In the Light of the Padas: Exploring Sexuality as a Means of Spiritual Transcendence

Abstract

The Caryāpadas are a collection of mystical poems, songs of realization in the Vajrayāna and Sahājiya traditions of Buddhism from the esoteric traditions in Assam, Bengal, Bihar and Odisha. Vaiṣṇava Padāvalī refers to Vaiṣṇava poetry and often focusses on the Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa legend. The term Padāvalī literally means - "gathering of songs” and often reflects an earthly view of divine love. Essentially, both Caryāpadas and Vaiṣṇava Padāvalī, with slightly varying metaphors and imagery, centre on the theme of love and sexuality. Exploring sexuality by transcending social norms is a common theme in the songs of both Caryāpadas and Vaiṣṇava Padāvalī. This paper explores how both Caryāpadas and Vaiṣṇava Padāvalī share a similar purpose, flavour, target audience, and quite possibly the same route. Both follow the trend of conveying the esoteric message prevalent in the form of music or the metaphor of ‘abhisamayā’, i.e., the realization one achieves because of the union of prajñā (wisdom) and upāya (method)). This becomes relevant as we study the rich heritage of greater Bengal, where Buddhist Sahajiyā and Vaiṣṇava traditions flourished. Though these traditions have been largely wiped out due to several socio-political and cultural factors, the legacy of the Caryāpadas and Sahajiyā Sādhanā continue in the later emerging Vaiṣṇava Padāvalīs and the Bhakti tradition. This paper draws from primary sources like the Caryācaryāviniṣcāya, Sri Kṛṣṇa Kīrtan, and Gītagovinda, to study the nature of the padas, i.e., short votive verses; it also investigates the works of analysis and criticism by several English and Bengali scholars and their various perspectives on the subject. Secondary sources based on Tibetan Buddhist traditions, and the greater sphere of bhakti poetry and music have also been consulted. The paper explores how the Padas have evolved, and how there has always been a strong sense of connection between the earlier Caryāpadas and the later Vaiṣṇava Padāvalī. This research attempts to unravel how the two traditions share a similar, if not mostly the same outlook on sexuality as a method of comprehending the union of matter with spirit. Sahajānanda as explored in the Caryāpadas, or Rādhābhāva as in the Vaiṣṇava Padāvalī, and the associated musical traditions have fostered a deep, meaningful connection between the Hindu and Buddhist traditions in greater Bengal. The two traditions forge a similar path of spirituality to this date.