Vaishnava Sahajiya

For other uses, see Sahajiya.
Statue of Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyā poet Chandidas and his lover Rajakini, at his birthplace of Nanoor

Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyā was a form of Hindu tantric Vaishnavism focused on Radha Krishna worship that developed in Eastern India (Bengal, Bihar, Orissa, Assam).[1][2] This tradition flourished from the 16th to the 19th century.[3] The Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyā tradition produced many great poets who wrote in the Bengali language, the most famous of these poets all wrote under the pen name Chandidas (a name used by various authors).[4][2] Their religious literature was mainly written in Bengali vernacular.[4]

Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyā used the romance between Krishna and Radha as a metaphor for union with the innate or primordial condition (the Sahaja) present in everyone. They sought to experience that union through its physical reenactment in tantric ritual. To this end, Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyā often made use of sexual intercourse in their tantric sadhanas. Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyās understood Krishna as being the inner cosmic form (svarupa) of every man and likewise Radha was seen as the inner form of women.[5]

The Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyā tradition was deeply influenced by Bengali Vaishnava bhakti and its poets (such as Jayadeva).[6] They were also deeply influenced by the Bengali Buddhist tantric tradition which was also known as "Sahaja" and made use of tantric sexuality (karmamudra).[7] From the Bengali Vaishnavas, Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyā adopted the devotion to Radha Krishna and its understanding of bhava (feeling) and rasa (flavor). From the Buddhists, they adopted the theory of emptiness (shunyata) and tantric deity yoga and sexuality.[7]

The Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyā tradition also influenced the Baul tradition of Bengal.[4] The Vaiṣṇava Sahajiyā tradition does not survive as a living lineage today with an unbroken connection to the medieval gurus. However, its influences can be found in some modern Bengal Hindu tantrikas who claim to be Sahajiyās.[2]

  1. ^ Young, Mary (2014). The Baul Tradition: Sahaj Vision East and West, pp. 27-30. SCB Distributors.
  2. ^ a b c Hayes, Glen A. "The Vaisnava Sahajiya Traditions of Medieval Bengal", in Religions of India in Practice, edited by Donald S. Lopez, Jr., Princeton Readings in Religions, Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1995: 333-351.
  3. ^ Beck, Guy L. (2012). Alternative Krishnas: Regional and Vernacular Variations on a Hindu Deity, p. 19. SUNY Press.
  4. ^ a b c Young, Mary (2014). The Baul Tradition: Sahaj Vision East and West, pp. 27-36. SCB Distributors.
  5. ^ Beck, Guy L. (2012). Alternative Krishnas: Regional and Vernacular Variations on a Hindu Deity, p. 20. SUNY Press.
  6. ^ Young, Mary (2014). The Baul Tradition: Sahaj Vision East and West, p. 36. SCB Distributors.
  7. ^ a b Young, Mary (2014). The Baul Tradition: Sahaj Vision East and West, pp. 27-30. SCB Distributors.