slackened to generate an amazing array of rhythmic and tonal variations. Tabla - A pair traditional Indian drums called 'baya' (the left hand drum) and the 'daina' (the right hand drum). The left drum has a clay based shell whilst the right drum has a wooden shell. Heads of both drums are covered in animal hide, the centre of which is applied with a layer of (dry) pulp mix. Tonal variation are achieved by adjusting tension of the skin head. Mridanga or Khol - A barrel-shaped clay drum with two heads - sort of a combination of the baya and daina of tabla as described above. Harmonium - A small keyboard instrument with hand-worked bellows - not unlike accordian. Ektara - A plucked single string drone - fingers and thumb are used. Khanjani - A tabourine without jangles. Mandira or Kartal - Small bell-shaped cymbals. Ghoongoor - A garland of bells tied around the ankle - played with rhythmic movements of feet.
  • Ramchaki - A pair of wooden clappers with jangles.

 

 

Posted: 17 years ago
Spirited folk tunes
MUSIC
Hemchhaya De

To those who crave for authentic folk music, and not the kind churned out by Bangla rock bands, Ma-dal, a women-only folk group, might sound like manna from heaven. The first-of-its-kind folk band in Bengal has a mission to accomplish: to present to urban audiences rare folk melodies from every nook and corner of Bengal. The group's performance at Sisir Mancha last week was but a small step towards achieving the goal.

Dr Tapan Roy, the group leader responsible for the mentoring, made the agenda clear right at the beginning ā€” the group would perform 'sophisticated' folk songs (using instruments like keyboard) and it would not present popular baul and bhatiyali tunes, even though the event was kicked off with a medley of such tunes. The group, comprising five members, began with Ki jadu bangla gaane, penned by Kaji Kamal Nasser. Then they went on to sing a variant of Jhumur and a Hemanga Biswas song, Aasmanete diya daki gur gur, which was much appreciated by the audience. The spirited and perfectly synchronised renditions of the marriage songs, generally sung by women, from North and East Bengal and sari gaan, sung by boatmen in Sylhet, bore testimony to the rich variety of their repertoire. Each of the Ma-dal members had a unique style of singing. However, songs in high pitch tended to be shrill. All in all, it was a commendable effort.


Edited by Qwest - 17 years ago
Posted: 17 years ago
šŸ‘

Great Articles Barnali di and Qwest ji. Thank you very very much for showing the light to the blinds like me.


Posted: 17 years ago

Thanx qwest would definitely like to get more frm yu from yur magic pitara.

 

 

Posted: 17 years ago
Hmm..

Saadher lau banailo more bairagi..
nice touch.baul sangeet is absolutely eastern and has such a free spirit feel to it..and the musical support is just the ektara..
Posted: 17 years ago

The Bauls of Bengal

Robert Menger, November 28, 2000

 

 

 

I. ABSTRACT

The Bauls of Bengal believe in a religion largely based on ideas from Hinduism, Islam, and Buddhism. It is the Bauls disregard of social constraints, such as the caste system, which leave them free to achieve liberation through the realization of the Divine. Lalan Fakir, who is the oldest recorded writer of these songs, developed the majority of Baul songs. In the Baul religion, individual inquiry and empshasize on the importance of a persons physical body are important because it is within the body and the Supreme resides and thus it is the only place people need to search for God. The basis of Baul ideology is to achieve the spiritual objective of liberation. Baul songs were invaluable to the maintenance and preservation of their religion. Songs were used for instruction by the guru to teach his disciple and to prepare him for the ultimate truth. The goals, of the Baul practitioner, are to achieve the realization of the Supreme using both yogic and tantric techniques.

 

II. Scope and Purpose of the System

                 The Bauls of Bengal belong to an unorthodox devotional tradition, which has been influenced by Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam, yet it is distinctly different from all three. The Bauls tradition is eclectic; its influences come from tantric (Sahajiya) Buddhism, tantric Hinduism (primarily Vaisnava Sahajiya, but also Saiva-Sakta), Bengali (Gaudiya) Vasinavism, and Sufi Islam (Dimock 260-62). Bauls consist of both economically and socially marginal groups. They identify themselves with neither Hindu nor Muslim society. The majority of Hindu Bauls residing in the state of West Bengal in northeastern India, and most Muslim Bauls live in Bangladesh (Lopez 187). Monks, ascetics, homeless, and married men compose the society of the Bauls. Caste, special deities, temples and sacred places play no part within Baul ideology. They do not set up any images of divinities or religious symbols in their own places of worship. They believe the temple where the supreme resides is in their own body (Tagore 210).

Bauls go from village to village, singing, with their ektaras, which is a simple one-stringed instrument, and drums called dubkis. The Baul earns most of his living from his songs, which he sings traveling from door to door (Bhatt 26). It is mainly through these songs that they give outward expression of their beliefs and practices (Lopez 187). They are in essence a tantric yogic sect, and share common practices with other tantric yogic traditions. Poetry, music, song and dance are all essential to the Baul and all are devoted to finding mans relationship with God, and to discover the purpose of mans existence (Reymond 242). Kaya Sadhan (Realization through the body) can be realized by a spiritual undertaking (Tagore 218). In order to gain real freedom, one has first to die to the life of the world while still being alive in order to get rid of worldly desires. The Baul must defeat necessity in order to achieve his or her liberation (Tagore 209-210).

 

III. AUTHORITY STRUCTURE:

             A. Sources and Criteria of Valid Knowledge:

             Reason is an inadequate tool when one is dealing with the intangible. The Bauls life is balanced between knowing and unknowing, of life with death (Bhatt 36). The Baul is not an intellectual. He possesses simple and natural wisdom. Bauls do not accept the organized system yet he accepts the faith because it results from natural trust. This trust springs from the Adhar Manush, the unattainable man, who resides in the human form.

Ritualized religion produces habits and customs, which prevent one from being alert for the man of the heart. Religions sometimes produce formalities, which can become to people more important than God (Bhatt 37). Baul philosophy is not developed in any sacred writings and the Baul does not depend on any tradition. Above all else, intuition guides the disciples (Reymond 242). Bauls do not accept inference, and without physical existence, they have no ritual practice. Baul spiritual practice focuses on the body. Without reference to the body, practice is considered irrelevant and imaginary (McDaniel 180). The followers of the sahaj cult believe only in living religious experience. Truth, according to them, has two aspects, inert and living. Truth has no value for man until it is part of a living person. The guru or master is the one who makes the truth for the Bauls living (Tagore 215). As is true of mystics in general, the Bauls believe that the truth cannot be found in books. They reject the authority of Hindu scriptures such as the Vedas and Puranas as blinding one path to the divine (Lopez 191). Like the Sahajiyas, the Bauls are strongly opposed to the study of the Vedas and the Puranas, which according to them only make men confused. Bauls believe, as do the Sufi mystics, that the ultimate truth cannot be grasped through intellectual knowledge or reasoning but can only be realized within oneself using the power of love (Datta 450).

 

 B. Methods of Inquiry

             The pain of being apart from the Divine cannot be eased by textual study, debate, or even prayer for the Bauls (Tagore 216). Baul songs must be approached with a softness of feeling and a meekness of spirit (Dimock 159). Freedom of spirit provides the Bauls with natural inclinations of the mind, which are not restrained by social institutions. Their ideology proceeds in a direction opposite to that followed by the general public. Bauls avoid all religion in which the natural goodness of the soul is overshadowed by ritualism and ceremony. It is for this reason that the Bauls call their path ulta (the reverse) path and think of the process of their spiritual advance as the process of proceeding against the current (Dimock 163).

Like other tantrics, they hold that the body is a microcosm of the universe in which the Supreme resides, and that it is the only instrument for gaining liberation and conquering death (Lopez 191). If one desires to achieve the knowledge and realization of the Supreme then one should focus on the inner being. Within the Baul discipline, the physical body must be kept exceedingly pure for it is here the Bauls believe that the temple of the Supreme exists (Reymond 243- 44). Sexuality plays an important part in the Bauls search for the ultimate truth.

Ritual practice is largely disputed among the Bauls. Those for rituals believe they are mandatory to achieve the desired state of perfection. In contrast, other feel ritual practice is only necessary when a person does not have a close relationship with the Divine (Mcdaniel 185). The Bauls use a process called Urdha-srota, (the elevation of the current), in order to convert the currents of jiva (animal life) into the current of Shiva (God life) and bring about a realization of the Supreme within a person (Tagore 218). Gobinda Das, a Baul songwriter, believes it is foolish that some people pray, make pilgrimage, or fast in order to find God. He feels God exists on its own, extremely infinite and having many shapes (Bhatt 60).

Like the tantrics, the Bauls believe that the means to experience divine love is through human love; through the union of the physical forms of man and woman (Lopez 191). Bauls practice sexual intercourse with seminal retention during a womans menstrual period. The aim of these rituals is to reunite the dual principles that were separated when the world was created. The Bauls seek to reverse the cosmic process that leads to death and rebirth. The active form of the Supreme, called the sahaj manus becomes manifest in the lowest cakra, the mudladhar, during a womans menstrual period. It is at this time that the Bauls perform their sadhana to catch him. (Lopez 194) For sadhana to be successful it is necessary to bring under control the six enemies (lust, anger, greed, infatuation, vanity, and envy). The male practitioner envisions himself as a woman in order to change his lust into true love by preventing semen loss (Lopez 195).

If one realizes the truth of the body (bhanda) one will be able to realize the truth of the universe (Brahmanda) (Datta 451). The ideas the Bauls have about the composition of the body do in most cases go against the standards of modern science. One proof of the validity of their system lies in the appearance of madness in certain Bauls. This madness is not an effect of their separation from God, but instead from direct visual manifestation (darsana). The appearance of madness shows that the Baul has seen the Supreme thus confirming the authenticity of his practices (McDaniel 190).

 

C. Institutions and Professional Structure

             Religions that reject scriptural authority place great importance on guides who lead those seeking to learn the practices of a tradition. The practice, preservation, and teaching of the Baul religion rest heavily on the guru or teacher. In the case of the Bauls, the guru or murshid is not just a regular person but also an intermediary through whom God relays his teaching and guidance. Bauls consider the guru to be the divine in the shape of a human being or in some cases the Supreme himself. The Guru is the only person that can bring about knowledge in the disciple and guide him toward the realization of God, thus the guru demands as much devotion as the Supreme would (Datta 448). This dedication toward the guru results in the disciple coming closer to the gurus perfected state and the grace of God (McDaniel 161). Even though the Guru is highly praised and esteemed, the disciple has no responsibility toward the master and is also free of any commitments.

Baul songs, along with music, play a major role in the oral communication of Baul ideas and beliefs. These songs were not used for propaganda or to convert people to the Baul tradition but used instead to relay teaching and instruction from the guru on down to disciple (Bhat 11-13). Baul songs are never recorded into book form. (Tagore 211) The importance of the teacher (guru) - pupil (shishya) relationship is seen by both Hindu and Muslim Bauls alike. They both believe that this divine relationship was developed by God himself (Reymond 243). The all-knowing guru does not make the disciple renunciate the pleasure of the world, but instead stresses the development of a new higher self, which cannot be found in any text (Tagore 219). Baul songs were composed by the part of the sect that had reached maturity through spiritual union. They, in turn, tell about the power of their realization to their disciples (Lopez 192). The guru-sishya system is of extreme importance in the tantras especially the Bauls who deal with the practical side of Sadhana that involve yogic exercises. In the Baul tradition, no disciple can attempt to find the ultimate truth without the instruction of the all-important guru (Datta 448).

 

IV. History

The Bauls, who do not belong to the orthodox traditions of India, embody spiritual life, which remains alive even today. Baul ideology is believed to have existed before that of the Vedic religions (Reymond 246). The name Baul, however, first appears in the literature of Bengal only in the fifteenth century. It seems to derive from the word batula meaning he who is beaten by the winds he, that is, who abandons himself to all his impulses. But this ecstatic madness has to do with their love for God (Reymond 246). Scholars have placed the origin of the Baul sect anywhere from the fifteenth to the seventeenth century.

Baul songs provide no clues as to how far back the tradition goes. They are primarily transmitted orally from guru to disciple and from singer to singer. The language tends to be modernized thus giving no indication of the date of composition. Brajendranath Sil feels that the birth of the Bauls took place near the end of the fourteenth century or the beginning of the fifteenth. But it was after this in the sixteenth century that the Baul religion began to spread rapidly. Between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries the Bauls got their iconoclastic nature when it swept across northern India. It was this same presence that brought about santa cults, which in turn affected the Sufi Islam. There are a few points of similarity between the Bauls and other sects around them (Dimock 254-256).

The Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore, who is considered by some to be a Baul is credited with bringing Baul songs to the attention of middle-class Bengali society (Dimock 258). It was mostly Tagore and his associate Ksitimohan Sen, who elevated the Bauls to the status of a cultural symbol. In 1968, Upendranath Bhattacarya wrote about the Bauls and proved that Bauls whether Hindu or Muslim practice almost the same sexual rites and that these rites are important to Baul religion and to a comprehension of their songs.

Although there are many outstanding Baul poets, Lalan Fakir also known as Lalan Shah is considered to be the greatest of them all. Lalan was very popular in West Bengal and Bangledesh and he has had a great impact on Bengali literature as well as on Baul tradition. Lalan declared that there was only one true religion and that it was the religion of man. The songs that he composed which are numerous are the believed to be the oldest dated songs. In addition, these songs form the basis of Baul ideology and the basis for scholarly discussion (Lopez 188). The word Baul cannot be traced in medieval Bengali literature. The word derived either from Sanskrit vyakula confused or vatula mad is found in Bengali texts dating back to the fifteenth century where it generally has its literal meaning mad. The Baul tradition reached its fullest potential in the last century and the early part of the present one. During this time period the basis of the Baul religion was developed through the creation of songs (Lopez 189). Most recently a group of Baul singers can be heard on Pink Floyds new album, demonstrating their longetivity (Lopez 189).

 

V. Representative Examples of Argumentation

The traditional image of the holy man is a controlled yogi, peaceful and strong, To the non-Baul, the madman (ksepa) of which belong many Bauls are viewed as illogical and possessed. The Bauls defend this allegation by explaining that it is the Bauls disinterest with the world and also his extreme emotional states, which make seem mad. For the Baul, madness shows devotion to a spur-of-the-moment love that goes against established social rules. The madman does not hallucinate, but rather sees the truth (Mcdaniel 158-59). The experience of the Supreme can often make Bauls appear bewildered and cause him to ramble but this is because to view the Divine the Baul must do the opposite of what normal society says (McDaniel 185).

The Bauls hold the body as the means to achieving salvation. Thus they defend themselves against other religions that see the body as creating obstacles toward a person achieving salvation. Some religions worship in temples, but the Bauls believe the only temple is the human body (Tagore 210). The Bauls defend their rejection of the caste system by saying, Are the lower planks of a boat of any lesser importance than the upper (Tagore 213) In addition, people ask the Bauls why they do not pay attention to the scriptures they reply, Are we dogs that we should lick up the leavings of others Brave men rejoice in the output of their own energy, they create their own festivals. These cowards who have not the power to rejoice in themselves have to rely on what other have left. They are content with glorifying their forefathers because they know not how to create for themselves (Tagore 214). Bauls also explain that their cult has no age because their real religion is not constrained by time, unlike the Vedas and Puranas, which they feel are artificial (Tagore 215). The Bauls depart from the majority of tantric traditions and most closely resemble the Sufis and the Vasisnavas, both orthodox and Sahajiya, is in the importance they attach to love in the realization of the divine.

Like Sufis and orthodox Vaisnavas, the Bauls see love as the longing of the individual for the Supreme (Lopez 190). Although the tantric conception of the deity is at core of their belief, the Bauls intense feeling of pain at being separated from the divine is expressed in song after song, reflects the influence of Vasinava and Sufi traditions (Lopez 192). The Bauls like other tantric yogic practitioners, conceive of the body as having two forms. There is a material or gross body made up of skeleton, muscles, organs, and having nine or ten openings or doors. The other form is the subtle body. Their conception of the subtle body for the most part resembles that of the Hindu tantras and of other yogic texts, but also reflects the influence of Bengali Sufism (Lopez 192-93).

 

VI. Suggested Position in Comparative Scales

 

a.     a.     Relative emphasis on traditional authority (1) ----- or the testimony of experience. (10)

 Rating:9

             The Baul religion is completely based on ones experience in the realization of the divine. It is the disciples feeling of longing for the Supreme and the resulting madness that demonstrates that he feels reunited with the Divine.

 

  1. Reative centralization of authority (1) --- or decentralization (individual inquiry, lay authority). (10)

Rating: 10

             Individual inquiry is the basis of the Bauls religion. There is no centralized body, which makes rules to follow. It is the individual who must come to find the ultimate truth on his own under the guidance of a guru.

 

  1. Relative emphasis on invisible (spiritual or heavenly) realities (1) ----- or material, earthly ones. (10)

Rating 2

      The religion of the Bauls is based on spiritual awakening and is a search for the heavenly. Much of the their practices involve invisible acts that are accepted as reality by the followers of the religion.

 

  1. Mainly spiritual or moral objectives (1) ----- or pragmatic aims (prediction, healing, etc.) (10)

Rating 2

      The objectives and the motivation behind the Baul religion is the quest for spiritual realization of the man of the heart. Their spiritual objectives are to catch the Supreme within their own body.

 

  1. Most power or agency reserved for a divine being (1) ----- or realizable in individuals. (10)

Rating 10

      The religion of the Bauls belief is that the Supreme lives in the heart of human beings. If one performs Sadhana and the proper yogic practices it is possible for the individual to achieve liberation and to be reunited with the Divine.

 

 

Posted: 17 years ago

Some Baul songsā€¦

 

  (Sandip Baul)

 

  (Sandip Baul)

 

  (Purnadas Baul)

 

  (Bhaktadas Baul)

 

(Bhakta Das Baul)

 

 

Posted: 17 years ago




The Bauls are an inextricable part of the cultural scenario of Bengal. They are a very colourful community known for their wit, humour, wandering life-style and mellifluous songs. Their existence is synonymous with their songs. Through their songs, the Baul community gives vent to their emotions, feelings, dreams, aspirations, philosophy and also earn their livelihood.

The Baul cult is an inseparable part of folk culture in Bengal. It goes without saying that the roots of this cult are engraved in the folds of religion. The Baul philosophy always extols the religion of humanity and values it above all other religions or philosophies. Even Rabindranath Tagore, the versatile poet and one of the greatest thinkers of all times, had keenly, felt the essence of truth and 'moksha' in Baul philosophy. Tagore was so impressed by the liberal, humanitarian, religious and all-embracing aspects of the Baul philosophy, that he relished calling himself Rabindra Baul at times.

Taking the gist from the Vedas and the Puranas as well as all other religious and cults, several religious seets took birth in Bengal in miniature forms. Notable among them were Baul, Neda, Darbesh, Sain, Aul, Saddhini Panthi, Sahajia, Khusi Biswasi, Radha Shyami, Ramsadhaniya, Jagabandhu Bhajaniya, Dadupanthi, Ruidasi, Senpanthi, Ramsanchi, MeeraRai, Bilwal Bhakta, KartaBhaja, Gurudasi Vaishnam, Karan Vaishnav, Gop Vaishnav, Harivyasi, Kishori Bhajani etc. The list is much bigger but all names could not be furnished due to certain inconveniences.

Probably the religious reformation movements of the Hindus and Muslims in the nineteenth century, the spread of Christianity by the missionaries, the rise of Brahmoism, the lives and works of Sri Ramkrishna, Bijoy Krishna and holy men of their ilk put up a tremendous resistance and drove the aforesaid miniature religious seets to the backseat. Gradually, these smaller seets as the Bauls, Auls, Darbesh etc. started to contract and took recourse in the remote and rural areas. It can therefore be said that the high ideals of the big and widespread religious and religious fundamentalism of some people did a lot of damage to the Baul Phakirs. For about a century, these men faced several obstacles and persecution. Consequently, the Bauls were weakened and got dispersed but never became an extinet race. It deserves mention in this regard that most of the miniature religious which had cropped up in Bengal were either founded by a Muslim or a Hindu or both. These religious sects largely owe their origin to the direct influence and preachings of Muslim Baul, Darvesh and Phakirs, the sheer despise of Brahminism by the exploited 'Shudras' (the lowest class of hindus) and above all the clarion call of the Vaishnava cult. The social background of the Vaishnava cult needs to be discussed in this regard.

Sree Chaitanya had appeared in Bengal as a liberator, reformer and a vicar of God. In the sixteenth century, the tyrannous Muslim rulers were converting the Hindus into Islam in a wide scale. Thousands of Shudras were also inclined to embrace Islam on account of inhuman persecution and maltreatment from the puritanical Brahmins. To stop this large scale proselytism, he founded the Vaishnava religion which was easy, liberal, spontaneous and all-embracing. The basic tenets of this religion by on the principles of universal love and tolerance.

Sree Chaitanya preached in a lucid and graceful way. His message was simple and easily intelligible to the masses. He used to say 'Harenamaiva Kevalam' which implies that nothing but the chanting of the name of 'Hari' (Lord Krishna) can lead one to the path of salvation. The Vaishnava cult had such a profound impact on the society that all men could easily identify themselves with it. Thousands of men embraced the new found religion and it became very popular.

After the demise of Sree Chaitanya, his religion faced a grave crisis. As factions crept in, the religion began to lose its mass appeal. The Goswamis of Vrindaban started to establish the Chaitanya cult. The aspect of mass education and universal love of mankind which were the hallmarks of Vaishnava religion were neglected outright. Sree Chaitanya, their beloved vicar of God went beyond the reach of the rank and file and hundreds of voluminous scriptures and manuscripts created the rift between the religious reformer and the masses.

During this crucial period, Vaishnava religion inducted in itself some cryptic penances, critical breathing mechanisms and rigorous practices. Thus came the Sahajiya Vaishnavas who started to dwell in Patuli Katwa, Agradweep and other places by banks of the river Ganga. A new religion in the shadow of Vaishnava philosophy come into existence. 
As mentioned earlier, the songs of the wanderer Baul Sufis were mostly songs of life and love and universal fraternity. The following lines will prove this point :

" Eker Srishti Sab Nari Pakrate
  Allah Algihbay Thaken Apna Sukhe
  Krishna Thaken Takrate."

These songs clearly indicate the inherent philosophies and views of these communities. The apparent meaning and the inner significance of the songs therefore, need to be analysed. The song cited below is an ideal example of the above mentioned ambiguous type.

" Age Chilo Jalamoy Paneer Upar Khaki Roy
  Khakir Upar Gharbari Sakalre.
  Bhaire Je Allah, Sei Kala, Sei Brahma Bishtu
  O Sei Bishtur Pade Holo Gangar Srishtire."

Now let us explain the above lines. 'Khaki' means land or soil. The term is derived from French. The footprints of Lord Vishnu is imprinted on the soil. The river Ganga, according to Baul philosophy, has its origin in the footprints of the Lord. Ganga means 'pani' or water. 'Pani' also implies soil. The inner significance of the song is simply exquisite. The Hindus, after death, will attain 'Moksha' if their ashes are flown in the holy Ganga whereas a Muslim after demise, goes to heaven from his sepulchre which is soil. It implies in the broader sense that at the end, both the Hindus and the Muslims meet the same consequence. So all divisions, discriminations, hatred and malcvolence for each other are meaningless and ludicrous.

In another song, the same meaning is emphasized where it is said that everything in this material world is transiout. Everything works by divine will. After the end of life in this material world, we, all of us, will go back to Quele Alam or the Almighty God. He is the Supreme Being who controls the universe and nothing can happen against His will. Hence, the Hindus and Muslims should forget all narrow, selfish bickerings and antipathy towards each other and pray to the Almighty God for emancipation of their souls.

There are several Baul songs which are imbued with this philosophy of universal brotherhood and the elevated principles of love and tolerance. The song given below will prove this point.

" Manushe Koro na Bhedabhed
  Karo Dharmajagan Manushbhajan
  Chere Daore Bed (The Vedas)
  Manush Satya Tatra Jene Manusher Uddeshye Phero,
  Ghate Pate Dionare Mon.
  Paan Karo Sada Premsudha Amulyaratan. 
  Gonsai Charan Bale, Kubir Charan Jadi Chinte Paro."

In order to understand the vision and purpose of the Auls and the Bauls, it is necessary for us to know more about certain miniature religious sects or communities.

Meherpur was a small village in the district of Nadia. Towards the austral flank of Meherpur, there were the slums of the backward communities. Balaram was born in this slum in 1825. He was born to Gobindo Hanri and Gaurmoni. When he grew up, young Balaram was employed as a security guard in the house of Padmalochan Mullick, an affluent businessman. But ill luck had dodged Balaram's steps. There was a temple in the house of Mullicks. The image of the deity in this temple was adorned with beautiful jewellery which were stolen one night. Poor Balaram was held responsible for this theft. He was beaten black and blue and then banished from the village for no fault of his own.
Balaram never forgot this trauma. He went to places as a recluse and acquired valuable experience of life and things. A few years later, he came back to Meherpur. But then, he was a transformed person. Severe penances had turned the simple and rustic Balaram into an enlightened saint. He sat in meditation the bank of river Bhairav. Meanwhile, the thief who had stolen the ornaments of the deity in Mullick's temple was nabbed. Padmalochan Mullick was thoroughly repentant for his misconduct and unjustified cruelty on Balaram. As a mark of atonement, Mullick gave a few acres of land and plenty of money to Saint Balai, so that the latter could found a temple and hermitage there.

Accordingly, a big temple soon came into existence. Soon, thousands of poors, destitutes and the backward people like the Kaivartas, Bedes, Bagdi, Namahsudras etc. started to flock in this hermitage. They became disciples of Balaram and looked upon him as their saviour and vicar of God. Thus, Balaram founded a new religion based on a new philosophy and vision. In common parlance, it was known as 'Bala Hanrin Mat.' Soon, he had more than twenty thousand disciples. His religious side was Brahma Malini, a virtuous lady.
A detailed description of these minor religions is given in the book 'Hindu Caste and Sects' authored by Pt. Jogendranath Bhattacharya. The author minutely observed that these sects do not worship any deities and are characterized by a sense of sheer despise towards the Brahmins. He has written in one place that "Bala Hanri had attracted more than twenty thousand disciples. The most important feature of his cult was the hatred that he taught his followers to entertain towards Brahmins. He was quite illiterate but he had a power of inventing puns by which he could astonish his audience whenever he talked or debated..."

Undoubtedly, Balaram was an intelligent person of immense potential. Besides, he had a gift of the gab. But it is grossly incorrect to say that Balaram had founded a cult merely on the ground of antipathy towards Brahmins. In reality, the downtrodden, poor backward classes by the end of the 18th century had become very helpless and were looked down upon by the refined upper classes. They had no social security, status or stability in life. As such , the upper crust people used to torture them mercilessly and treated them ignominiously. The rank and file were denied their fundamental rights as human beings. Ram Sharan Pal of Kalyani, Lalan Shah of Kushtia, Charan pal of Hodo were deeply touched by the brutal attitude of the upper castes. They wanted to change the social systemand reform it on elevated humanitarian principles of equality, universal love and fraternity. These idealistic men did not believe in the prejudiced and distorted elucidations of the shastras by the Brahmins, the selfproclaimed agents of God. Hence these men were averse to idolatry, unnecessary pilgrimages, worship of demi gods, too much perusal of the shastras and not putting the lessons into practice and other paraphemalia if our religion. Instead, they believed in simple living and high thinking. They worshipped the religion of humanity and dreamt of an egalitarion society based on elevated principles.

The gist of Balaram's preachings has been contained in the book 'Bharatbarshiya Upasak Sampraday.' In this book, Balaram has furnished a series of questions along with their answers. Basically, the norms and paraphernalia of the average Bengalie's religions :
practices have two distinct forms. One form is the present continuous and the other is hypothesis. The religious principles and norms based on Radha-Krishna and the Vaishnava philosophy are fundamentally based on hypothesis whereas the religious practice which involves the human body is the happening and practical. The holy Vrindaban actually in our hearts. To be more precise, the human body is the most sacred temple for pilgrimage which houses all the emotions, sentiments and subtle feelings. After getting initiated by the 'guru' or spiritual teacher, a disciple should always follow the path as directed by his guru and chant mantras as well as sing hymns to praise the Almighty.

The human psyiche is a big paradox. It is like the deep and mysterious sea. Every man tries to delve into the depth of his mind which is like the sea. Those sects who worship the human body as temple and value it above all considerations, hold the opinion that there are so many sources of divine pleasure apart from our known would and experiemes. They believe that human company is fun. It yields tremendous pleasure to behold a human being. Thus said Lalan :

" Manush Dharle Manush Pabi
  O Sab Teesthabrater Karma Nay."

This philosophy was the guiding principle of most of the minor religious sects. So their songs generally celebrate the spirit of life and man. One of the outstanding songs is given below :

" Jaat Gelo Jaat Gelo Bole
  Ey Ki Ajaab Karkhana.
  SatyaKathay Keu Raaji Noy
  Sabi Dekhi Ta na na na.

  Ei Bhabete Jakhon Ele
  Takhon Tumi Ki Jaat Chhile?
  Jabar Samoy Ki Jaat Habe
  Se Katha to Keu Bole Na.

  Brahman chanral Barar Muchi
  Ek Jale Hoy Sabai Suchi
  Dekhe Shalar Hoy Na Ruchi
  Shamane Kauke Thoba Na.


  Gopane Jadi Keu Beshyar Bhaat Khai
  Tate Jaatir Ki Kshati Hoy?
  Phakir Lalan Bole Jaat Kare Key
  Ey Bhram To Amar Gelo Na."


The Phakirs, like the Bauls, believe in the religion of humanity. The Phakir's style of living is very much different from the other sects and communities. Not many people choose to be Phakirs as their path is very hard and replete with struggle and conflicts. 
The 'Phakir' philosophy is very much dependent on the emancipation of the soul and realization of the ultimate truth. It has stringent laws which must be deserved minutely as stated in this song:

" Phakirite Phikiri Korle
  Narakpuri Jete Habe Bhai.
  Sei Narak Bhakshak Janar
  Naraketei Habe Thain."


The above lines have a profound significance. The Phakirs have no right to indulge in luxuries or fall prey to common human weaknesses like abarice, jelousy, anger, concupricence etc. Some Phakirs are recluses whereas some lead normal family lives.
The first and foremost work of the phakirs is to gain control over the sexual impulse. Celibacy is preferred. The Phakirs believe that radiant and disease free health is the first step to attaining God. So they undergo regular physical exercises. But these people do not quite pursue the path of wisdom and knowledge. Their firm conviction is that life is all about skin, blood, bones, flesh etc. They believe in the physical aspect of life and have a high esteem of semen as the carrier of life. The Phakirs believe that the essence of life soul residers in human body as semen. The latter is also the source of our will power, emotions, sentiments and all subtle feelings. According to them this semen is the source of love in a man-woman relationship.

All these minor religious are inextricably interturned with songs as music forms an essential part of them lives. They do not take recourse to any sombre, high sounding, intricate and shave 'shastras.' On the contrary, their world is an exclusive one which is based on the an entirely different philosophy which is simple colourful and down-to-earth. The life of a Phakir revolves round certain fixed convictions which are best manifested in their songs. They believe that omipotant God is one and indivisible and that Lord Krishna and Allah are but names of the same God and deserve to be worsipped by all irrespective of religion, caste or community.

Based on this simple but elevated philosophy and outlook of life, these men compare songs and lead their lives. Hence they sing:

" Mussalmane Bhabe Allah Amader Dale
  Eman Boka Dekheche ke kon Kale.
  Allah Karo Nay Mesho Khudo,
  Ey Kathatir Peline Mudo
  Chool Peke Holi Re Budo Khabad Na Nile." 

Hence, the Bauls or Phakirs not only consider themselves as singers but also as wandering recluses who are in search of the ultimate truth.
The rites and rituals of the Bauls and Phakirs are very mysterious and deeply philosophical. These are strictly practised within the Baul Community and not allowed to go outside their commence.

The Baul religion gives utmost importance to conjugal relationship. A Baul man cannot think of practising his religion or performing the necessary rites without the help of his spouse. It does not matter whether he is married to her but female company is one of the essential requisites. Another salient feature of the Bauls is their control over their respiratory process. They believe that the key to real happiness and solace of mind lies in the control of breathing mechanism which can also give one relief from pain and anxiety. In fact, the sexual life of the Baul is centred around this principle of control of breathing mechanism. 

The male Baul considers his female counterpart as the medium for spiritual pursuits. He is not merely concerned to satisfy his conceipescence. He does not think that love is a selfish, demanding and possessive emotion. On the contrary, a male Baul is very particular about the priapism of his female counterpart. This feature is markedly absent among the other male inhabitants of the village apart from the Bauls.

All the Baul couples meticulously observe every minute detail regarding the female menstruation cycle. This is guided by a deeply religious feelings which is least manifested in the following song of Lalan: 'Sab Gacheri Phool Phote, Kintu Sab Phooleri Phal Hay Na.' This implicates that all females may naturally menstruate but all of them may not form ovaries and may not be capable of reproducing.

It is to be noticed that songs form an essential part of every aspect of the Baul's life. All the minute aspects of life - the emotions, feelings, sentiments, important or trivial incidents are best expressed in Baul songs. The Bauls do not belive in relions scriptures or going to the woods for worshipping God. They have realized the cardinal truth that God is all-pervading and manifests Himself in all forms of His creations. The underlying note of the song below is indeed very touchy and profoundly philongrhical.

" Satya Bole Jene Nao Ei Manushleela,
  Chhere Dao Nengti Pare Hari Hari Bala."

The Bauls sincerely believe that 'nature is the living visible garment of God.' In their opinion, God and nature are one and inseparable.

The nature referred to here is nothing but female entity. Man always falls back on woman who stands by him as his inspiration and source of courage. This man woman relationship to the wish of the Almighty. The Baul community of Bengal as well as the Phakirs have realized this eternal truth of life and give vent to this divine idea through their melodious songs which is their sole mode of expression. These songs are Bengal's very own and are inextricably linked with soil, water and sky of Bengal. The Baul songs are literally imbued with the spirit and essence of Bengal.

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