Bengal, Land of Warring Religiosity
Religious tension in multi religious country like India has a critical social phenomenon from long. In recent years too we have witnessed such trauma in various ways. From the very beginning of its civilization the Bengal was tensely divide into multi religious sects with stern warring character. The rule of Magadha or Gour during early ancient days, the Pala-Sena period of early medieval period, entire rule of the Sultans of Delhi or the days of Mughals have witnessed such religious warring, mostly concluded with bloodshed and mass conversion etc. The Hindu caste hierarchy often depressed the lowers from hundreds and thousands of years. Once in later Vedic phases, against the atrocities of the Brahmanism the India revolted under the leadership of the protestant like great Buddhadeva or Bardhaman Mahavira. After a series of evolution, later the Shaivite Hindus had faced the Buddhism; legendary king, Shasanka of Goud, can be remembering in this connection. Contemporary chronicle of Chinese traveler Hue-en-tsung has indicated that, he mechanized the process of destruction of Buddhism in Bengal. Renowned historian Dr. Ramesh Chandra Majumdar has opined that, as Shasanka as an affirmed devote of Shaivaism, probably through his religious favoritism had demoralized the progress of the Buddhism. However, the new researches have not been unanimous with these ideas that, king Shasanka was the destroyer of Buddhism in Bengal. Noteworthy, after few days from the demise of Shasanka, Hue-en-tsung and I-tsing had travelled to Bengal, and astonishingly they both have witnessed the progress and prosperity of the Buddhism in Bengal.³ However, during the Sena regime; the Sena ruler while promoting the Hinduism, mostly have poked the last nail over the Buddhism. In response, to save the identity, the Buddhism was dispersed in various fractions and gradually concealed under various mystic covers. From these backdrops, once the much discussed Sahajyana Buddhism was evolved in the soil of Bengal. With the advancement of the Islam these confrontations were mostly became matters of regular happenings and the trends are continuing till days.
The Unity Triggered
The Bengal had a strong past of religious evolution; even it includes the birth and development of famous Buddhism or Jainism. In Particular, medieval Bengal was profoundly rooted in the religious variety concerning peace, harmony and even warring religiosity. To combat the religious tensions and social evils brought by the main-stream religions, folk religious preachers while preaching their precepts, found it necessary to combine social issues with their doctrine. All those social issues and the precepts were embodied in their religious tenets and songs. They have fixed one of the targets of religious salvation is to understand the concept of oneness, Ram or Rahim whomever you like to worship, you can be performed. They meticulously sermonized the idea of oneness of god. Though, occasionally the minor religious groups followed the marks of apparent distinction and that too often patronized by the material pressure groups; but the undercurrent of harmony mostly enthralled upon their thoughts and activities. This anti communal sentiments certainly have bears the succession of the Buddhist ideology of equality and secularism as well as the Vaishnav legacy of equality propounded by Sri Chaitanya Deva. As we know, to dethrone the discriminating rituals of Hinduism, Sri Chaitanya had re-introduced the Indian Vaishnav cult with a new trademark of people’s centrism bonded with a casteless social equilibrium. Hence, the Bengali subaltern and oppressed has rallied with Chaitanya and his religion. Hence, a detailing of Sri Chaitanya’s religious ideology and activism, the part expression of Buddhism in the Sahajyana doctrine and the reciprocal relationship they maintained with each other and other local folk religions, would get a profound on look in next phases of discussion.
Experiment of Religious Liberalism in Bengal
The Buddhism had a long history in Bengal. Being an offspring from eastern India, it by no means could have to be denied the inheritance of Bengali culture and thought. Bengal as land was coined as ‘Pandav Barjita’ (discarded by the Pandava brother of Mahabharata) by the reigning Aryan culture. Deprived by overwhelming majority of Aryan administration and culture, Buddhist and other minor religious sects’ retreats from the Aryan dominated northern India and took refuge to the Bengal.  Consequently, stayed progressive in various countries of East and Middle Asia and as well as the furthest corner of Far Asia. Similarly, inside the country it preserved its own bastion of eastern India. Particularly, before its decline, it stayed a long in Pala dominated Bengal and Bihar, from middle of eighth to the middle of twelfth century A.D. In course of its evolutionary process, it underwent various significant stages.
As we know, during post Buddha era mainstream Buddhism was rifted in many ways. In the second great Buddhist council at Vaishali in fourth century B.C, the split was noticed first. Consequently, it culminated on its division into ‘Hinayana’ and ‘Mahayana’.⁴ Eventually, at the famous Nalanda University of Bengal (400 A.D to after 700 A.D), the philosophical debate continued among the Buddhist scholars. Gradually two eminent schools of ‘Madhyamika’ and ‘Yogachara’, and some other new school under the umbrella of Mahayana philosophy came into existence. Such as, ‘Bhutatathatavada’, ‘Mantrayana’; which found ultimate expression in three ways of mystic practices designated as ‘Vajrayana’ ‘Kalachakrayana’ and ‘Sahajyana’. First two were the propagator of attaining the lord Supreme, ‘Vajrasattva’, or ‘Sri-Kalachakra’ through method of worship, mantras and rites-rituals etc. While in reaction Sahajyana denied all those mantras and rituals and emphasized the realization of the secret truth of life by transforming and sublimating the inborn tendency of human character. ⁵ This new form of Buddhism was adorned by most of the Bengali lower class of Pala-Sena epoch due to the oppression caused by the Hindu hierarchy and ‘Koulinya System’ or ‘Kulinism’⁶ of Varna Hindu’s. Subsequently one group of Sahajyana follower take refuge of Islam, of whom a group was emerged, called ‘Fakir’ or ‘Nerar Fakir’ as they would shave off their heads as in their Buddhist past. Other group joined Vaishnavism of Sri Chaitayna Deva then led by the Birbhadra, the son of the Nityananda, one of the ardent disciples of Sri Chaiytanya; kept in touch with mystic practices of Sahajyana Buddhism.
Famous Bhakti Saint Sri Chaitanya appeared in a significant juncture of the Indian civilization. With the advent of mighty Islam in middle ages, alike India the Bengal too was devastated with the aggressiveness of Islamic religion and statecraft. From the times of the Pala-Sena epoch, Buddhist of eastern India had been split into several mischievous sects under the fold of superstitious Tantra of Tibet and India. Hinduism under the currents of the mock customs and hectic rituals came into jeopardy. The age long glamour of the Brahmins had lost its valor. The caste and the Koulinya system of caste hierarchy altogether spoiled the society of Bengal. The lower stratums of the society have lost its self dignity through the exploitation of the Brahmin. Other upper caste of the Hindu and the Muslim as ruler elites were plunged in the realm of the avarice, greed and immorality. To revive the vitality of the society by enabling the downtrodden; Sri Chaitanya plucked the essence of Vaishnavism with the magic chanting of ‘Harernamaibo Kebolom’ to enchant the name of lord Hari or Krishna, irrespective of economic or social status. It mechanized the formation of famous devotional music called ‘Nam Sankirtan’, (mass chanting of the name of lord Krishna). This common prayer brought the people in a common platform of religious solidarity. He simply overthrown the ideas of caste divisions and brought all the groups of society under one group of humanity. His call was not only destined for the Hindus, but also for the Muslims and other religious sects too. Hence, it became a populist movement with a slight communist undertone.
However, after the demise of Sri Chaitanyadeva; the Chaitanyaism under the command of the Goswamis of Vrindavan have lost its popular bases, and confined in scriptural periphery. Losing control of the Chaitanyaism, the Shudras of Bengal were dispersed once again and they adopted depraved and distort conduct of religions, as well as immoral social manners etc. Once again to uphold the flag, saint Birbhadra, son of the Nityananda, one of the greatest disciples of Sri Chaitanya, had taken the lead. He like Sri Chaitanyadeva brought back the people of corrupt practices once again into realm of lord Hari or Krishna. Now, this time the Buddhist Sahajiya, Tantric Hindu and other minor religious sects of Bengal came together and assembled under the umbrella of Vaishanvism and eventually, were assimilated with it. A New sect called Vaishnav Sahajiya had emerged from this venture. The Boul doctrine, songs and the religion had a close proximity with these neo-Vaishnavism or Sahahjiya Vaishnavism.⁷
The Canonical Texture
The Boul religious tenets and practices have an obscure and frenzied texture. To denote their path of making Sadhana (worship), the popular mark used is ‘Ulta-Sadhan’ or ‘Ujan Sadhan’. The ‘Ulta-Sadhan’ or ‘Ujan Sadhan’ stands for the invalidate corridor to reach the proposed religious goal. This unconventional practicing includes the overthrown of existing religious orders, their institutions and practices. Hence, they wanted to proceed towards their religious goals by challenging the reigning cross-currents of orthodoxy. This much needed reverse journey pin pointed to the path of return to one’s own self, by self realization, which is known as ‘Sahaj’ or inborn in nature. Because, it is the most natural path of attainment of salvation; which known as ‘Mahasukha’ or supreme bliss in Sahajiya Buddhist doctrine. By virtue of their Buddhist origin the word ‘Sahaj’, or ‘Simple’ find frequent mentions in Boul songs and customs. In the word of Buddhist Sahajiya, the Mahasukha signifies that, “the whole world is of the nature of ‘Sahaja’—for Sahaja is the essence or ‘Svarupa’ of all; this essence is ‘Nirvana’ to those who possess the perfectly pure Chitta” (Mind).⁸ They define Sahaj as Mahasukha, in which both man (Upaya) and women (Prajna) jointly represented the unity in duality. Later on, this theologize concept had open up the avenues to the Sahajiya Vaishnava to brought  Radha and  Krishna as the epitome of unity of man and women tied together by pure love. This time the Vaishnav dualism of Rupa and Arupa finds a spiritual unity by the process of the divinization of the human love.⁹
Similarly, on the other hand, the Bouls believes in the ‘Sahaj’ state of mind, which according to them is the ultimate goal of their Sadhana. By overruling the practices of such dualism, the Bouls spoke of love between the human personality and Divine Beloved (Moner Manush), which resided in the human body. This is a kind of self realization, which is ultimate reality of one’s mind. For advancement of this ultimate goal, they rejected the useless rituals, practices and institutions of established religious orders. Noteworthy, the sects under scanner have stressed heavily on the body of human, which appear to them as the epitome of universe. In this connection sexual overtone in practices of Sahajyana Buddhism, Vaishnavism and Bouls are also notable. Charjyapada, the transitional literature of Buddhist Sahajiya, Bouls and Nath’s having various mentions of metaphor for body and physique, which clearly indicates the role of body for salvation—‘the experts used to clarify the stance of scriptures, but nobody knows that, there is Buddha resides inside our body’; ‘after a prolonged search, it would appear to me that, among all the pilgrimages, the body and the bliss are  incomparable’; ‘there is no needs to go elsewhere (Lanka) in search of salvation, rather the salvation is residing inside our body’; sometimes they coined the body ‘as Veena ( Indian musical instrument, may be synonymous with harp or decachord) which should be played with high sense of musical judgment, then only fine musical tune (Bliss or Mahasukh) would come up’; ‘it is like a boat, one only can cross the rising river by proficient boating.’¹⁰ To reach out the eternal bliss, contained inside our body through Yoga and practices of self restrained sex, the Boul or their ancestor Sahajyana Buddhism and the Sahajiya Vaishnavism altogether have promoted the ideas of framing the women as the medium of true salvation; by rejecting the traditional Hindu religious ideas of coining the women as a hindrance to the roads of attainment of salvation. Therefore, through this way, these religions and their tenets upheld the sanctity of the women in society.
Guruvad and Spiritualism
The Bouls of Bengal have laid emphasis on ‘Guruvada’ i.e. the selection of proper Guru (vanguard) for guiding the Sadhana; by following the path of their Buddhist and Vaishnavite predecessor. In this connection the Sufism too had an intimate contribution to the Bouls. Guru etymologically a Sanskrit word refers to a spiritual guide; ‘Gu’ denotes the darkness and ‘Ru’ stands for light, ¹¹ hence guru is mandated for salvage of disciple from darkness and be a convoy to the world of light. The similar Arabic term ‘Murshid’ stands for guide or teacher, derived from the root r-sh-d with the basic meaning of having integrity, being sensible and mature; in connection with Sufi religious philosophy it denotes spiritual guide.¹² The Guruvad has long heritage in Indian main stream and minor religious field. But in Boul concept the Guru tradition has recomposed through their own philosophy and activism; that consequently resembled with the north Indian Guru tradition of Sufi and Bhakti cult. In fact those tradition believes that, when a disciple by learning religious manners from Guru and consequently earned a steady trustworthiness of Guru, he or she could be possessed the god’s favor, because the god always taken care of his friends. The Boul and Fakir religious sects having stern belief that, the birth of human, in essence a derailed journey smeared up with the illusion and hallucination. This endless whirligig has captivates the human until death. To get rid of, a disciple should asylum to a Guru or vanguard, because he is the bridge between the god and disciple; and there is no space for scripture, hymns, neither there is any requirement of the mosque or temple. Contrary, the Guru would play only as savior. Hence he or she is termed as Guru (in Boul tradition) or Murshid (in Sufi Fakiri tradition).This Guru or Murshid by suggesting the practices of Yoga and self restrained esoteric sexual ecstasy helps the disciple to divinized the body, which is nothing but an epitome of universe and there reside the godly beloved for whom the disciple lust for (Moner Manush). Here lies the essence of those obscure cults.
Mystic Boul Song: Legacy and Subverted Tone of Religion
Last but not the least, the Bouls used to preach and practice their religion through a special kind of songs, which composed with cryptogram, called ‘Sandha Bhasa’, in which certain stanza or specific word actually have carries a dual meaning, only the real devotee and practitioner could understand the real one. These songs used to twist with allegory, metaphor and double standard of the word, sometime reversing the terminology and sentences. This technique of composing religious song in Indian tradition is known as the ‘Ultawasi’. Worth mentioning the songs of the saint Kavir Das and the Nath saints of the Gorakhnath legacy have profoundly been used such kind of ‘Ultawasi’. These kinds of songs have referred apparently impossible matters anticipating reverse meaning. These ‘Ultawasi’ used to compose for symbolizing the situation of visualization of the illusion, which believed to be misguided the soul or creatures.¹³ 
Now, in this connection the references of the Charjyapada and the Siddhachariyas may not be appearing as irrational. The Charjya songs have a direct corollary with religious ideology and songs of Bouls. The Sahajyana Buddhism had its strong base in Bengal, which I have stated in brief, in previous sub section of this write-up. However, the Sahajyana Buddhist fundamentals are found in songs called ‘Charjya’ or ‘Doha’; collectively known as ‘Charjyapada’. The book is known as ‘Charjyacharjoabinoschoya’ or ‘Charjascharjabinoschoya’; composed during eleventh and twelfth century, ¹⁴ in the Rarh region of Bengal (roughly, South-Western and Western part of present West Bengal).The composer of the Charjya songs or the preacher of ‘Sahajyana Buddhism and the Shaivite ‘Nath Yogis’ was popularly known as ‘Siddhachariya’.¹⁵ Though a group of scholars refuted the idea on their connections with the so called Sahajyana Buddhism, Jainism or Shaivism. Such as Prof. Aloka Chattopadhayay sternly commented that, although some of those Siddhachariyas, referred as Yogi and later epithet as Bikshu, probably, it would be occurred because of their conduct and manners, which having some resemblance with those leading sects of religions. Contrary, in reality the Siddhachariyas have kept themselves far away from the rules and regulations of Buddhism.¹⁶ However, as present treatise is not chiefly directed to such proposition, hence, the matter not to be discussed here in detail. Rather, I like to have a look on some of the famous of those Siddhachariyas; namely, Kanho Pa, Bhusuk Pa, Dhendon Pa, Shabar Pa and Lui Pa etc. Notable, this Lui Pa was the forerunner among the preacher of Sahajyana religion in Rarh Bengal. In fact a number of Siddhachariyas were the residents of southern region of Bengal; the name they borrowed or the languages they have used all could be proven the facts. One of the chief propagators of Sahahjiya sect, Bhusuku Pa too was appeared as the domicile of this land. One of the heritage languages of this locality is Kurmali language. In Kurmali the word ‘Bhusuk’ or ‘Bhuska’ is being used for referring the termite eaten things. The Siddhachariya Dhendon Pa probably was also the man from this locality, the term ‘Dhandhaina’ or ‘Dhanka’ (root conjugation/Dhaturup) of Kurmali is used to refer the vagrant or tramp. So it could be inferred that, as the saint Dhendon Pa was a globe-trotter; hence he earned such title.¹⁷Name of Siddhachariya Shabar Pa, probably is indicating his belonging to the ‘Shabar’ community, a premier tribe of Rarh region of W.B. Consequently, it is to be noted that, a handful of Bengali scholar termed the languages of Charjyapada as the Proto Bengali language. Dr. Suniti Kumar Chatterji clearly opined that, “The language of the Caryas is the genuine vernacular of Bengal at its basis. It belongs to the early or old NIA Stage.”¹⁸ Though the theory not remained unchallenged, still there is ample logic for sustenance of the theory for Bengali. However, we are supposed not in a position to continue the debate, as because this treatise is not directed to such goal. However, as Lui and other Siddhachariyas were from the regions of Rarh, hence it could be deducted that, all the Boul and Sadhu¹⁹of this region are either direct or indirect decedents of the Buddhist Sahaj Sadhana.²⁰ This Buddhist Sahaj Sadhana in advance stage of development was intermingled with the theory and practices of the Vaishnavism. Hence a new wing called Sahajiya Viaishnavism has appeared and in turn enticed revisions to the Bouls, Fakirs and other minor religious sects of Bengal. In fact from this juncture, through these religious lineages the Bouls were emerged later on.
However the Boul genre of song as chiefly composed to maintain the heritance of such religious practices, hence, contained the ideas and principles of adornment and practicing of the religious techniques for attainment of the goal i.e. the ‘Sahaj Ananda’. This would be attained through the practices of Sahaj Sadhan. The Boul songs of Bengal have an expertise on the ‘Sandha Bhasa’ (encrypted languages). A worldly materialistic favoritism of this entire genre has profoundly noticeable in all these religious songs. The preachers have focused on the various aspects of the religion and material lives of the people, by denying the superfluous imagine and exaggeration of the state of nature. According to scriptural tenets, the Boul song can be divided into some categories; such as i) ‘Atmadehe Brhamanda Darshan’(the body is depository and symbol of the ‘Brahamanda, the Universe); ii) ‘Gurubhakti’(admiration to the ‘Guru’, the vanguard); iii) ‘Deho Tatwa’(only body can help to attain salvation); iv) ‘Bairagya’(aloofness, impassiveness or refutation, in particular abandonment of the pains and pleasures in the temporary material world); v) ‘Chaityanalabh’ (to attain the pure consciousness or knowledge; vi) ‘Sahaj Sadhan’(to attain the  Sahaj Ananda with the help of simple method of worship), sometimes it is called ‘Bibidha Sadhan’(various ways of attain ‘Bodhi’), which includes a) ‘Shringar Sadhan’  b) ‘Naiyaka Sadhan’ c) ‘Kaya Sadhan’.²¹ All of three are ways of attainment and integrated each other, which denotes the act of attaining goal through the erotic practices of physical love with lady counterpart, called ‘Sadhan Sangini’ but in absolute restraint. The religious mechanism and the songs composed by Buddhist Siddhachariyas, Vaishnav Sahajiyas and the Bouls of Bengal still bears resemblance in tenets, spirituality, quest for true knowledge, eternal truth and mysticism. They all have donated notable stress on human body, have stressed on impression of eroticism and underlying morality etc. A branch of Boul song has composed with a straight forward inclination on the adoration of Vaishnavism and Sri Chaitanya Deva. In this manner some Boul songs became Vaishnavite version of Boul songs. These all are indicating common basis and lineages of Sahajyana Buddhism, Sahajia Vaishnavism and Bouls of Bengal.
Consequently, I like to cite here some of the exemplary Boul songs to intricate the ideas on their character. One of the song clearly telling that, “Bhakto-Bhakto Manush Bhogoban/Tarey Bhojiley Pabey Porittran/Manush Bhojey, Sangsar Tajey/Akaitob Prem Pan!” [Oh! Devotee, god in man/for deliverance, you should pray to him/if any one by rejecting the family bondage, pay homage to the human being, would get true love] This song concretely upheld the mantra of man worship; it is saying that, the man is the god or the god is in man, so if you worship the man the most loving creature of nature, you would get true love from god’s end. Adoration to man, is needed the rejection of family and societal bondage or stay mentally aloof from the material world, called ‘Bairagya’. So in a way by telling the unseen power of human being, the Bouls have confidently reminded us the importance of the every individual in the material world. In second instances, the song telling the importance of women for salvation or for social good in such a way that, “Shuno Sobey Sadhubhai, Nari Ninda Kori Nai/Horir Lila Koroho Bichari/Nari Jodi Daya Korey, Nischoy Jaibo Parey/Nari Hoi Bhobo Nodir Tori!” [Hey devotee please listen don’t underrate the women/try to realize the god’s mandate/if you get the mercy from women, you would achieve salvation/women is the true vehicle to cross the river of life]. It contained a delicate spiritual message that, without the joint performance of man and women, the salvation could not be attained. I have mentioned earlier that, the doctrines of the Bouls have vehemently mentored the ideas and application to bring the women onto the lime light through the religious practices and practices of social material behavior. Generally, this clause is telling subtle technique of achieving salvation by using the women counterpart through hidden erotic practices. But these subverted clues are only could be grasping by the Boul practitioners, hence certainly not withstand here by the general masses. Contrary, from this particular song, the general laity only could receive the messages of the equality of man and women in a society. Therefore, in this way such songs are playing a historical role by preparing the psyche of the people for real progressiveness based on the women’s participation in every sphere of life. One other category of Boul song has scripted the messages related to Sri Chaitanyadeva as the reformer or incarnation of god-- “Kar Bhabhey Bibhor Hoyey Nodiai Hoyecho Gour…/Bonomala  Nai Hey Goley, Tulsir Mala Goley Doley, Du Nayaney Bohey Lor/Nai Hey Shirey Shikhi Pakha,…”²² [By whom you mandated to get birth as Gora at Nadia ?/you does not have garland of flowers, only a string of Tulsi (holy basil) is on your neck, you are just weeping profusely/there is even no peacock feather on your head…] This song personified the picture of lord Krishna, as there is a general belief, that, lord Krishna or Hari has performed the ‘Manav Lila’ (human life) by taking the body of Gour (Gouranga or Sri Chaitanyadeva) at the  Nadia of  Bengal. However, it is evident from those exemplary songs that, the Boul songs in a side have carries the tenets of Boul Sadhana, as well as the religious essence of the Boul way of life which profoundly championed the interest and status of women. In a row, as an epitome of god it marked the god in man. Similarly, by advocating the tribute to Sri Chaitanyadeva through the devotional songs, it evokes own ancestry relating to the Vaishnav Sahajia cult.